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IfiPlff Jlllttf. fit" il V. SIP , 81 illf ill fttlliti III 11' mi tm W JiTclr" AH DEPENDENT FAMILY HEWSPAPEB. ; '''fZVS? Vol. VIII. New Bloomfield, Pa., Tuesday, August 4, 1874. IVo. 31. She )loomfifIb Sinus. IB PCBLISIIED EVERT TUESDAY MOItNING, BY FRANK MORTIMER & CO., . At New Bloomfleld, Terry Co., Ta. BelnR provided with Bteam Power, and large Cylinder and Jnli-Presse. we are prepared to do all klndB ot Joh -Printing In good style and at Low Prices. ADVERTISING RATES I Transient 8 Cents per lino for one insertion 13 ' twolneertioni IS "three insertions THE UNFAITHFUL GUARDIAN. CONCLUDED. TTUSII, Nellie, you mako me trem- L A. ble ; ydu are too young, too in nocent to fathom treachery like his. He has caused my ruin, I have no proof, but I fcol it !" "Why, why?" " lie hates me long ago he swore to be avenged, becauso, because oh, Nellio, I cannot toll you 1 I know that he has done it all my husband's death my own wretchedness I Come with mo, Nellio, I cannot breathe in this house he may re turn and I shall lose you forever." "Be calm, Catharine, there is no dan ger." . " Oh, I tremhlo, I tremblo !" She clutched the table with such force that the casket fell upon the floor with a dull heavy sound, which made both shud dor with fright. "It is only that casket," said Nollio, after an instant, " the papers have fallen out." She stooped and picked up the roll of manuscript. As she did so the leaves foil apart, and one fluttered to Catharine's feet. Bhe took it up her eye fell upon the hurriedly written lines. "This writing," she gasped, "this writing what is it ? whose, Nellie ?" ; " I don't know, I found it here 1" Catharine grasped the sheets, turned them over hastily, 'yot closely scanning each page, while Nellie stood frightened at the whiteness of her face. "At last !" she murmured, " at last J" Bhe fell back in a chair her eyes closed, the manuscript dropped from her hand and slid slowly to the floor. ' Whon Robort Morris entered the room alarmed at his companion's long delay, he found Catharine still insensible, und Nellie leaning over her with passionate tears and words of wild endearment. It was many moments, in spite of their united efforts, before Catharine recovered from that heavy swoon. She opened her eyes with a start, muttering some incoher ent' words like one suddenly awakened from a deep slumber. , "Sister, sister 1" exclaimed Nellie, "what has happened to you? is it anew sorrow?" Catharine's eyes fell upon the manu script at her foot she snatched it with a faint cry, repeating quickly, " It is joy, joy I am I am oh, I told you how innocent I was thank God thank God 1" "Speak, what Is it?'" urged Nellie and Robert, in the same breath, "do speak, Catharine." " Here look the letters this manu script the words are the same William's writing, and ho, William, recognized the letters 1" ' Nellie looked at her in bewildered aston ishment, but Robert seized the letters which she drew from her dress, and began comparing them with the pages of the manuscript to which she pointed. Catha rine was shaking with a nervous tremor, unable to speak, but he understood the ag onized appeal in her eyes. " It is no deception, Catharine you are saved 1 I understand it . all look here, this is an old story of William's left un finished that man has stolen it and copied the letters I Look look 1 Where was it found?" , "In that casket," answered Nellie ; "I found it. What is St, Robert? what is it?" " The proofs, the proofs J" gasped Cath arine. " Don't you hear, Nellio, I have them I am righted at last !" She strained Nellie to her in a long em brace, wetting her face with her tears, but very quiet in the deep thankfulness of her soul. They allowed her to weep until she oould onco more look up, wjion a serene joy broke through the grief which had so long obscured the brightness of her fane. "Toll me all," repeated Nellie, "lam so bewildered." "I told you of those letters the other day they ruinod Catharine but she has now the proof of her innocence. Here is the original of those letters, and Soars can swear to his own writing." " And that wretch preserved the manu script 1" ejaculated Robert ; " it is strange that a villain almost always overreaches himself." " Mr. James my guardian did he do that ? Oh, I hope not don't believe it, Catharino let him go for my sake I loved him so well 1" " I ask no more, Nellie, lam content." "The scoundrel, the black-hearted scoundrel!" cried Robert. "He ought to be torn limb from limb 1" " No, Robert, no," pleaded Nellio, "he was kind to me so very kind." " Kind 1 You Bay that of a man who has blighted your whole life, destroyed your happiness forever 1" Thoso passionate words brought back the reality to every herat 1 A name rose simultaneously to their lips " William 1 William !" Nollio hid her face on Catharine's bos om, while Robert flung himself into a chair in a sudden paroxysm of griof and rage. Catharino raised the bowed head ex tended her hand to the anguish-stricken youth. " Bear up, my children this is Binful 1 God may at any moment sot you free you would repent this weakness then." They stood up, sobered and awed ; that pallid fuce rose before Robert's, and