Year: 1859




In a fashionable boarding house in this
tity, not many days since, were assembled
a happy and brilliant company Of ladies and
gentlemen. Prominent among them was a
young and extremely handsome widow,
who joined highly cultivated mind to the
charms Of beautiful person. She had
travelled extensively in this country. At
her side was young gentleman, engaged in
a profitable business in this city, whose de-
votion to the fair widow had long been an
occasion of remark with the other boarders,
and Of whose evident high position in the
affections cf the lady, some Of the other
gentlemen were not little jealous. On the
evening in question, however, they both ap.
pearcd to be overburdened with anxiety,
and at times were observed to converse to-
gethcr in low and mysterious undertone,
and to cast furtivc gances towards a third
party, gentleman of wealth and position,
who was boarding at the house temporarily.
This parsonage we shall call No! /.
As the evening passed away, No. I fan
cied that he was laboring under slight in
disposition, and repaired to his chamber
He retired to bed, and after awhile fell into
a deep and pleasant slumber.


How long time elapsed before he aweke,
he knew not-but when he did awake he
felt soft hand passed caressingly over his
forehead, and moment afterwards the warm
breath Of woman fell upon his cheek
There was a dim light in the chamber, and
and by its rays he saw, to his utter aston
ishment and dismay, that the beautiful and
fascinating widow, in her night clothes, and
with her hair in charming and wanton
Negligence, was sitting upon his bedside
and had thrown her round white arms about
him.


No. l is not generally overburdcncd with
modesty, but now he was taken so aback
that Tor moment his tongue refused its
office, and he remained mute and motion
less.


But the next moment the door of the
apartment was suddenly burst open, and
the young lover entered, with rage, triumph
and hatred depicted on his countenance.
We shall call him No. 2.


81 have found you at last!' he exclaim-
ed. Il have long suspected this-and now
my suspicious are confirmed"


The widow threw herself into q chair, and
burst into a passion Of tears.


4 light flashed through the mind of No.
/. lie began to smell rat He leaped
from the be i, sprung to the door, locked it,
and then turnsa. savagely upon No. 2, pre-
sented at his breast a pistol, and demanded
an explanation of his extraordinary conduct.
For the moment, No. 2 seemed deter
mined to show tght-but suddenly the wild
ow, with her face bathed In tears, stood be-
tween the two gentlemen, and implored
them to refrain from violence. Aud then
she confessed that the intimacy between
herself and No. had been carried too far,
and that ere long the result of their connec.
ton could no longer be concealed On in
forming her lover Of her condition, he in
sisted that she should accuse No. OF being
the cause Of her fall from the path of virtue,
and in compliance with his mingled threats,
entreaties and persuasions, she had consent
ed to the infamous scheme which had only
been partially successfuul The plan was
for her to enter No. Is room, and to share
with him his bed that then No Q was to
enter, find the parties thus together, accuse
them of the crime Of which he himself was
guilty, and in this way to extort from No.
money enough to enable the lady to retire
to some obscure spot, where she could re-
main for month


No. attempted to deny his completely
in the scheme-but finally confessed all
and the guilty pair threw themselves upon
the tender mercy Of the man whom they
had conspired to ruin. His generosity was
not in vain appealed to--perhaps the rare
beauty, the evident distress, and the un-
feigned repentance of the widow, won upon
his heart. At all events, he promised not
only to forgive, but to aid the lovers. A
day or two since, the fair widow left the
city for few months.--C"ica9o Den.