ALICE LEE'S LIFE TRAGEDY.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 56, 28 June 1884, Page 5

ALICE LEE'S LIFE TRAGEDY.

The town of Holmbeach stood on the seashore. On the outskirts of it stood an old mansion in extensive grounds, enclosed by high vails. From two gateways a semi, circular carriage drive swept up to the house, and in the little cottage, or lodge, that stood just within the first gateway, lived Andrew Lee, the gardener. Lee was a man turned fifty years of age, a bachelor, noted for his plodding industry and quiet habits. He was a little bowed, and tolks had come to calling him "Old Lee, 5 ' but he was a hale and vigorous man. The Sabbath morning found him seated just within the little church, which, by the way, stood directly opposite his cottage, and the rector used to note approvingly his subdued demeanour. But inwardly, by nature, Lee was a man of intensely strong passions. One day the rector sought to know more of his inward character, and questioned him as to his notions of and belief in Christ. He did not long pursue the subject. "It may be that Christ >\ as all you say He was, but Igo to the Father. If the Son can save the Father can, that's what it come to wi me 1 can see Him in the stais and sichlike. So I believe in God, and that's* good enough for me." That was his creed. He had led a life of quiet labour, could read, but with diiticulty ; but he saw God in His works, and belie\ ed Him to be a God of righteousness and justice. The tender passions of old Lee had never been seriously touched, but now they m ere to be. Death removed the rector's %\ifo, and a woman, half housekeeper, half servant, came to the rectory. She was forty years of age, fair, comely, and of winning manners. Every morning for years now Lee had taken to the rectory a gathering of fresh flowers, going round by the boxbordered pathway, and modestly handing ' them in by the back door. Now they were received by new hands, and abo% c them shone a face that to Lee was simply beautiful — almost saintly. Her frank and open features seemed to dazzle him, and her speaking eyes created in him a burning passion. Choice indeed were the morning bouquets now, and they grew in dimension — and number. One morning, after internal struggling, he laid his hand lightly upon hers, and she gave no sign of displeasure. He even thought she saw and was pleased with the feeling he experienced. A burning fever now seemed to be consuming him, and for once he felt unable to settle down j to his daily work. Three years pass by. Old Lee sits in his little latticed porch, his left arm encircles the waist of his worshipped wife ; and on his x'ight knee sits a pretty -featured child, a little girl barely two years old. The jasmine and the honeysuckle make the air fragrant, and peace and happiness reign. There are people of high degree who think the poor can never love with such deep emotion as that which is felt by members of the upper ten ; but that is a great mistake. No purer or more intense love could exist for two beings than old Lee experienced for his wife and child. Never a night passed but up to the Throne Eternal went his prayers for their preservation. God, the Great Creator, had been kind and bounteous to him, and his own poor heart should ever throb in humble gratitude. So the days went by ; the seasons came and went ; and little Alice Lee grew to a beautiful girl. People stayed to admire her as they saw her through the open bars of the great gate, through which she would sometimes thrust them little bunches of freshly-gathered flowers. Seven years of supreme happiness fell to old Lee's lot, and then the spell was broken, for he had to lay his treasured wife in the cold grave. The trial was so great tfcat for a time his reason was in extreme jeopardy, and a spirit of deep bitterness took possession of him. Suiely there could be no God after all. If so, andi/e-wasa God of righteousness and justice, how could He suffer this great blow to fall upon him ? He would bow the knee to Him no more. The sun seemed to fade from the sky, the stars from the firmament — and there vas no God ! "You don't say your prayers with" me now, father, when you put me to bed.'' "You don't see me, my bird, that's all." " God can see through the ceiling, father, you told me, and He'll see if you don't kneel down, won't he ?" " I dessay, my dear, 1 dessay. But go to sleep, and I'll kneel down perhaps presently — by aid by. Good night, pet." " Good night, father God bless you. " "God hie " Eh ! What ! Yes. ye?, it was bound to come: " God ble=s you, my darling '"' and old Lee fell across the bed, his face in his hands, and the child knew nothing of the Btruggle he endured. As