he bent his head in penitential silence. " I must go to William," said Catharine, " I have left him too long come with me, both come !" " But there is something yet to be done," urged Robert; "my grandfather must be summoned it is his decision, Catharine, which must restore yon to your rights." . "And they will disgrace Mr. James? Oh, Catharine, my sister, have mercy 1" " nush, Nellie, could you think me so vindictive ? The story of my shame was kept secret" "But against his will," broke in Rob ert. " No mattor his troachery and guilt shall never be revealed I promise it, Nollio." " Bless you, bless you 1" "We must go," urgod Robert, " Nollio, you are quite able to make a short jour ney got ready while I order a carriage ; you and Mrs. Lennox can start in the first train, and I will follow with my old grand father as soon as possible." "Oh, Nellie, is it real?" and Catharine turned again to assure herself by the clasp of those loving arms that it was no delu sion. "It is indeed you my darling is given back to me." "Catharino sister) Bear with me teach me to grow like you so grand, so re signed." " I like you to praise me, Nellio, it is very sweet, and the strangest thing is that it seems so familiar I cannot realize that all this dark paBt has been." Robert aroused them again, : for it was growing late, and they had no time to lose. "These papers they are safest with you, Mrs. Lonnox ; as for the casket, I will put it back in its place. Here is another paper," ho continued, lifting up tho casket, " perhaps this belongs to you also." He oponed the paper, and they saw a shadow steal over his face as he read. ' " Look at this, Mrs. Lennox poor Wil liam?" She looked over his shoulder at the lines it was a certificate of marriage between William James and Lucy Sears ; upon the back of the paper were some lines in James' own hand, giving the name and the birth of the child William Soars. , Catharino took the document reverently. " It will be a consolation to him," she said, in a low tone, " thore has been a doubt upon his soul always, and be had no courage to question that man." There was sin somowhere an added crime to the catalogue which darkened the soul of their foe but the mother was in nocent, a wedded wife. Doubtless the certificate had been concoalod, aud she had gouo down to hor gravo unable to leave a record of her marriage to the child she loft behltid. Robert put the caskot away, and closed the doors of the old cabinet which had so long beon the depository of that fatal secret. " I will go now," he said, "bo ready to start when I return." Hp left the sisters together, and they stolo up to Nellie's chamber. Catharine's hands prepared hor for the journey, her task often interrupted by a mute caress or some broken exclamation. ' ' They soon heard Robert's voice in tho hall, and bastonod down to hicot him. "All right," he said, more cheerfully, "grandfather will bo at tho station, we can go on togother." Nellie opened the door to pass out, but started back with a faint exclamation, grasping at Catharino's dress as if for pro tection. Robert Morris sprang forward with a muttered curse, but Catharine pushed him gently back and moved to the door, whero, mute with astonishment and wrath, stood William James.' He looked from one to another, and for a moment neither spoke. " What is this?" he exclaimed, at length. " Nellie, what is this woman doing hero ?" " Let us pass," Catharine said, with her quiet majesty, "there need be no communi cation between us." " How dare you come hero, woman?" he returned, in a low, hissing tono. "Nellie, leave that creature this instant, and, mad am, quit this houso, or I will have you flung into the street, where such as you be long" Tho words had hardly left his lips before Robert Morris seized him in his athlotic grasp, shaking hira violontly with a silent rage that was terrible to witness in one- bo fair and honest-hearted. "Robert, Robert 1" shrieked Nollio. " Don't, don't, for my sako, don't !" Mr. James had been so overpowered by the sudden attack, that be had been unable to free himself, and at Nellie's ory the young man dashed him back with such force, that he staggered against the oppo site wall of the window. Catharine moved between them, with the same lofty calm ness, saying only, : "This is needless, Mr. James, lot us pass." ' i ' ' " Go, but this boy shall rue his act I Stop, Nellie, I command you not to stir a step 1 You thought to steal her away, did you, woman, but I have thwarted you again ?" . "You are powerless uow," Catharine re plied, " my sister goes with me." "She shall not Btir 1 I am her guardian, she cannot leave my house." " Even there you have no right, - she is William Sears' wife 1" He glared at her in impotent rage, work ing his hands nervously as if he would have torn her like a wild animal. .... " We shall see, we shall see ! I will sue for a divorce, and she shall Bwear that she found you in her husband's room, his head upon your shoulder 1" . : , Robert sprang forward again, but Catha rine checked him as before. '' 1 . ' ' " "This is idle, Mr. James everything is discovered you have lost all power." " Discovered t" he repeated, " what do you mean? have you " "Yes," interrupted Robort, furiously, "we have found the manuscript ah, ha, you are pale now '." The wretched man shrunk back, his fea tures so convulsed with 1 rage that Nellie 6brunk away in horror. 