Newspaper Page Text
VOL IV.
J. H. & W B. SEALS, J FKopiujmtHs.
ATLANTA, GA., SATURDAY, MARCH 3, 1879.
TERMS)
J8 PER ANNUM
IN ADVANCE.
M) Ilf2.
THE OLD GRAY HOUSE AT IIOHE.
BY HENRY C. XANER.
Pale Star! that lightest my wandering track
Across the.wild sea main,
Wilt thou not guide my spirit back
To its earlier haunts again ?
To where you shone iu days of yore,
Ere we began to roam,
With throbbing lines of mystic lore
On the old gray house at home
’Twas thou that watched my infant days
Progress to manhood's share.
That saw my sports at, tlie H inherit blaze,
And my idols of childish cave.
We have Laveicd full many a ycarsince then
To reach ambition's dome.
But the hollow plaudits oi.i.i kle men
Sound not like those at home.
Nations and men have passed away,
And the world looks strange and new,
And I seem to live iu a distant day,
And know no trieud but you.
Many have gone to the unknown land
Beyond the death-sea foam,
But perhaps to-night their pirits stand
Around the old gray health at home.
We’ve Journeyed toge ther for many a year,
Over many a weaiy mile;
We've shared with some the burdens of c»re.
With others the burdeLless smile.
Many a wearisome night was ours,
When the dawn would linger so late,
As time used to sit in the laps of the llower*
While we swung on the circling gate,
we've met in,the war-tide's tepid gore,
And slept by its purpling streams,
But they never have borne us back any more]
To our home and its peaceful dreams.
Till at last I am out on a misty sea
Lying pale iu its seething foam,
Following the voice oi'liepeund of thee,
But they lead from the houbcat home
They iead me away from the grass-bound hill,
The scene of our merriest jaunts;
They lead me away from the dripping mill,
And i<s f« »4 H'i>, ('•••>' V vr ‘•v.vnl ,
From the brook where iffed the silvery perch
In the drip of the old brown wheel,
Which sounded thro' aisles of the sombre church
W bile turning to grind the meal.
They lead.me away from the Saturday romp,
While the school-house stately and stern,
Taught to the hills in their sylvan pomp,
Why their shadows in cycles turn.
They lead me away from the old black well
With its arching and bow-like sweep,
Over whose curb we peered in a spell
At the face of our lovers to peep.
Pale Spirit! that guidest my wandering track
Across this unknown main,
Wilt thou not guide my footsteps back
To their earlier haunts again 7
They’ve trodden in many polluted halls
All towered with marble dome,
But none were asjfree as the mouldering walls
Of the old gray house at home.
They say ’t's passed. That the wheel is still,
And strangers have frightened my perch;
The miller is dead, and the dapping mill
Lies mouldering beside the church.
A sun of gold may flood from heaven,
And fall on the palace dome.
But ’twere not so soft as the star of even
On the old gray house at home.
MU, IK BtTICTlYf;
—OR—
Ills DROTIIEU’S BRIDE.
MBS, MARY E. BRYAN.
‘The Judge going to he married—by Jove !’
Harry Siockton struck the table with his fist
in which was crumpled the letter from his father
that had brought the intelligence of the ap
proaching marriage of his half brother, Pus'.oi)
— ‘the Judge,’ as wild Harry called hint becuusc
of his steady Labi s and dignified manners.
‘Pr*s. going to be married, and to Matt’s gov
erness—p. girt neither he nor any of the family-
had ever set ey<s upon until three mon*hs ago.
And they seem wrapped up rn her. The old
man writes, ‘She is a noble woman, nursed
Matt tbrongh tbe sea: let fever; reads she papers
to me and writes my letters; helps ma with the
preserving; knows everything in a book and
sings like a bird. Pre». is a lucky fellow. Sht
has no money, but she’s a mint in herself.
Come down and see her. They wont be mar
ried in three weeks yef.’