time sped by Alice Lee grew ever more winsome and attractive, and the father* love for her was unbounded. Approaching maturity added a timid modesty that rendered her simply charming. Youthful hearts were set a fluttering by the merest (jlance from Alice Lee. Frequently of summer evenings the father and daughter occupied the little porch, she reading aloud and he an admiring listener, but more concerned about her future when he must be gone than about that to which he was supposed to be listening. There came a time, however, when Alice took to going out of evenings, and once or twice her father had seen young fellows at the gate, " Alice, my girl, who was that you were talkin' to at the gate just now ?" "It was Edward Parker. He sings at the church, you know." " What did he want ? Did he say ?" "No, father. I don't know that he wanted anything." Old Lee turned a-way for his evening ablutions, and Alice set out the frugal meal. They presently sat down to it. He seemed very sedate indeed, and she felt a little fluttering at her heart. " You've been out of evenings lately, I've noticed." " Yes, you don't mind that, do you ?" " W-e-1-1, I don't like to say I mind it, my dear ; I'm anxious, you know, that's all. Do you go into town ?" " Not often. I mostly walk along the sea beach. I like to look at the ships out there and see the waves roll in upon the sands." Silence ensued, and neither seemed to be over blessed with appetite. " Alice, my girl, look at me, listen to me. I can't put it as I'd like, but I feel that I must speak out to you. You're 18 year old now, a woman. Come to me, come." She hurried and seated herself upon his proffered knee, and his toil-worn hands held hers in their trembling grasp. " The time's come, my darling, vfhen J danger's by you without you knowing it. 1 can't ask you to be old, as I am ; I've no right to make your life unhappy, God forbid ; but remember this, let the words scorch into your heart. If you go wrong, your old father will go stark, staring mad !" With a look of intense love she answered him, He folded his trembling arms about her, and silence spoke more soothingly than words. It seemed as though Heaven had ■witnessed a solemn compact that evening, and father and daughter together laid fresh flowers upon a loved one's grave. A few months pass, and autumn has touched the trees with pleasing russet tints and golden hues, Out from the town Holm-

beach aflbrds s6mo onchanting walks for lovers in ovontido. On the ono hand tho boundless expanso of heaving ocean, the lightship rising to the gentle .swell, and vessels passing out and away beyond the circling horizon. On tho other hand shady walks 'neath sheltering trees, through waving fields of mellow corn, and by leaty bowers of inviting seclusion. Tho song of the lark, the call of of the mavis, and the hum of insects fall upon tho oar. Here lovers vow their life long constancy ; and hero the seducer plys Ins heartless wiles. That hopeful maidens and buoyant youths seek these favoured walks necl no recording. "What if old Leo could have seen his cherished daughter there in tho company of ono who surely could only be compassing i her ruin ? Others saw her there, and Alice Lee was in danger now. Her charms had attracted the attention of Mr Frank Crosby, a handsome man, and one well versed in the ways of the world— the world to which she was so much a stranger. How could she withstand tho passionate pleading of which ho was so consummate a master ? lie »w ore he truly loved her and would make her his own ; she trembled, wavered, and then believed. His father was a wealthy lawyer, and a most proud and imperious man. Gossip was soon busy. The plain and envious spoke loudly of the moral obliquity of Al'ce Lee ; others again spoke of the matter sorrowfully, almost with bated breath. Old Lee was not an approachable man, and so heard nothing of the scandal. I'oor Alice felt that she dare not tell him. She could believe her darling Frank, but not so her father. So time passed on, and she kept her secret from him. At last, however, there came an evening when old Lee heard maddening news, and a terrible scene ensued in the little cottage. The frenzied father with uplifted chair ; at his feet, on her knees, a guilty daughter pleading for life. Alice Lee had fallen. Frank Crosby left Holmbeach — for good, it was said, and many hearts were moved to pity for gentle Alice Lee. The good rector was so deeply grieved that he shed j tears for her, as though sho was hib own child, and many good mothers did the same. " Poor girl ! things would have been very different had she not so early lost a mother's care," they said. Old Lee hung his head { now, spoke to no one, and