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. .11 it s ii y e ii hi i """iZlZUr't AN INDEPENDENT FAMILY NEWSPAPER, jjr' Vol. VIII. New XSloom field, I?n,., Tuesday, 3Iy 20, 187 1. No. 31. ft?- P l0omfitltr hnts IS rUBLISnBD KVBHT TUBSItlT MORN1NO, BT FRANE MCETIMEIl & CO., It New Bloomfleld, Terry Co., Ta. Being provided with Bteiun Power, and large Cylinder and Job-Presses, we are prepared to do all kinds ot Joo-PrintlUK In good style and at Low Prices. ADVERTISING KATKSt Transient 8 Cents per lino for one insertion 12 " ' twornsertions 15 " " three Insertions Business Notlcoslti Local Column 10 Gents per line. 4For longer yearly adv'ts terms will be Riven upon application. THE UNFAITHFUL GUARDIAN. riIIE houses tn which my story opens was I beautifully situated within a fow miles of the, City of V , and all the sur roundings showed that the owner was possessed of wealth and refinement. At tlio timo in which I call the readers attention to this residence, the front room on the second floor is occupied by a lady some seventeen or eighteen years of ago, who seems bowed down with the docpest grief. Thero are not many women more beautiful than was Mrs. Lennox, the oc cupant of this room, at the date to which I refer, and even though you had seen her as she sat there stricken with gi'ief, you could not help confessing that my opinion as to her personal appearance was correct. On that morning she had parted from her husband, to whom she had only been mar ried a fow months, after an interview in which he had made charges against her that terribly shocked her moral sensibili ties. And to add to this trouble she had only the day previous been forced to listen to infamous proposals from a trusted friend of her husband, and by her indignant re , fusal mado him a mortal enemy. The hurried tread of feet approaching her room aroused her, and before she could reach the door it was thrown rudely open and a stern looking man entered. With strong self control she extended ber hand with a word of welcome. Ho did not reply to hor greeting, but stood looking at hor with unflinching gaze. "Are you not well, Mr. Lennox"?" sho asked, as a chill seemed to strike to her very heart, " or have you come touetract the scandalous charges you made this morning?" "Sit down again," ho said, and hie voice sounded as if it came from a form of etono; " I have a few words to say to you, and then " "Mr. Lennox," she interrupted, with cold haughtiness, "tinstone, and manner should admit of some explanation." " You shall have it, madam, never fear !" Tho words appeared to choke him, and he paused, looking into her face all tho while, clenching and unclenching his hands with a nervous violence of which ho was unconscious. " I await k, sir," sho replied, coldly as before, and sitting down in her chair, re turned his gaze with a look which was too passionless for disdain, and too composed for fear. " Do you know why I have returned to this house ? Do you know what my errand is hore?" She made no answer to his fierce inter rogations, but her eyes never once wander ed from his face, and the gesture with which she motioned him to proceed was a .command. " You are a false, miserable woman in tody and soul I wonder how you dare lore with that face but I should have known you were utterly shameless 1" " Mr. Lennox !" She was standing be fore him now the dread which she had felt; subdued by the stoim of indignation which rose in ber soul. "Explain all thw at ooce what is the meaning of this lan guage ? do you address me me ?" " You, you !" lieexclalmed,passJouately. "Do not, attempt tliese tragedy airs, they would he wasted ; do not answer me, but listen, and if you have a human feeling left in yu, blush at your own infamy." "Are you mad, Mr. Lennox? Is " "Mad!" he interrupted, "not yet, not yet 1 You would be glud to drive me so, 1 do not doubt, but I have the use of my sonses still. I have brought with me the proofs of your guilt ! Did you think to dupe lire? oh, madam, you mistook the man yon had no blind, doting husband to deal with 1 I have hore -hore in my possession proofs of your shame proofs which will disgrace you forever I" "Say that again," she gasped "say that again 1" "Isn't it clear enough? Can. you not comprehend ? I tell you that you aro an infamous, abandoned woman, unworthy to live I toll you that , I have in my pos session the proofs of your faithlessness with another of your love for him your false hood to me ow are you answered mad am ? now can you understand?" "Mr. Lennox, you have lied !" She had not stirred, made no movement then, but no gesture could have portrayed the depth of scorn which porvaded her whole person as she spoke. " I do not know what you mean I do not know if you bo mad, or a cowardly, despicable villain, seeking to rid himself of a wife grown tiresome ; but what you have said is a baso calumny a miser able falsehood, too contemptible even to deserve refutation." " And you say this to me when I hold written evidence of your treachery ? Do you suppose that I am to be duped by arts like these ?" " If you havo evidence, produco it, said sho let mo hear your accusation,but I will listen no longer