Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-09-28
Continued.


depths of the dark blue sky; a soft
sweet, silvery light lay on flower and
tree and distant hill. She laid he1
hot, wearied head against the COO
glass, and stood watching this calm
and beauty. Like great resistless
waves, there surged through her mind
the memories of her life. She saw
herself a disconnected child in the
gloomy house of SerrantO. Instead OF
making the best of things, she had
given way to anger against every one
connected with her; instead Of seeking
refuge either in her duties or her
studies, she had given herself up to
dreams She had lived in a world Of
her own; had made herself unfit for
real life by constantly indulging in
day dreams When her mind was
weakened, her morbid imagination ex-
cited, the temptation had come, and
found her unable to resist.
She remembered the first meeting
with that ruthless man who tracked
her to her doom. All, if she had but
been open and honest, if she had but
confessed to Madame Monteleone, if
she had but told her she had seen
him, all would have been well. But
she had met him over and over again;
Sc had worked herself into believing
that she loved him, and then came
that browning horror of her life, that
foolish, secret marriage.
WAS [ mad when cOnsenting to it?'
the poor girl asked herself; would not
a child have been wiser and more pru-
dent?"
The crimson blood dyed her face
when she remembered the dupe she
had been, the grief and suspense, the
sorrow she felt for the man she now
hated with so bitter a hatred-and
that letter, which had killed her love
and youth and faith at one blow.
Then came the remembrance of the
father who had loved her, despite his
neglect-if she had but told him all,
surely he might have helped her. She
remembered that calm, happy life at
Lynnewolde when her beauty and
grace won those cold English hearts,
and she had learned to love her cousin
with all the deep wild force of her
passionate nature.
She remembered a night, even such
a one as this, when the silver moon
light had rested upon the trees, and
she had sat out among the roses,
happy in her passionate love.
Then came the temptation and the
fall; she betrayed the gentle sister
who loved her, the kinsman who
trusted her-she schemed, toiled, and
lied to win his love-she won it, and
now her sin had found her out.
"It has been all wrong" she cried;
wrong from the beginning nothing
could undo if. l cannot bear the
shame and the exposure; there is but
one escape I have lived a coward S
life-I must die a towards DEATH"
Then she left the window and
opened the little writing desk. A
portrait of her husband, taken only a
few days before, lay among the pa
pers she kissed it passionately, but
no tears fell from her burning eyes
upon the loved features.
She wrote rapidly, and her letter
was to Agatha. She confessed all to
her. She told her in minutest details
the story of her life at Serranto, its
living death, its unbearable monotony
and gloom: of her fancied love, her
folly and blindness, her rash hurried
marriage, her brief dream of happi-
ness, and her despairing awakening
when she found the fatal letter: she
concealed nothing. Then she told
her of her journey home, and the
anguish she had felt in bearing with
her the burden of her secret.
Without praying for pardon she told
the story of the white hyacinth and
owned how she had betrayed her sister
and robbed her of the love and posi-
ton that ought to have been hers. She
told. too, how she had striven to win
that love for herself, and had sue
ceeded, how, in the very hour Of hel
brightest triumph, her sin had found
her out, and the man she believed deaC
had stood before her alive and well,-
how he had tortured her, and would
only leave her in peace at the sacrifice
Of her sisters happiness.
81 could not betray you again
Agatha" she wrote. Il might have
done so, for you love me very much
and perhaps had I tried to persuade
YOU. YOU might have listened to thu
count. l could not betray you again
and when l saw you tonight so happ,
with your chosen lover, Allan Leigh
| resolved sooner to die than see yol
wronged.
Agatha-sister, shield my memory
Never betray me to Philip; do not lie
him despise me. Never tell him tn
story of the white flower. Perhaps L
after days, he may ask you why 20
did not understand him; then, sister
for our fathers sake, spare my mem
DRY and keep my secret. | woul
have died to win his love; do die t
preserve it. Do not let him despis
me dead Let him love my memor.
even as he has loved me. When tc
morrow comes, and when you kno
what it brings, for my sake consent fc
once to see my betrayer. Tell him
preferred death to life. and that tt
only sin l cannot forgive myself
the sin of ever having loved him. TIE
him his schemes, his hopes and h
plans are ended,-that in his hour I
need no mercy will be shown to hir
for he has shown none to me. Tell hi
he will try to forget me, but will ia
for he has hunted me to death.
'And Agatha. my darling, gent
sister. after a while,-whep you ha