Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-02-26
The Sixth Commandment.

is 1t nothing to you that my
happiness lies at your mercy? Am
| only one more of the many you
have flirted with, and then smiled
aside as if they were children All!
God never created any creature
more cruel than beautiful coquette
without heart! Do not deny it |
You have used every charm you
possess to make me love you, and
have succeeded.
"You shall listen to me now. /
love you'll l love you love you |!
Nay, do not speak. l will not take
your final answer today Tomorrow
/ will come for it All! if is Yes,
swear you shall never regret it. If
it is No. then you will have sent
one more man to hell ~
And without another word Jack
Armstrong turned on his heel and
left abruptly.
Hilda Pbare looked after bis re-
treating figure with a vague sense of
shame. She had won the love ofthe
',woman hater," but the victory was
leaving sting in even her hardened
coquette conscience, though she
tried to feel herself aggrieved at his
outburst.
AS if can help men falling in
love with me. | cannot marry them
all. / certainly do like Captain
Armstrong, but | don't like matri.
mony, | want to keep my freedom a
little longer first. A pretty girl at
any time can easily get engaged, but
it requires an ugly girl to easily get
distngaged, SO that even beauty has
its drawbacks,' she concluded with
a little, soft laugh.
Then, with the unconiessed desire
to drive the recent interview from
her mind, she took up society pa
per and soon forgot all the crumpled
rose leaves of her happy, careless
life in the pleasure Of reading de-
scription OF the dress the 'sbeautiful
Miss Pbare wore at the Queens ball,
where, as the bell of the season, she
was the cynosure of all eyes"
"My dear Hilda, have you heard
the dres dfnl news ?"
The girl looked up from the COM
Portable wicker chair where she was
reclining lazily under the shade of
the old oak on the lawn.
'sNo, what news p she asked, in
differently, for her portly aunt's
face looked more important than
Mortified, as she stood by her niece s
side, holding large white and green
lined sunshade over her bare head.
"Mrs Chester shot her husband
and that pretty Miss Dene yesterday
afternoon, and then killed herself.'
Job, how dreadful! What made
her do it, exclaimed Hi'da, thor
ouehly reused now, as she sat bolt
upright in her chair.
well, it appears that she caught
him kissing this Miss Dene, to whom
he had been engaged before he mar.
ried his wife for her money. Fancy
shooting both of them like thatl"
'tWhat wicked, cruel woman
Mrs. Chester must have been. It
was only yesterday morning l rode
over to Hill Hall to see her new
Paris dress. 1t is quite horrible TO
think that / have touched the hand
of a murderess," and the girl gave a
shudder.
"Yes, it is, indeed / am so sor-
ry for their poor little daughter, but
OF course, can never allow Jessie
and Pussie TO play with her again. l
must go now, for / want to write
and tell your Aunt Mary all about
it. She will be so iuterested-so
shocked, | mean," and she returned
to the house with that feeling of
pleasuiable importance we all ex-
perience when we are the first to tell
the news of some calamity that has
befallen our friends.
Left to herself Hilda sank back in
the wicker chair and tried by read
ing to distract Ler thoughts once
more, but this time from thinking
of the tragedy at Hill Hall.
The heat, however, made her
drowsy, and The paper soon dropped
on the grass from tie neTveless fin
gers, and the lids soon dropped over
the beautiful eyes.
Suddenly a choking sensation
caught the sleeper's throat. She
tried to move, but could not.
Was she dying-dying cut there
alone on the lawn?
She felt her breath coming quick
er and quicker, her strength ehhir e
faster and foster