to this language I am innocent of any charge that you can bring heaven and my own conscience acquits me of any sin excopt that of bestowing a Binglo kindly feeling upon a man so cow ardly." "I wonder," continued he, the heaven you call upon does not striko you dead t I cannot understand how you dare " I have already said, interrupted his wife, that I will not hear such language accuse me beforo an open court, and in the sight of all who choose to witness the out rago, but you shall never again have the power to insult me thus Mr. Lennox, farewell !" She moved toward tho door without cast ing another glance upon him, very palo, but 'Composed and cold, growing mora beautiful in her stern indignation, with a power and majesty in face and mien beyond the might of words to describe. Even the tumult raging in that man's breast was stilled for a moment as he looked upon ber. "Stop," he said, in a changed tone, "do not go yet we must have farther explana tion." "No more is necessary," she replied, " do what you will, but at least I can pro tect myself from farther insult." Ho threw himself between her and tho entrance, bis passion reviving fiercer and more torriblo than before. " You -shall not go till you have heard all then wear that look if you can." " Let me pass, sir." He caught hor arm with a muttered curse and drew from his coat a letter. "Read that 1" he exclaimed, thrusting it beforo her eyes, " and explain it if you can." She released herself from his grasp, and her arm fell almost helpless to her side from tho violence with which he had seized it, but she uttered no sound of complaint, and gave no evidence of suffering. Sho unfolded the paper and glanced over its contents it was a letter apparently in her own handwriting, and signed with the playful name that her husband had once given her. "My God !" broke from her whito lips the paper full from hor nerveless hand and rustled to the floor sho followed it with Iter wild eyes but uttered no other word. "Aro you satisfied now, madam ? Did I not say I had proof! Look at this, and if you can, deny that it is yours," ho said, with a hoarso laugh, snatching up tho pa per aud striking it with his clenched hand. " Yon are silenced at last will you reject this evidence?" " I never saw that letter before, so help me lieaveu 1" she replied. " Fool 1 And the writing the signature bah !" " True, true !" she muttered, " my God, help me, for I believe I am going mad." She put her baud to her head and stagger ed to a seut a thousand voices seemed to echo her husband's frenzied laugh. "Be lieve me, oh, do believe me that letter is not mine 1" "Not yours!" exclaimed the husband, stamping the letter under bis feet, and looking fiercely around as if in search of something, "Nor thin, , nor these per haps !'' ' He strode toward a table in one corner of the room, on which a small writing-desk was placed, still locked as its owner had brought it from ber town house. " You will disavow doubtless that this is yours, or that it contains darker proofs of your guilt. That key upon your chate laine, madam it was not tortured into a charm for nothing you were wise to keep it chained to your person i Take off your watch, madam, I want that key !" Tho lady started to her feet lost in won der gazing upon him with her wild, ques tioning eyes. "The desk my key," sho said, striving to unlock her chatelaine with both hands, but they trembled so violently that she could only drop them helplessly down again. " It is it is a master-key a little golden trinket that ?"n gave me on my birthday." The haughty man stamped with rage ! " But this lock, give mo something that will open this lock, or I will wrench it to atoms," be cried, seizing tho little ebony desk and dashing it down upon the table once or twice, and then actually tearing it open with his hands. A quantity of papers foil out, pretty tinted notes, seals and rings, that rolled flashing over the carpet. Amid this bright litter was a package of letters, at which the lady looked in mute surprise. These tho enraged husband seized, tore away tho band of blue ribbon which bound them to gether and began to read. She looked on in silence, terrified by tho pallor of rage which settled about his mouth. " There, madam," ho hissed out, dashing some of tho letters to her feet, " read thom again, then look in my face if you dare and repeat that infamous denial ! How came these in your desk? This is your name on tho envelope the hand-writing is that of a man, a crafty man, who gives a name false as your own soul ! How came these letters there, and that one lying upon the floor of your own room?" " I do not know my brain is so dizzy I cannot think. They were placed there some enemy great heavens ! I do not know, but I am innocent." " Some enemy I Wo are not acting a play people in roal lifo don't havo enemies who find means to put letters into thoir writing-desks in order to ruin thom." She stood for a moment in despairing silonce, striving in vain to collect her thoughts. "Do you rofuse to believe me?" she said, almost in a whisper, "do you think mo guilty?" " Think !" he repeated, with sudden fury, then springing to hor sido ho whis