T wonder what’s income of Minnie Maples.
Pres, was sweet upon her when Iw s down there
last fall, and she loved him, I m sure, though is
seemed odd she should, little, merry mischief
tha she is. But folks alway s like their opposites
they say. The affair could never have come to
a bea‘, for the Judee wouldn’t flirt. He was
far too good a boy. Y-s, 1 11 run down and see
them before the weddiDg, provided I can get
away. I’ve got two or three cases I must work
up fi(st. And that Bradford business. Itlonke
r.s black as forty black cats just now. Bui
I won give it up. Something may turn up to
gi e ti e a cine. I've baen denctdly lucky in
this detective work. A tun down to see the old
folks v ill rest me and help to clear my fceid.’
Harry knocked iff the asb< s of L:'s cigar
against his boot, and sat thinking. The case he
alluded :o had given hint mote trouble than any
be lad I ad in band sii.ee he g, ve up the prac
tice ot law at which he - like bo many talented
but yonrg imd unknown barristers—was starv
ing, fora place in tbe police secret service in
which he developed such shrewdness, nerve and
He stepj eel icfdy along the floor till he could see her where she sat.
penetration as soon made him valuable in bis
profession and caused difficult cases to be given
him to work up- The difficulty with this par
ticular one la not in fixing the evidence upon a
certain partv, bi t iu tracir g the whete-a’o its
of the, crimins' who hud n<;in* d an.i
pe aretf^leavibg^no clue that could be followed
up.
Eight days afier receiving tbe letter from his
father Harry had gotten his business so well out
of hand (except the case a lu.le.l tol that he
found himself able to take the run of a hnndrel
milts down the road to a uui t 'oan near which
was his father's ’argo, old-f.n-Lioncd house and
prosperous farm. He was met t the station by
bis brother in a buggy drawn by the spirited
grays that Harry biinsi If had broken to harness.
‘Give me the ribbons. Jndge, and yon talk to me,
old fellow,’ Harry said to his haud-omp, straight-
featured brother. ‘I know you are dying to te''
me all about her. She is beautiful as a houri c
course.’
•Yes, she is,' said shy, kconic Preston, with
warmth.
•Well, neither of us ever saw a houri, but lam
sure she's handsome, or she wouldn’t have takeD
your eve and eclipsed ilivt rost-cheeked, h:<zle-
ey ed witch, Miunie M. pies, you were so in love
with last tall.'
‘I in love with M'nnie?' the young man said,
coloring. Sh6’s only a child.’
‘Seventeen—sweetest age there is, but tell me
about this other—Mies Pierrepont. What do
you know of her and how came she here?’
In reply he heard that M ss Helen Pierrepont
was the daughter oi' an old schoolmate of Prc=-
ton’s mother whom she had lost sight of for
many years. She and her hushaud were both
dead and Helen an orphan, and thrown upon
her own resources, had remembered hearing her
mother speak of her girlhood’s friend and had
come to her, hoping to obtain a situation.
Moreover, 'she had been recommended to Mrs.
Stockton by i o less a person than Mis General
Be Hatter, from whom she brought a ietter
speaking of her in highest praise. Harry knew
Mrs. De Hatter as Lis step-mother's iramp so
ciety card, with wflom she kepi up a sort of con
nection, paying her a visit when s .e went to the
city and entertaining her friends for six months
afterwards' with glowing descrip'ious of Mrs.
Do Hattei’s fine house, carriage and parties.
Mrs. De Hatters rec'-mmendstion was worth
much to Miss Helen PterrepoDt.
