The Story Teller.

Wairoa Bell, Volume IV, Issue 140, 8 April 1892, Page 6

The Story Teller.

A WIFE’S REVENGE.

AN AMERICAN SOCIETY STORY. Very much against the wishes of her parents, and her twin brother Albert, Marian Seymour married Leroy Allston. It was one of those eases we find it extremely difficult to explain, whore a woman, sensible on oil other points, is yet a fool where the object of her love is concerned. If any girl of her acquaintances had fallen in love with Leroy Allston, and Marian had stood b_v —a calm, indifferent spectator, she would have deeply commiserated the unfortunate girl, and perhaps have ventured on a little friendly advice which, of course, would have been deemed impertinent, and treated accordingly. Allston was of a good family, and he had a very handsome face to recommend him ; but he was dissolute, and reckless, and unprincipled ; and people were right when they said he sought Marian solely for her fortune. He was possessed of wonderful powers of fascination, and when he sat beside Marian, and looked into her face with those deep, dark, passionate eyes of his, and told in a voice sweeter than that of a siren how lie loved her, she forgot everything but his presence, and was entirely under his control .

Women like her love deeply when they yield to the sweet madness, and Marian’s passion for her handsome lover knew no bounds. Her fortune was her own, having been left her by a deceased uncle ; and as she was twenty-four years of age she had a perfect right to do as site pleased. So. as 1 said at the beginning, she married Allston, and all her relatives were grieved and displeased thereat. The young couple commenced housekeeping in splendid style, and for a time everything went on in harmony. Allston used bis wife’s money freely, and gathered about him some oi the fast young men in the city. He kept his pair of blooded ponies, and bis crack trotters, and he had his suite of rooms at the club-house, he smoked the choicest cigars, and drank the finest wines which money could purchase. All this time Marian loved him, and fondly and foolishly enough believed that he loved her. When he came home at night so much under the influence of wine that the keyhole of the door was lost to him, his wife would hasten down admit him up to their chamber, lest the servants might see and remark upon the disgrace!o’ otate of the master. Things wen ton thus foi a couple of years, and Marian bore it ai without complaint. I suppose she would have gone on bearing it to the end, if Allston bad not indulged Jr ; another fashionable vice of the day. Mrs Stamford was a widow, or professed to be, and she was beautiful and fascinating, and unfortunate, and all that, and Allston was her very devoted slave. He furnished a house for her in sumptuous style out of his wife’s money, and there he speut his leisure time. Do you think that society frowned upon him because of this ? Then yon know nof society. ‘He was a rich and fashionable young man, and his wild oats were not. yet sown ; his wife was rather dim ami orthodox; and after all, he was no worse than the majority of men !’

Marian was the last to hear of her husband’s last sin. When she did, she refused to credit it. Through everything she had never once doubted bis love for her, and that bad kept her heart tender towards him. Confirmation was not long wanting, and Marian had au opportunity to convince herself of his defection beyond all possibility of doubt Jio one knew or guessed how hard this was for her, for she was one of those women who believed in the necessity of personal purity for a mm as much as for a. woman. She met Mrs Stamford often—a bold, handsome woman, who laughed in her face, and more than once ventured to address Mr Allston when he was riding- or walking with his wife. , From the time Marian first made herself sure of her husband’s infidelity, her whole nature seemed to undergo a change. It torn bein" a gentle, loving, confiding girl, she became an imperious and exacting woman. And, moreover, she sought the friendship of Mrs Stamford, and won, in a large degree, the base woman’s confidence.