1 "Fiends and fury!"' he exclaimed; " what have you done ?" . Catharine motioned Nellie and Robort to go on, thoy obeyed in' silence, the girl not once turning hoj' head there was no anger in her heart, but she could not look again upon the man whom she had so rov ered and trusted. But his iron will would not yield even then, he took a pace forward as if he would have wrenched her from the young man's sido. "Come back 1" he shouted ; "you Bhall not go you dare not 1" But she only hurried ou to, escapo the ' sound of his voice, there was something in it which filled her with a dread far beyond any emotion of passion or terror. "Mr. James, you can do nothing," Cath arine said, "she leaves you forever." He stamped upon the floor, clutching the ruflles at bis wrist, until the delicate cam brio was torn to shreds, but be could not artioulato a syllable. " I know all tho proofs of your guilt are already in safe keeping. I have no wish to barm you, but go away, leave this land forever," . . , The specked foam ilew from his lips, and his breast heaved with the wrath which oould find no expression. ; ."Your namo will be spared, for your son's sake " , "Curse him 1" he exclaimed, uttering the words with great effort ; "ourse him forever and ever I" When the souud of the departing wheels aroused Mr. James to the consciousness that they had really gone, he rushed into his library to pass the first hours of retri bution far from any huinau eyo He dashed open the doors of the cabinet for the full fury of his madness was upon him still wrenched asunder the lid of tho casket it was empty 1 He trampled it be noath his feet, giving way to a paroxysm of rage which was worse than insanity. There was no use to struggle all was ovor his own imprudonce had thwarted his ends. There was no remorse, no sor rowhe only gnashed his teeth at the thought of his own impotence to carry out his designs. He must leave America there was no relenting when he remembered that injured son he howled forth his curse, and would have followed him into eternity to echo them. But ho wont away it is fallacy to think that such records must always end in the death of a, man like him to live was the most terrible retribution that could have been visited upon him, and he did live, lived on to an old age of wretchedness and vico, ruined and deserted even by the powerful will which had borne him on so long. CHAPTER XIII. William Sears was lying upon a low couch in his chamber, weakened by the change which had come over him within a fpw hours. A table had been drawn to his side, and upon it lay a mass of papers which he had insisted upon Janet's placing within his reach. He had been lying there for a long timo in the solitude of that room, whero during the past weeks his life had been going so tranquilly and so slowly out. He raised himself at length, strug gling with his weakness, and took up the manuscript. It was the last effort of his genius the tragedy which had Iain so long unfinished. As he read, the color came back to his cheek, and the old excitability broke through the feverish brightness of his eyes. ' He seized the pen and began to write, at first painfully and with a groat effort, but after a time an unnatural Btrength support ed him to give voice, for the last timo, to the wild thoughts which thrilled his soul with their strong utterance. Never during all thosa years in which his passionate poesies had been going over the world, and filling it with the magio of his name, had he written with the burning eloquence which inspired him then. Another hour, and the beautiful work would have stood out in its perfect com pleteness, but his strength began to fail, the lamp which had blazed up with such brilliancy flickered again, and this time there was no power to kindle it anew. The pen dropped from his nerveless fingers, and he sank upon his pillows murmuring still fragments of the glorious vision which was upon him. He triod to rouse himself, but in vain, then all his waning enorgies be came absorbed in one mad thought Cath arine, would she never come ? no should die there alone she would return and find only his motionless form. A chill seemed slowly oreeping over his heart, aud he pressed his hand against it as if to keep life in the sluggish pulses and warm them into now vitality. ,, , He would have called for' Janet, but bis voice had left him, and he felt himself sinking into the lethargy from which he should never wakon. : '. i . ' It was wonderful to see the aotion of his strong will ho struggled up, clutching at the table for support, while the cold dew gathered over his forehead, and his very heart seemed rending with the mighty effort, called out, " Catharine 1 Catharine 1" There was a hurried step in the room be yond, and as even in answer to his prayer, Catharino appeared and was kneeling at bis side. He recognized nothing more, though he heard faintly her agonized ap poal. " William 1 William 1" ' - But it was not the death pang, though she had deemed it such, and aftor the re storing cordials