Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1896-05-14

ridge, anu grown tlreQ OF the humble
woman whose peace you had destroy
ed. When your secret was discovered
you humbled yourself TO your offended
father; you promised never to see the
girl again; you suffered her to bt
sent back with ignominy to break the
heart OF her father, for the poor ole
curate W held up his head again
he died before his daughter became 8
mother"
"Harriette, I was a boy then"
"a boy with the hardened heart OF
a veteran sinner! Your father died
you came into your estates; and /, with
my daughter in my arms, threw my,
self at your feet, and entreated you tc
acknowledge us as your wife and
child"
And then I would have done it
Harriette."
AYE, for a moment nature made
herself heard above the clamor OF
pride. ambition, celfishness! You
would have yielded, you would then
and there Lave restored us TO our
places in your heart and home, but
you were p~reyented!'
AYE, I was prevented
"And who was it that hindered you
ia lldt dtN vi JuStlNt iOuI bJSoIb
friend and confidant, Henry Lord Lea
ton! He it was who, in that moment
Of your better feelings, laid his hand
rpon your shoulder, and babe you
PAUSE and reflect: told you that mar
riage with an inferior a always a
snare and a curse TO both parties; that
l was untitled for the sphere of life
to which you would have raised me;
that by such a marriage you would be
Inundated and wretched, and / mis-
placed and miserable; babe you re-
member the fate of the 'Ladye Of Bur
leigh and take warning, and advised
you TO repudiate and provide for us.
Provide for usi' / think even he saw
that / would have seen my child slow
ly starve to death in my arms rather
than have taken n crumb from the
father who refused to acknowledge
her as his legitimate daughter ex-
claimed the woman, with her eyes sud-
denly kindling.
He was a heightened, honorable
man; he meant well by you and me-"
Especially by me and my child,
whom he consigned TO a life Of misery
dishonor and %reproach!" said the wo
man, in whitening scorn. Enough!
by his advice and his assistance, you
succeeded in annulling your juvenile
marriage and repudiating your wife
and child. Once more we are turned
from your door. 1 had a long illness,
during which. I think, my soul must
have left my body, and the spirit OF
a fiend entered it. For, a loving, suf-
fering, %forgiving woman, l fell N
that fever, but l arose from 1t the
avenger of my W sex. the destroyer
OF yours"
He knew that her words were the
rawlings Of insanity. and yet they
seemed to curdle his blood.
She continued:
Were there not fallen angels enough
in this pandemonium of a world that
you might have spared the poor old
curate's little daughter? What excuse
had you for her destruction? Love?
Bah! Love does not destroy its OBJ
ject! Passion? Passion is of the soul,
and your soul was smothered in self
fshness even In your infancy! You
feel a single glow of human love or
passion, who from boyhood have been
a monster Of egotism! But l did not
come here to deal in invective-I came
to wind UP accounts with you for ever.
Enough that | arose from that bed OF
illness a spirit prepared for any work
of evil. Every door was closed against
road barred except that
which leads down to death and perdi-
ton. do not intend to amuse you,
baron. with the life Of a lost spirit. /
was not far from you on that grand
day when you led the Lady Elfrida
Gaunt to the altar; and my curse that
arose to Heaven interrupted the mar
riage benediction. 1 was nea you also
on that proud day, when bonfres
blazed and bells were rung. and oxen
roasted in honor of the christening of
your heir, and my curse neutralized
the blessing of the babe. Then
pressed my own discarded child to my
heart, and recorded a vow OF venge-
ance upon two men and all their ace,
even though Ii should TAX me a long
lifetime to work 1t out. How long |
pursued you secretly, how often l fail.
ed, need not here be told. One day ]
found myself In Paris, among con-
genial spirits, where a career opened
before me; where evil Is recognized in
to a perfect working system. having
its constitution and by-laws-its forms
of government and schools OF training
dts lovely girls and handsome boys,
educated into accomplished women
and men to become the sirens and
satyrs of society. OF this secret band
/ became a member Men called me
beautiful and gifted. i went upon the
stage. not from necessity but to ia.
cilitate my intercourse with a certain
set Of wealthy dupes, for l still con
tinued u bond member Of the secret
society. Years passed and became a
eel, brity. At last met the aged and
6ecrepit Gen. de la Comte. He offered
me marriage ed l accepted him. IL
had q daughter but a few months
younger than my own. He died in
the second year Of our marriage. leav'
ing me to bring up the w girls
When these young women had reached
a marriagcable age, your son. grown
&c manhood. appeared IN Paris
III re the woman paused. and lcoked
wistfu.ly into the blanched face OF the
old man: then, with a dreadful smile,
she said:
But you know the stery--"
"Woman Of Beliai. yes"
"But you do not know whom you
have doomed to death to-day"