Harry’s father came out to the gate to me6*
them and gave his eld st son - the only child of
the dead young wife of his yontti—a hearty hug
and a Glad to ee you boy. Come right in.’ At
the door of the large, comfortable eitting-room.
his step-mother, in black alpaca and prim linen
collar, stood to receive him and gave him bet
cheek o kiss with a smile a little less stately
than usual. She and her blunt, jovial, some
what reckless stepson had not been ever har
monious. Indeed, iu the days when Harry
sowed his wild oals, they had quarreled ener
getically. His lack ol reverence for her doctor
and mini t.r and his ignorance of drawing-
room tactics scandal zsd her no little, and she
was gl id when his u daei.ee was remov'd from
her own model boy, tspec ally as Preston was
very fond of his big br tuer, who was so kind
to him in his rough fashion and taught him to
swim and :o shoot. Pres, was such a timid fel
low, it seemed strange he was going to be mar
ried; ho who would hardly look a girl in the
face, but the ’a ly who came down that evening
into the parh>r w is enough to h ive won any
young man from his reserve. It was just be
fore the lamps were lit :.nd the room hai only
he dusky b o zt tinted glow of the sunset.
Harry couid see do feature of her face coarly.
He was commons only of a pair cf large br ght
eyes, a figure of willowy grace, a white s if
hand that slipp.-d into his and a delicious vo:c>-
ibat asked him a few commonplace questions.
She sat down opposite him by Preston. Pre:-
ently a servant lighted the candles in the old
f shioned candalebra ou the mantle piece.
Harry wi.s talking to his father at the time, but
he lady’s silver voice attracted h:3 eyes across
the room. He looked and half started from his
seat with an exclamation of surprise.
‘What's the matter ?' demanded the old gen-
j tie man, while Helen turned a shade paler.
I ‘Olt ! nothing, a tack in mr hoot.’ Harry ex
plained hastily, annoyed at having betrayed him-
; self. Afterwards, he did '. ; * *■ st to remove the
j unfavorable imores.-Jou : ‘ ,;stY,* > plantation
. -'vv.-hL-'w-.-x."-■*-tnsgf£
i ter-in-law that was to be sail studied her fac
| closely’. How lovely it was ! A cemplexioi
; dark yet clear; jet black brows and block hair
j part dressed high in rich wavy rolls and ptifft o>
j the top of her beautiful head, and part fat ing
j in tendril-like curls or. her neck behind. He>
| eyes were dark and bright, her checks oval, he:
j mouth full and richly crimson. Its only defec
j seemed to ba a tremulous sensitiveness and her
j eyes 1 ad a restless glar-ce, not disagreeable bn
| peculiar, otherwise tbe face was perfect, am
; there was a sub*la, refined grace about it and
I about every movement of her slender figure.
Harry followed her with his eyes so persisf-
>ntly that his step-mother set it down in her
mind that he bad fallen in love with the chosei
of her daring Pres, for whom she would have
tried to get a slice of the moon if he had cx
pressed a wish for it. Heien sang and play ed
tender old ballads and pleasant fireside music
She sat kui'tiDg wonderful lace ‘tidies’ for the
parlor chairs, or s r >kirig the yellow locks oi
Matt, who sat on her foots: ol beside her, and
leaning her head on hergover t ne s' kuee, looked
up at her adoringly Very womanly and i.wee:
and home-loving did the governess took in bet
black silk, brightened with a crimson ribboD a:
the throat and a red il twer in her hair. Harry,
as ! e looked at her, chided himself for acertai:
thought that had flashed across his bruin. Sin
went to tbe window to listen to the plaintive
note of the ‘death-owl;’ he followed her then
and while they stood facing each other, he sair
gent);.:
‘So you knew Mrs. De Hatter?’
She looked up at him quickly. His face was
as unconscious us a baby’s.
Y s,’ site answered, 'as a girl who works for n
living may know a rich leader of society. Ba 1
Mrs. D - Hatter was no snobbish would-be patron
of the p- or. She had a genuine sympathy tor
artists and working people and used her means
gem tally to enlarge their opportunities. She
was one of tha few who do good without being
condescending, I am sorry she has gone away.
She went to Fiance to her husband’s people.’
But ti e climate did not agtee with her and
she u. s returned. I saw her one day last week.