his form was missed from the church. Then there came a time when it was necessary for Alice to "go somewhere," and she said she was going to London. Then old Lee raved again. Not only was she base and wicked, but she was a fool into the bargain. " You can't deceive me again. It's the scoundrel wants you there !" " Dear father, he will not desert me. Believe me, he loves me. See, he has sent mo money !" " Money ! the wages of sin • Why don't the scoundrel marry you ?" " Dear father, I cannot tell that now ; but faith, father; faith." He snatched the crisp notes from her trembling hand, and thrust them deep into the consuming fire. She did not go to London. Two years pass by and Alice Lee sits in the little cottage with a brave little babyboy in her lap. Time, that soothing angel who touches w ith such inestimable lightness our sorest griefs, has smoothed down the bitter feelings of the old gardener, and hearts that exulted in a poor girl's fall are now touched with pity and regard. But if old Lee appeared softened towards his daughter, he nursed a dire revenge for the seducer, and an indefinable something seemed to assiu*e him that the time for it would come. " He'll come like a thief in he night, but I'll catch him." So on many nights old Lee would sit by the little latticed window of his bedioom, which commanded a view of tho part of the giounds where he judged the "scoundrel" would come. Many weary hours he sat thus, w ith fell purpose, poor little aware of it and of his deep-seated and tenible resolve. All the strongest passions of a strong and ignorant and passionate man now prevailed, and old Lee thought of nothing but revenge. He shunned the society of his fellow-men ; he had no resources, and there was no God. Nobody seemed to know what had become of Mr Frank Crosby. Poor Alice seemed to be quietly resigned to her fate, and to h'nd solace in the intense love she experienced for her boy. The month of December came in unusually cold and cheerless this year. It was but ten days old when something happened. The great and wealthy lawyer, Mr Crosby, suddenly died. The sexton of the old church told old Lee of it, and now lie felt that his chance had come. He placed his trusty spade handy by the back door that night. That was a tool he could wield surely, and it made no tell-tale noise. He did, too, what he wa3 not accustomed to do, took a good draught of brandy. "Good night, father dear, I'm going to bed now."' " Good night, girl, good night." There was a cheerfulness in her voice that seemed to nerve him to even deeper purpose, and he took up his nightly watch. A high wind wa-5 up, the moon about a quarter full, but frequent cloads sailed over it, and obscured its little light. Old Lee kept steady watch at his window, only closing his tired eyes when darkening clouds passed o'er the crescent moon. Once he caught himself dozing, but never again must that happen. It was weary work, but he had waited long, and must not fail now. Ah ! Avhat is that? He thinks he ?-ees a moving shadow theie. Noiselessly he descends the few stairs, and in a moment his hand is upon his trusty spade. Darkness seems to favour him, and he stealthily wends his way along by the trunks of some sheltering trees. A transient gleam of light and a shadow falls almost before him. In the next moment a human form takes up its place there. Down, with a terrific force, comes the fatal spade, and his victim falls forward with scarcely a moan. In another moment old Lee is in a soft potato patch. Great Heavens ! how he Avields the spade now. The night is bitterly cold, but the sweat runs freely down his guilty features. No time for heeding that now. In an incredibly short space of time all is over, and the earth alone knows his secret : and now merciful providence ! down comes the all-covering snow. In the morning all nature was wrapped in a white mantle, and snow and frost embraced the land. "How beautifully pure and white the snow looks, father." "It do, my girl, it do." " You'jook pale and haggard this morning, father." " You only think so, girl. Don't trouble about me." "Father." " Well?" " I've got something to show you. I think it will make you happy. Look ; these are my marriage lines. If you'll look at tho date you'll see we've nothing to be ashamed of. We had to keep it secret, or dear Frank would have lost a fortune." Trembling Old Lee scanned the paper, and great beads of perspiration broke out upon his brow. "Dear father, you look troubled. Arc you not well ? and pleased ?" "Humbled, my dear, humbled. Last night I had a terrible dream, which I shall never tell to mortal ears. May you both live long and be happy, my darling— and may God in his mercy forgive me J"