The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-04-12

Wdo- J TICI- IIIhII- NY !
The only drawback TO my happiness was
that 1 had not Mary to share 1t with
me.
taken such a brilliant turn, l had written
both to Mary and her father informing
them how matters stood, and renewing
my offer.
Both letters were returned to me through
the post marked Gone away, left no ad-
dress"
A month 'afterward I received a letter
from Mary herself, addressed to my old |
London hospital 1t was very short, and
ran thus:
God help me! I am to be married to-
morrow. Think no more of me, except in
pity. Mary"
l did pity her. and God knows, l prayed
that night for her future happiness and
prosperity. 1 looked for the marriage in /
the papers and never saw 1t, and could /
only guess that il was a match or her |
fathers making. That it was not one of /
affection i was quite certain.
Ten more years had gone by, and no |
news of my lost love, when one after
noon drove to large hospital to which |
visiting physicians. Approaching the bed |
side of a patient dangerously i'll in com
pany with the house surgeon, ! fancied
the figure of the nurse as she bent over
her charge, seemed familiar to me.
This is the patient l spoke to you about,
DR.. Vereker," remarked the house sur
geon, as we reached the bedside.
DIR. Verekerr' exclaimed the nurse, in
a hoarse whisper, starting to her feet,
and looking me full in the face.
Mary Lesliev I exclaimed in equal
Then noticing the look of wonderment
on the house surgeons face, l recovered
my wits, and said, with gaiety did not
"And old friend, Mr.. -, and the last
person l expected to see here. Will now
have a look at the patient If you VIII
allow me- and afterwards I must renew
my acquaintance with my old friend here.
My appointments not permitting OF a
long interview, 1 only had time to CLEAN
from Mary that she was widow and that
her father had long been dead.
1T was a long story, and a very very
sad one," she added.
you'll come to my house tonight and
tell me all about it, Mary?' and she prom
At 5 o'clock she came. When we were
left alone l started I'D and would have
embraced her, but she motioned me away
what. Nary 1 exclaimed, ''now you
are free and your own mistress, do you
mean te say you won't let me at last can
"Oh. no. no." she cried, with a. look of
| horror on her face. Never use that word
| to me again. Wife! If you only knew
what 1 have done. the hideous crime l
| from you. Don't ask me to tell you more,
| but think of me as poor wretch whom
you once ono nad q Tegard i9T ana are .i Frank
| and don't ask my history If you ever WlSh
in the future to think Of me with the
| least respect"
And Mary sank into a chair as she
| spoke and covering her face with her
| hands burst into passion of tears.
| Presently she became calm again, and
| once more rising to her feet addressed me
| in a voice that tried to be firm.
81 e-changed-my-mind, Frank, !"
she said. 81 will tell you-my-secret-
| and. OH and she clasped her hands so
| piteously as she spoke-"don't think worse
Of me than you can help viii you Frank
| for the sake of-of-old timer"
I promised, and she began:
'My poor father was never the same
to me, Frank, after he received your let
ter asking his consent to our marriage.
He accused me of being double-faced and
deceitful and henceforth said he should
never trust me, and l don't believe he
ever did My life, in fact, was wretched
one, for his infirmities increasing he grew
more irritable than ever. You see, poor
man, he was always in such great pain,
and we ought to allow for that. 1 think.
When you first knew me we were almost
alone and seldom saw company, but after
that letter my father changed his ba bits
| gentlemen and officers from the castle,
and so on, to drop in of an evening and
play cards and listen to my singing.
II had several offers OF marriage, all
of which I refused. One or two of these
men, 1 think. 1 could have been happy
with had I-had l not liked some one else
Frank. There was one man detested the
very sight of, who was most persistent
in his attentions, and whom refused time
after time, much to my fathers annoy
ance, as he had the reputation Of beine
we'll to do. My father liked him, as he
was alreadys ready to take a hand al
ecarte or play chess with him, but prin
cipally, I believe, because ne was so vel
, up in turf matters, in which, as l mus
often have told you, my father had al
/ ways taken an interest.
james Flood was good docking man
, and always well, though l thought rather
hashily, dressed, and some girls no doub
would have been much taken with him
but ! was. not, though why 1 could no
: him he said that he had not given UP al
} hope yet, and would bide his time.
did not know at first what he meant
Frank; I had not long to wait before
One morning, after breakfast, my fathe
/ asked me to stay in the room, as he hat
something of Importance to say to me. HI
= looked very i'll, and worried, and dread
t ed what was coming.
HE was ruined, Frank, irretrievabl!
T ruined Unknown to me, he had been bet
l ting very heavily, at least heavily 70
: him and finally, in order to meet hi
: losses, and enable hin to 60 in for on
: his annuity-all we had to live upon
e | Frank The horse on whom everything
/ had depended had lost the race, and W
= | were beggars, absolute beggars.
'tOh. poor papa! poor papa! IT all de
= nended on me now, he said. There wa
: only one thing to be done to save u
: from the workhouse. and that was for m
n 10 marry Mr.. Flood who had promise
= If gave him my hand to allow. my fathe
# f5O6 a year What was I 10 do? ] too
bsIf an hour to think over it. and then
O Cod help me-consented. In ten days
! tjoe I was married, and to what
II SSI,shandl For l believe James Flood t
= have been a great villain as ever walk
r. "a the earth The day after the weddin
n his true nature came ,,,S out He CO, Galm 81
- - W. n si1it his own purposes. / was
IS be his decoy duck as he called i, T s1e
4 IT, n cor that he struck me. The frs
# a AM If our marriagel Fancy that, Franz
,r he struck mel!
At v,on't dwell upon the wretched, mi:
= arotle years ] spent with him The rot
h seres. the welcomes that was an u, N
20 D{iii,1ss, witness to. Suffice ii to say, tina
> ne whole dreadful business ended wit
N murderW -,.,,.ad ..xvbv surel
n y95'Sy ives es I do, Frank; yes do what 70
Ii and ali the world knew as the great Edi
,r bnro; murder, the most cruel and coward
a. 10 ynuT7ier IL Is possible 10 conceive, wa
nernetrated by my husband and no other
1e And Mary once more pufiea neI lacs