pered a single word in her car. She pushed him away and rose to hor feet all her strength came back, and with it her scorn. "Whore is my sister?" she said ; "wo will loavo your house." " Go when you please, but tho child stays with me you have seen her for the last time." " You cannot do this oh, no, thank heaven, that is beyond your power you cannot separate me from my sister." " When I married you," he answered, I bocame that child's guardian I promised your father to adopt her I have done so you cannot touch her. Are you a fit pro tector for an innocout crcaturo like her? Go forth to tho sin and misery you have wrought for yourself, but do not think to drag her with you." , " No, no, not that ! That child my sister could never bolievo mo guilty I will boo her she shall go with me," " She is beyond your reach, woman, re linquish that hope at once." . " My accuser bring hint tome," she replied. , . "These letters aro a damning accusation, I have sought no other 1 I had suspected you for gome time your sudden visit to the city last week, all, all told against you. The servant found this letter, without ad dress, iu the hall where you bad dropped it it was given to mo last night do you see how you have betrayed yourself?" She rushed wildly from the chamber, shrieking the child's name with insano energy. ' ',' There was no response, but when hor voice aroused tho servants with its frenzied tone, the housekeeper met her in tho lower hall and told her that the little girl had not returned. The woman spoke quickly, for already a confused suspicion of something wrong had gone through the bouse. "Not here," ' sho moaned, "not here) Nellie, little Nellio ! " She was left in the city," Interposed one of the women. "Whore, where?" she questioned, fran tically. " I couldn't say, ma'am, - but she hasn't come back, nud I'm very certain she was left there." " You don't know that," said the house keeper, angrily, " but any way, she isn't here if madam would question Mr. Len nox, it is nothing that concerns tho ser vants." Tho lady did not heed the covert insult offered by her menial she heard nothing comprehended nothing, only that her sister was gone ! Sho hurried past the wondering group up to her own chamber, incapable of thought or refleetion.hor whito lips murmuring still, " My sister 1 my sister !" Pausing only to catch up a mantle and throw it about her form, she rushed again through tho long passages, hor lips moving yet in a faint attempt to ejaculate that namo which died unutterable iu a moan. There was no effort made to stay her, for her husband had not stirred from the cham ber which witnessed their interview, and sho rushed out of the house, disappearing rapidly down the broad avenue grown dis mal with tho coming night. Mr. Lennox stood motionless iu that si lent room, holding one of the fatal letters crushed in his hand. It had become so dark that ho could distinguish nothing, savo when tho embers of the expiring fire sent up a lurid gleam and crumbled iuto reddeuod ashes upon the hearth. At length he roused himself, took a lamp from the tablo and lighted it by tho coals. His face grow even more livid when he saw the shattered writing-desk lying upon the floor, with its contents strewed in confu sion over tho room, whero ho had scatter ed them in his passion. He stooped, collected everything, even to the most mi nute bauble or scrap of paper, and seating himself began to examine them ono by ono. There were only tho pretty trinkets which he had himself presented to his wifo two or throe brief notes in his own hand writing a fow cards of invitation ono or two scraps of poetry but nothing to ox cito suspicion savo that little packet of letters which he had previously discovered. Ho read thejn all, setting his lips firmly together, but evincing no emotion, and perusing slowly those burning words which seomcd to establish tho guilt of the woman to whom they wore addressed. lie scruti nized tho handwriting, but it afforded no clue tho name attached appeared only an appellation of fondness, which the woman herself hod bostowed upon the writer. Ho rose after a timo and began a rigid inspection of everything in tho room, but there was nothing to corroborate the terrible- evidence of those- letters even tho fragmentary journal which he found in a drawer, was mado up of the small details which composed her daily life. Even passion like that man's must know a change, and upon its lowering tido swept in doubts and reflections which filled him with torriblo depression. If she were not guilty ? But that was impossible he could not be blind enough to credit, for a a singlo moment, her innocence Ho walked hurriedly up and down the room, striving to recall events of their marriod lifo seeking for some one moment an object upon which to fix suspicion nothing 1 Her manner at all times, and to all persons, had boen the same rather shunning so ciety fond of solitudo I All was darkness and confusion ho looked again at the letters, for the instant they seemed only nn added perplexity and doubt. Suddenly ho opened tho door and called her name "Mrs. Lennox.'" He started as if the word had already grown unfamiliar, but