Year: 1876

CHAPTER TX.


A month had passed since the visit oi
Alasquez, when one day letter was brought
to Esther, by an unknown messenger, who
rode away without waiting for any answer
She was surprised at receiving any written
communication in so unusual manner; and
on opening the missive, her surprise was
heightened, and only equalled by her dis
pleasure, at finding the signature Of Alasquez
at the bottom of the page.


1t was single large page, closely written
in small, but remarkably distinct, characters
Her first impulse was to tear it into frag'
ments without reading it; but second
thought made her pause, in consideration that
it night possibly contain some information Of
interest to her.


It ran thus


"PRoFouNDLY HoNoRED SENoRA-Since had
the misfortune so deeply to incur your displeas-
ure, on the occasion OF our last interview, have
not had the courage to intrude myself again upon
your notice. For days have been meditating 8
visit to you but have been restrained by the
thought that my appearance would only create
anger in your breast, and feel that could i'll
bear repetition of the expression of your scorn
Having, however, communication of the deep.
est Importance to make to you, feel it my duty
to lose no time in doing 80, and will, therefore
transmit it to you in writing, hoping that you
will receive this dumb paper more kindly than
you would myself.


"Senora be not too much startled when Iassure
you that your husband still lives"


At this period of the letter, Esther uttered
a wild cry, and dropping the paper from bel
hands, yielded herself, for an instant, to the
most intense excitement but frantic desire
to learn more. made her quickly rssuma it,
perusal. >~


"Helives; but he will not return to you. Lady
know that you have been basely betrayed; that
he in whom your faith was so confidingly placed
is all unworthy of your affection, your trust-fol
he has fOrsdken you for another. will, with all
the brevity can command, acqualnt you with the
circumstances of the case.


before the Senor Raymond went to visit the
Eastern States, some two years or more ago, he
was deeply enamoured of young Mexican girl,
very handsome, and we'll brought up for one in
her station. She belonged to an inferior class,
but this did not deter him from making advances
to her, which she feared, however, openly to re-
ciprocate, being promised in marriage by heI
father to one of their own race, cousin, who
was then absent from this part of the country.
Your husband was not easily daunted, and made
every effort to induce the girl to leave her home
secretly with him. but she refused, fearing dis
covery and punishment, as she stood greatly in
awe of her parents, who treated her with some
rigor. After time Senor Raymond went east
whether on business or not am not aware; and
there, Sonora, he won your unsuspecting heart
and obtained your hand in marriage, though sol
emnly pledged to the girl have told you of, who
on her part, had promised to remain unwedded
for his sake. The cousin, to whom she was es.
poused, soon after appeared on the scene, and hel
father compelled her to marry him. She was al
the time little more than child in years. and had
not the courage or strength Of purpose to oppose
his will farther.


far from the home Of her parents, and have lived
there, (more or less unhappily, am told, since
she still cherished in secret her first love since
that period until within few months ago-up to
the time, in fact, Of your husbands mysterious
and hitherto unaccountable disappearance. The
latter, after parting from me in returning from
General KS quarters, went to their rancho
from which the husband was at the time absent
and prevailed on the girl to fly with him from
her hated home. Whether she was ignorant Of
his marriage with you, know not; but, at all
events, i,sr own bonds seem to have been of less
weight in her estimation, than her attachment to
him. Whittier they went have not been able to
discover though the family, who were overcome
with rage and grief at her conduct, have been
searching for some trace of her ever since hel
flight. They have probably gone to some foreign
land to elude pursuit.


"Now, Sonora, believe me when I say that this
is no idle tale, which cannot be substantiated, but
true and faithful representation of facts. have
proofs of its correctness which can give you, In
the testimony of the young woman's own rela'
tives, should my simple word not be convincing
to your mind.


''I cannot conclude without offering you my
c;, ri
to one of your sensitive and delicate organization
must be peculiarly hard to bear. Yet am con.
soled by the hope that your pride and self,respec
will sustain you, and that in your knowledge OF
the base treatment you have received, you Will
be enabled to overcome the griefyou have so nat
urally felt at the loss of one in whom your affec
ton was unsuspectingly, and alas! too fatally
centred.


"Ireman, Sonora, with sentiments Of the most


"Your humble and ever devoted servant
"PEDRo ALAsQUEZ"


The concluding sentences conveyed nc
meaning to Esther's mind. She scarcely saw
the words, so absorbingly, and with such az
onized intentness, were her thoughts concen'
trated on the fatal news she had just read
She was trying to take it in-trying to force
her understanding to moments steady con-
sideration Of the subject, but her brain was in
whirl, and her powers of reasoning, for the
time, were suspended. The letter fell from
her hands, and clasping her forehead she
strove to Danish the mists from her compre
hension, to realize clearly her own situation
as it had been put before her.


Paul false-Paul a base betrayer of hel
trust! Paul, to whom her con6ding heart
had gone out with such perfect unreserve-
the idol of her afection-the very centre o.
her existence. Paul, for whom she had for
saken her home, her friends, and broken eve
ry tie of her former life-could it be that hi
had used her thus2


"No-no!" her heart cried out ut can
not be! 1t is slander-a vile fabrication
believe it not"


She took the letter up again, and read over
word by word, the sentences that seemed tt
brand themselves like living Goals upon he1
heart. And as she followed out the plausibly
written tale, who can wonder that for brie
while the possibility of its truth seemed ap
parent to her-that her faith was temporarily
shaken, the cry of her heart stiAed, and tina
her outraged love struggled, like wounded
animal, to hide itself in obscurity and die!