‘Returned ?' Her quick look expressed un
pleasant surprise mixed with distrust. I:
faltered a-, it met Harry's penetrating g ze ano
her lids quivered an instant and dropped. Shi
said quietly.
‘I am glad to near she has returned, though 1
shall not pro! ahly s^e uer . s we (your brothel
ami I) leave for San Francisco as soon as we are
married. He has no doubt told yon so, and tha
his uncle desires to take hint into a partnershij
with uim in his large business.’
She ioisked at him steadily as she spoke; an
earnest, almost appealing look. She seemed
anxious to bring up to h:s mind at that " ornent
that she was to marry his brother and they wer<
to g i away -to put a long d.s ance between th'
scenes and the people of their earlier lives
More than ones Hal met this wistful, half be
seeching look in the eyes of his brother s be
trothed. It warmed and sof.eaed his hear
towards her in spite of himself.
‘Confound it,' he said to himself when he was
alone in his room that, night. -I wish I had
uev-r count down here.’
But he wrote a ietter nevertheless, and whet
it w- s addressed and s amped, he took out o
his pocket a photograph, which he laid beferi
him. and resting bis elb rws on the table, looker,
at it earnestly. The picture was that of a fait
haired woman with light eye brows and blonde
com pi- xion.
•Re-,euiblances are very deceptive,’ he said a:
'a -1 wid make sure first. I hope to heaveL
I may be wrong.’
iu ihe two days that followed, Harry had con
stant opportunity tr see how Miss Pierrepom
was eutwined in ill ■> i.ll cIiols a. the household.
Sue bad genuine kindliness of heart, or she
cculd not have made he: self so beloved. She
had a gentle dignity too, a womanly reserve
| that made her respected as well rs loved, am'
I that held back over-prying curie sitv. Presto)
j would have been her constant shadow if shi
| had let him, but she forbade intrusion upon he
working hunts and lf» n-rd. lit He • .htc
TSsshns, and set copies, drew maps, and taugb
double scales as zealot sly ai if to thought of r
fa3t approaching wedding ever crossed hei
mind. But when school duties were ever, ski
was ready to sing or waik with him, or to play
his favorite game, chess, with him for hours
Did she love him ? Harry asked that question
to himself and anxiously tried to read the an
i-wer in her eye.-: and her actions. But he con
fessed himself puzzled. He could not decide. 1
did seem strange tbongh. that a brilliant
polished creature like Miss Pierrepont, should
love this unformed young fellow—handsome cer
tainly, and good as well, but a mere boy yet.
having just entered his twenties. It was difficul.
to tell Helen Pierrpont’s age. Hers was such
a obaDgefal face, the lines breaking up every
moment in a rippling smile, or a wave of.,tend. r
wistfnl emotion, or a play of quick perception
I of humor.
Ttie third day after his arrival, Hairy went to
the little post; dice, and returned with a gravi
lock, *nd a letter iu his pocket. Helen’s quick
eye saw the shadow on his face, and she did her
best to charm it away.
N_vor had sh6 been so entertaining, never
looked so ltvable. She sat on a low seat, her
black, wavy hair gleaming in the red fire-light,
and told stories and incidents of her observa
lion and : xperience-some laughable, some
pathetic—all narrated with that grace of voice
and manner that was so etiild-like and winniDg
‘I don’t blame the boy for loving her,’ though
impulsive Harry, ‘I could love her myself it he
had not been before me ud—if ’
It was hard to connect a dreadful thought
v.ith that charming, refined, tender creature;
but facts stir -d him in the face.