Those who knew Marian best wondered at the sharpening of her features, and the strange pallor of her face, and the expre.-.; sion of determination which had settled over he r coun to 11 n n ce. ‘ My dear, you look like fate itself,’ said Allston to her one day, after lie had studied her face over his newspaper- c I hope you are not sitting for a tableaux of Nemesis.’ She smiled grimly, but did not answer him ; indeed, she seldom answered anybody in those days. Her brother Albert was a great deal with her, and the trim vessel of which he was the master lay idle, with furled sails, in the port. By and by it was reported that Mr and Mrs Allston and Mrs Stamford were going on a pleasure voyage in the Nautilus with Captain Seymour, and everybody wondered, and exclaimed at that ‘queer Mrs Allston !’ and when the Nautilus had got out of s : ght of land, it was all forgotten. On and on the vessel sailed, until the southern seas were reached ; and though Allston had begged and threatened, and Stormed to be put on shore, Captain Seymour was obstinate. They were on a pleasure voyage, he said, grimly, anu ho lioped they would all be as happy ami quirt as possible. Something in the captain’s stern, set face —something in the sullen, determined aspect of the crew—something in the quiet air of triumph wit h which Marian regarded Allston and Mrs .jfcaniford—struck terror to the hearts of those guilty wretches, and this terror grew upon them day by day. The vessel anchored one night under the lee ot a low, sandy island, overgrown with the luxuriance of tropical vegetation, an S a boat was got out.

Allston and Mrs Stamford were standing together on the deck of the Nautilus, looking out at the green oasis. The captain approached, and gallantly offered his arm to the lady. f You have been very anxious to go on shore,’ said he : ‘ you now have the opportunity. My sister and myself are going to visit the island, and we invite you to accompany us.’ There was a cold, steel-like glitter in his eye as he spoke, which might have warned Allston of the fate which awaited him, had he observed it ; but he was too eager to set foot on dry land once more to notice anything unusual in the captain’s demeanour. They all entered the boat, which was pulled by two silent oarsmen, and in a few moments the keel grated on the sand of the shore. The party alighted, and no sooner had Allston and Mrs Stamford advanced a few paces up the beach than Captain Seymour and his sister returned to the boat, which instantly pushed off from the shore. A half-dozen fathoms’ length from shore the men drew in their oars, and Mrs Allston stood up in the boat, and spoke, in a clear ringing voice, to those left behind : 4 A long and happy life to you ! And may you never grow weary of each other’s society. Your island is all your own, and from the fact that it lies a hundred leagues from the usual track of vessels, you will not be subject to much company You will have nothing to do but love each other. Adieu.’

Then the boat shot away into the gathering gloom, followed by the agonised cries and entreaties of those left behind, and in a few moments the Nautilus spread every sail to the freshening hreszo, and when morning broke over the clear, blue sky, she was miles and miles away from the dreary little island and its hapless waifs. The Nautilus came into port just eleven months from the time she sailed away, and Mrs Allston was in mourning for her husband, who was said to have died of malarial fever somewhere in the tropics. Nobody inquired for Mrs Stamford, but it was presumed she had been left at some port where the Nautilus had touched. Years passed away, and Marian Allston had stood at the head of society in her native city, beautiful, fascinating, and rich, but cold as stone and nearly as feelingless, said her admirers. At forty she lay dv.ng of quick consumption. Her brother had died three years before, and her parents had followed him within a year of each, other. Consequently there were no near relatives to stand around her death-bed , She sent for Doctor Deane, too minister of St. Matthews. To him she told the story 1 have been Irving to tell you, and to him she gave a

chart of the southern waters, where thirteen years before, she had left her husband and his mistress to fate. Upon him she enjoined the task of fitting out n ship to sail to these remote seas, and seeking that desert island, to bring back those wretched creatures, if alive, or if they weie dead, to bury their bones, A little after midnight she died. Doctor Deane performed the service, required of him. I he vessel he fitted out found the island, and found likewise the bones of Allston ami t ie woman She had died first. He had evidently been dead but a short time, for his flesh was not all consumed, and in his hand was found a. scrap of paper, faded and discoloured, bearing these words . ‘ 4 Aug u s t —, 18 —- I have managed to keep the date up to this time I feel that I am dying. Dying, oh, heaven 1 and all alone ! Fanny has been dead eleven years. Oh, Marian ! Marian ! you have indeed had your revenge ! It grows dark ; the palm trees wave their branches over mv head like mocking demons. Heaven have mercy upon—me.” A grave was made on the desolate shore, and the two skeletons were placed within it.