Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-02-11

the ruined archangel!
"Again!" cried the baron. with
ehudder of horror as he met her dark.
splendid eyes. now blazing with the
fires of insanity.
LAY. again! for the third and last
time since your sin. I stand before
you. Baron Elverton" replied the
stranger.
I'm the name of Heaven. what is
your will with me"'
'sTo sum ul>-just judge
81 know not what YOU mean beyond
this. that it must be some new diabol
ISM.
do YOU know who YOU have con-
dcmned to death to-day?"
NO. beyond the fact that She was
an adventures with Il half dozen
aliases. murderess, who merited
breaking upon the wheel rather than
any milder form of death!''
'EAh. she was very wicked. was she
mott"
"A dolble-dyed. diabolical traitor to
destroy her benefactors. and without
even any apparent motive for the
deed-'
But perhaps she could not help it.
Treachery and ingratitude We're her
xaOllHEN VIII uVIs NelS ueI u,
were given to her at her BIRTH
What dark meaning now turks I'M
der your words?"
you More years ago than l care to
count the sinful woman who con-
fronts you now for the last time was
a sinless child-the only child of
poor widowed country curate. She be-
came. at seventeen years Of age the
nursery governess of your little sisters.
You saw and admired her beauty You
made her your wife by secret mar
Eiage."
-'Woman! why do you recall these
follies after all these years.
ITO lead to the end! You made Har-
riette Newton your wife by clandes-
tine marriage, but you were a few
months under age, and the marriage
was not binding unless you should
choose to make it so after your ma
jority. Alas! before that time arrived
you had repented of your low mar
rage. and grown tired of the humble
woman whose peace you had destroy
ed. When your secret was discovered
gou humbled yourself to your offended
father: you promised never to see the
girl again; you suffered her to be
sent back with ignominy to break the
heart Of her father. for the poor old
curate never held up his head again;
he died before his daughter became q
mother"
''Harriette. I was boy then
"A boy with the hardened heart Of
a veteran sinner! Your father died;
you came into your estates; and l, with
my daughter in my arms. threw my
self al your feet. and entreated you to
acknowledge us as your wife and
child
*.And then would have done it.
H2rriette."
"Aye. for a moment nature made
herself heard above the clamor of
pride, ambition. selfiishness. You
would have yielded. you would then
and there have restored us to our
places in your heart and home. but
you were Drevented!'
AYE. I was prevented"'
''And who was it that hindered you
In that act OF justice: Your bosom
friend and contidant. Henry Lord Lea
ton. He it was who. in that moment
of your better feelings. laid his hand
Iron your shoulder. and bade you
PAUSE and reflect: told you that mar
riage with an inferior was always a
snare and curse to both parties: that
I was untitled for the sphere of life
to which you would have raised me:
that by such a marriage YOU would be
Inundated and wretci:,,. and l mis-
placct, and miserable: babe you re-
member the fate Of the 'l.adye of Bur
leigh and take warning. and advised
you to reEu::i::te and niovide for us.
Provide fol us.' tniae, even he saw
that would have seen Ii. child slow
~ starve to death in my arms rather
than have taken one crumb from the
father who refused to acknowledge
her as his legitimate daughter" ex-
claimed the woman. with her eyes sud-
denly kindling.
''tIe was high-toned. honorable
man: he meant well by you and me-"
Especially By ME and my child.
whom he consigned to life Of misery
1ishonor and reproach!' said the wo-
man. iii whitening scorn. Enough!
BY his advice and his assistance. you
succeeded in annulling your juvenile
marriage and repudiatiug your wife
and child. Once more we are turned
from your door, l had long illness,
during which. I think. my soul must
have left my body, and the spirit of
a fiend entered il. For. a loving. suf-
fering. forsiving woman. l fell into
that fever. but l arose from it the
avenger of ny own sex. the destroyer
of YOURS
He knew that her words were the
rawlings of insanity. and yet they
seemed to curGle his blood.
She continued:
Were there not falleE angels enough
in this pandemonium of a world that
you might have spared the poor old
curates little daughter: What excise
had you for her destruction: Love?
Bah! Love does not destroy its OBJ
ject! Passion? Passion is Of 1hc soul.
and your soul was smothered in self
.fishness even in your infancy! You
feel a single glow of human love or
ls:ssion. who from boyhuod have been
:, monster of esotism! But l did not
come here to deal in invective-I came
to wind up accounts with you for ever.
Enough that l arose from that bed of
Illness spirit prepared for any work
of evil! Every door was closed against
me-cyery TOAD barred except that
which leads down to death and perdi-
~x:,,, 40 NOT intend TO 0mllSc Won