there was no ans wer. Then a change came over him a quick fear of something terrible as her pale face rose before his sight. He rang the bell. "Your mistress?" he said, to the ser vant, who obeyed in frightened baste the imperious Biimmons. " Quick where is she?" " Gone, sir?" "Gono, where?" Tho man could not tell she had loft the house, that was all bo knew. Mr. Lennox pushed him violently away, bounded down the stairs and rushed bare-headed out of doors. A hard, driving rain had conic up, which drenched him in an instant, but frantio with that sudden terror, he flew down the path which she had taken, while the wind which chilled him to the heart seemed ut tering an audible confirmation of his unde fined fears. He rushed wildly through the dense night and pelting rain, but there was no trace the gates leading from tho grounds to the highway ere open and ho went through, on down the silent road, but finding no trace of her he sought, conscious of his folly In choosing that method for search, yet unable to pause or turn back. An hour after, the servants were collect ed in wondering groups in the great hall,' when the door was pushed open and their master entered. . Tho sight of them recall ed him somewhat to himself, and he ut tered an angry command for them to leave tho passage. When there was no ono left but the old housokoepor, he gasped, " You have not seen her ?" When she shook her head in denial, he strove to speak, but the words died in his throat ho pressed bis bauds suddonly to his head strove to command himself, fell heavily forward and lay motionless upon the floor. CHAPTER II. The reader will now accompany me to another house and wo will enter a lofty apartment, fitted up for a library with a severe simplicity, which betokened it the retirement of a student or professional man. Massive book-cases lined the walls, and upon the tables, and desks were ar- ranged with scrupulous care heaps of pa pers and pamphlets. Tho wind and rain boat against the closed shutters, but the loosened curtains and cheerful fire gave an air of comfort to tho room, which the Bound of the storm with out only heightened. At a table in the centre of tho room was seated a man engaged in writing. His pon moved swiftly across tho paper, but in spito of his haste every character was formed with the utmost precision, and a rare deli cacy almost equal to copper-plato. Ho seemed hardly to have reached middlo age, and his face was of that type which scarce ly changed for long years indeed those calm, cold features might have been a mask, thoy betrayed so little of what pass ed within his nature. A lofty, command ing forehead, with heavy brows shading' the ' piercing eyes, which hod great power in their unwavering glance, and a mouth which revealed by tho compressed lips tho indomitable will and resolution of his char acter. Ho was a man difficult to doscribe, moro difficult to understand, but as he is to take quite a prominent place in this story, I have tried to give the reader a good idea of his appoarance. Whatever his past had been there was no revealing in those fea tures ! It was lato when he paused in his occu pation aud laid dow,n his pen. He sat for a timo with bis eyes fixed upou the closely writteu pages, but his thoughts bad evi dently wandered to some other themo. At length he took up the papers, and folding them carefully placed them in a drawor of the table. As he raised bis eyes, they fell upon a small box of some foreign-looking wood curiously wrought in an antique pattern, and with a half smile, which gave his face an almost sinister expression, be drew it toward him. He pressed his fingor upon a secret spring, and the lid flew open with a quick sound, giving to view several packages of old letters and a pile of manu script, written in a hurried, impetuous hand, very unlike tho writing which he had just put away. With the same un pleasant smile ho turned over the pages for a momont, then restored them to thoir place. " All very well," he said, in an under tone. Ho closed the lid, took up tho box and crossed tho room to an old cabinet, in which ho placed the casket. "It is better there," he added, locking tho cabinet and taking out the key, " we havo no uso for it now Iio quiet, little . follow!" As he turned away there was a knock at tho door, and beforo he could speak it opened suddenly,and a young man entered, exclaiming, " I beg your pardon the servant told mo ho thought you wore not in, and I had bet ter wait for you hore." " I am very happy to see you at all times," he replied, taking the youth's ex tended hand. " But rather surprised to see me just now, Mr. James." " You know I am never surprised at any thing, but it certainly is an unexpected pleasure" " I was not well, aad obtained permission to loave collogo for a week or so naturally my first visit was to you." "Your indisposition is nothing serious, I hope." , " Oh, no, I am tired, that's all a little rest will set me up again." ' Mr. James courteously motioned him to a seat by the fire, and resumed the chair he had left just before the entrance of his visitor. The boy for be seemed little else threw himself into the seat, brushing his - J"