which old Janet adminis tered, he sat up again and looked around, then he recognized them all, Robert Morris aud Nellie looking sadly on, with the ven erable old man lost In silont prayer. " Catharine ! oh, Catharine I I thought I was to die alqn ; but you are here all is well!" ; " They are all hero, William there' is Nollle my sister." - "Nellie, poor little Nellie 1" he said dreamily, repeating the pitiful appellation which he had always given her of yore. "She knows all, William, she has saved mo !" " Saved saved ?" Catharine paused, she could not bear to darken that hour by tho knowlodge of the black crime of the man who was his father. " I have proved my truth," she said, "I can go before my angol mother without a fear." " Mother !" he rcpoated, catching at tho word. " That is hardest of all mother, mino oh, could I know 1" Catharino understood tho pang which crossed hira even there. "She drew tho cer tificate from hor bosom, and held it up be fore him. "She will meet you that mother William, this paper is the certificate of her marriage." no looked at it with his eager eyes, and a great calm settled over his features. " It is enough," he murmured, " I knew ' that she was waiting for mo." He lay still for a few moments, but aroused himself again, and motioned her to raise him up. , , Old Mr. Morris came forward, and held out tho manuscript. " If you can only testify that this is yours," ho said, " Mrs. Lennox is freed from the stain which has been so long upon her." "Yes, it is mine a story written years ago whero did you find it?" ' They evaded his question and he soon forgot it. "Catharino Lonnox," Mr. Morris said, "I do believe this testimony you havo been a wronged woman at least such rep aration as can be made shall no longer bo withheld the ' fortune which ' was your husband's reverts to you." ' ' " I could not touch it, thore would bo the stain of blood on it ; Nellie must keep it. ' Remember, in this hour I declare that I will never accept it !" " Nellie 1" William said, " little Nellie 1 como to me !" She went up to tho couch, and he looked long in hor tearful face. "Thore are shadows on it," ho said, " did I bring them there ?" ' " No, William, no, you did all for the best." " And you can be happy again think of me kindly, Nellie. Take her, Robert, hero in this death hour I give hor to you cher ish her love hor. Poor Nellie !" Ho dropped away into a slumber, hold ing Catharine's hand. Whon he woke, aftor the brief forgetful ness, he saw the manuscript on which ho had spent his last strength. "Unfinished," ha said, mournfully, "give it to the world as it is, Catharine I have no other legacy to bequeath." "A great name, William," whispered Robert Morris, " you leave that." "Yes," he said, .faintly, "yes, I am glad for your sakes, it will be very dear to you all. Leave me with Catharine now I am going soon." He joined the hands which Nellie and Robort placed in his own. He kissed Nellie's forehead, blessed her, and they all stolo away, leaving him alone with Catharine. , "Open the windows,", be said, "and let me look out." She threw open the sash, and the soft air of tho summer evening swept in pure and fresh. The sun was setting, and its last rays streamed into the room through the branches of the old willow tree, and rested like a balo upon the brow of tho dying man. , . , " I had hoped to die so," be murmured,, "at this hour at this season." ' The holy confidence of that time it wonld be sacrilege to break 1 There were no tears no. vain regrets only a deep thankful ness in each heart. They knew that even eternity could not separate their souls that they should henceforth be nearer than when divided by earthly distances and the pains of earthly trials. The moments passed slowly the sun light fadod from the room, lingering still by the casement like angel smiles waiting to light the freed spirit toward the higher sphere which lay beyond. When those who watched without enter ed the apartment a long hour after, Catha rine answered her sisters burst of weeping with a look at the beautiful face. " Hush, Nellie, all is over, at last the hereafter has como I" So end these records, for I will follow no farther the after course of those who were loft to lament the death of that gifted being we have followed through these years of suffering. Tho passionate heart was at rest, the grand poet soul had found that higher ex istence which lies above the threshold of this world, and for which a spirit like his pines always during its earthly sojourn. Robert aud Nellie went on in the tranquil happiness which best suited their quiet natures, and the memory of the past grow only a shadow, beautiful from its very sad--ness, as thoy journeyed through life to gether. Catharine livod to brighten into immor tality tho great fame which was already hers : pationt, hopeful ; conscious always of the presenco of that heavenly spirit, which was tho counterpart of her own soul. She gathered up, too, every relic of bis f;onius, and gave thorn to the world, lulghtening tbeir lustre by the presence of her namo ; so Bide by side they wont ou to an earthly glory, as lu the endless spheres beyond, their souls should go up to that perfect bliss which Is eveilubting.