‘Huw can she sing that song with the memory
it must bring up to her,’ he thought, as she ang
•Auld Robin Gray,’ at bis father's request. Bui
her voice did not falter, and it was so 3weet
Harry felt tear-; coma into his eyes. Afterwards
too, be caught that appealing look directed to
him, more earnest and sorrowful tc-night them
ever. Did she read his purpose in his face’
That look, and her sweet winsomeness un
manned him almost. But I must, for Preston's
sake. I owe it to the boy Dot to let him bo sac
rificed,’ he sa d, and be fortified himself with
the recollection of hi3 duty to his brother and
to his profession and with recalling tbe grounds
he had fjr suspicion, strengthened by that lettei
that had come to him th s afternoon from Mrs
De Hatter, in which she had s lid that she knew
no person named Helen Pierrepont and had
never recommended any one to his step mother
He \va eager to eud the suspense and confirm
or remove his worst suspicious at’ouee. That
nig’: t gave him an unexpected opportunity to
de ide the doubt. They sat quite late around
the glowing wood-lire in the pleasant little
parlor. When et last they talked of retiring, it
was di.-C3Vcred that the servant had gone to be.d
without making any fire in Miss Pierrepont’s
room. Mrs. Smckton was going to summon'hi
boy, Lnt Helen laid her little hand on the lady \s
in deprecation.
■No, no, please,' she said. ’Never mind about
the fire. My room opens io o the parlor here
and when you have > 11 gone, I will undrei-s and
warm by th s splendid fire and slip into bed in
a moment, before I can get cold.’
As she said this a thought flished into Harry's
mind—a means by which he might quietly solvi
the doubt that troubled him so soreiy. In one
corner of the room there wns a closet, in whicu
was kept the silver waiter and dt-c inters tin
fruit and wine for (he hospitable country fadi
ion of -baodirig round’ to visitors. Into this
closet, when all had said good-night and left the
room, Harry clipped and waited. For soini
minuti-b all was silent and he could hear tin
musical murmuring of the flames in the fire
place outside uud the cherry chirp of a cricket,
nut presently he Letrd Miss Pierrepont s door
opened cautiously, heard her dress rustle softly
as she glided aoross the carpet and locked the
door of the sitttiDg room. Then she came to tho
fire place, stood there a moment, before she
threw herself on the lounge, altering a low,
quivering sigh. Ha opened the door of the
closet and stepped softly oat and along the
floor, until he could see her where she sat, or
rather lay upon the divaD, her dressing gown
bound with a cord at the waist, her feet in
dainty slippers, her b«ir unbound a::d flowing
over her shoulders. Iltr hai. I That mass of
light, lustrous gold her hair ? And where was
the brunette skin and the black, sharply de
fined brows? The face was white as a white
rose; the arched eyebrows, brown and delua’i y
traced. It was the face of the picture he oarried
io his inside pocket. The last doubt was re
moved. This was the woman L e sought.
How he wished at that moment tha: he were
miles away—that he had not come to Cherry
flili Farm at all. But destiny must be accom
plished. She looked the picture cf sadness as
she lay there. Another sigh heaved her breast;
before ii had fluttered from her lips, she i.ejame
cct sciou8 tha: an eye was fixed upon her, and
turning quickly, she saw the intruder. Bat
she ne.t er scr.omed nor swooned. Womanly
pride and dignity II shed f.om her eyes as she
si’d. rising:
* V" at right h„ve you to in rude upon me
here?’
‘me right of the son and brother of tLe peo-
p’e you have deceived and imposed upon; the
r ght of the law; for though you may not have
btiird it, for my step-mother is ashamed of my
r ailing, I am a dettetive and am employed to
find the biding place of one, Eltanoi Bradford,
who is accused of poisoning h r husband, and
who made her escape after the illijers of justice
had enur.d her house to arrest her. Eleanor
Bradford, w hem the law r; quires, now stands be
fore me.’
She stood looking at him fixedly, like some
beautiful, bnak^ charmed bird. Then she said
slowly:
•And y ou have hunted me down. You have
come here to be my death, for I will not be
dragged to a prison while my haud can cut tho
thread cf life. You have come here to ruin the
happiness of the man who lovts mo and who is
your brother. You will quench life and Lappi-
nessforwhai? I wcula Luve harmed no one. A
j few days more ard, t T wnul.d Lwr 0 ..J:
I an ’.s"ot'inflos d.vay ami none be i jured l>y my
escape.’
‘I cannot let my brother marry a murderess,’
Harry cried, impetuously.
She gave a convulsive gasp as if she elt a
knife-thrust.
‘Don’t,’ she cried with a flash of her eyes.
‘Don t call me that. It is erne!; it is false —I
did not m-KE—I did not think—I—yes, I did a
wrong, a deadly crime, yet it was an instant’s
yielding fo ttmptation—and I have endure! —
oh Goti ! what remorse, what tortures of con
science ! Listen to me, Irok at me, here face to
fate, I swear to you by the memory of my
mtther that I will speak the truth. I married
that old man, Roger Bradford, because of his
money, yes you have heard tba f , read it in the
veracious pr; s*, but did you hear that we were
a’ruosl starving, that my mother was dying be
fore my eyes for want of the nourishing food and
medical attendance that only money could buy.
Her lioliow eyes besought me, reproached me
more than did her lips, when I did not at once
accept the hand of my rich employer. He prom
ised to give her a home and to make her com
fortable ii I would marry him. He did give her
a shelter and food, but he made her life and
mine one of daily humiliation and tortnre.
Oily tongued, smooth-faced hypocrite that he
was to the world, he dropped his mask at home
before the woman he had bought for his chattel.
He was a tyrant, a sensualist, a mean, coarse,
miserly brute, who seemed daily to study new
ways to torment and humiliate the slave who
had no redress, because she was bis wife. He
seldom beat me; he was too cowardly, too afraid
of the law, but there are blows upon the heart
that hurt worse than any upon the body; he
never quite starved me, but there is a starving
of the soul, a crushing out of everything that
gives hope and spring to life. This Riger
Bradford practiced upon me daily. He kept
me utterly shut out from any society or recrea
tion, Le laid burdens of housework upon me too
h avy for my strength to bear. With all his
money, he refused me decent clothes. Books
aud pictures and the company of my giri-fiiend3
were denied me, by his narrow jealousy, or
rather that he might gratify his tyrannical and
selfish spirit. Wuat I suffered at the hands of
this mean, miserly, hear less, yet sensual wretch
to whom I was linked, God only knows. He
was a secret sot, aod. I nursed him through
many sickening seenes brought on by his gross
appetites. At last my mother died. Though
his treatment of her had been harder for me io
bear tl-iaa all, yet her death seemed to remove
the only thing endurable with Riger Bradford.
I tried to leave him, he broughf me back by
threats of ruining my character if I did not live
with him. You are not a woman and you cm-
not guess how p-.-werfal that threat is to a wo
man. Her character for purity is a .‘soluteiy iu
the hands of her husband, who may blast it if
he wish; s with a falsehood that has no shadow
of truth, aud the world will believe it; yes,
though her face and her life give the lie to the
slander. So, with that fiery tc »urge held over
me, I went back to Lim like the cowards we wo
men are forced to be, when the men that own
ns chance to prove not men but demons, as in
my case. Bat I could not endure life under
that roof; his gross camsss were more humil
iating than lus curses; the bread I ate at his ta
ble, though God knows I earned it, choked ma
continually, it was bitterer than prison bread,
I det-rmioed to ei d my miserable exi^terce.
My father had been a physician; my mother bad
kept L s mediciues; among them was a v.ai of
prussic acid—that swift, sure Doisou. I poured
a lew drops of it iu a glass of wine OD6 day and
was about to driuk it, when my heart failed me.
As I stopped to gather courage, I heard his step
approaching aud hastily set down the glass.
He entered, saw the wine aud, true to his mis
erly aud quarrelsome na'ure, began to abase me
tor my extiavagance. Drinking wine when I
should be cooking supper. And where did I
(Continued on the 8th page.)