Democratic Sentinel, Volume 2, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 January 1879 — PAYING THE PENALTY. [ARTICLE]

PAYING THE PENALTY.

By Mrs. Meta Victoria Victor.

CHAPTER 1. The acene opens in the Morgue, New York, when the body of a handsome young man has just been brought in, and where it lies under the dripping of the iced water, which falls upon it to arrest the progress of decomposition. The man who attends to guard the dead did not observe a slim female figure, which seemed to arise out of the earth, so silently and suddenly did it stand there. She was bending over one of the five marble slabs on which lay the dead body of a splendid young man—he could not have been more than 23. “ Who are you !’’ said the attendant, suddenly becoming aware of the girl’s presence. “I am Liz,” she said: * and that is my„husband lying there !” “ Do you wish him sent hemo?" said the man. “.Heavens— what use ? 1 have not a cent to bury him!” “Come now! you had better go home. It’s getting late. ’ She glued her forehead to the glass again, standing there motionless, until the officer, not angently, put bis hind on her arm and drew her away. “ I camot even get at him to kiss him good-by,” she Bail, pi i u ly. " 1 wouldn't want to if I was you. my good girl. Dome, com<-! home is the best place tor you ” " Home! I h iver had a home! I came up on the streets —1 shall always live on the streets. George prom-i-el t > take cue ot me—be naid for my little room—but Geargeisgon . 0h,0h,,0h!” Two minutes later, one of the hospital surgeons—a very gre t surgeon indeed, a tn in of entho; ity—ra i lightly down the steps ot the morgue, and stood thuughtful'v 1 oking through the glass co tain. "How so tun ite!" lie raid t > himself. '* I could not bo better suited The merest cha ice, too!" Then, tuvr ing to the attendant, " I stand in need of a subi-o: to-mo:r;w,and this one is exactly what I want. Hos any one ela med i.i" •• The o’laii’s wife was here—said she was too poor to bury i—don't think it will be claimed, doctor." *' Can 1 have it to night!" " i should say so." “G oi! C isey, I know I can trust to your disc etlon Tiisb dj is not to go into the c liege, it is for a private use of iny-own, and it is t > I e sent, to my house. You wol bo off duty h-re lit mi.lnizht. I want jiou then to get an ambulance and bring this to me at lily home i will be ■ here io receive it, and I will contrive to h.ivo the p d caurm on ttiut beat out of the way at that hour. You anile in bling it in. Here is ss'l lor your trouble, and—you a e t. > ma -e nooeni irks." A'l ii .IV. d ict r! I’4 l>o there to the minute, sir—an 1 tn.<ny thanks. My wiic will make good use of this ni ney.” The gloat su-geon left the morgue; bis carriage waited tor him outside the hospital gate, and was driven rap.dly toward home.

CHAPTER IL On tho previous day Dr. Fordyce had been summoned to the house of bis next door neighbor, Mrs. Remington. On his arrival there he found Mrs. Remington and her daughter Flora in the agonies of grief. On a bed was stretched the unconscious form of Clymer, the son of Mrs. Remington, desperately wounded by a pistol ball in the right side. J “ How did it occur? ” A moan from tne mother was her only response. “ Oh. doctor, is he dead?” whispered Flora. * Not quite, my dear, not quite. His heart beats, I think.” Tne surgeon turned down the sheet to examine the wound, wmon he found of the most critical character; ai , a-ha stoope i o?«r ihe patient, heard a violent ringing of tne bell and knocking of the ttreat door. Hi observed tee two ladies shiver, as if from a blow. At pat the chamber door so >n folloved. Dr. For. dyce bimse f response I to it, stepping into the corridor co hear what the seiyants nad to say. “Tie o.ticers are herewith a warrant to arrest our young master, sir. What shall I do? 1 told ’em he wasn’t fit to be laid hinds on.” ‘ Ask tn3m to step up stairs with as little noise as pos t-ib'e. 1 will spe <k to them.” r’ esen -y two wide-awake officials came up. with an expression on tneir faces which said, as plainly as words: * No tricks no v! Wecan’t be hu übugged ny that game; Wore going to do our duty, if you ate rich people here.” “ What do you want, my men ?” We a e nere to arrest Clymer Remington,” answered one ot rh two, reading from a paper, ” for the killing of Cadet Ed mar 1 De Viv ” young De Vivo dead?” asked the surgeon, much shuck d. ’• A;i door-nail.” *' W 11, the man you are after is not much better off. In a 1 h nmn probability ne will not live the night out. He is shot in the right lung, It is impossible for you to move him. btep in and take a look at him ; you will see toi yjuc elves th-, condition the boy is in.” The offic <rs came in on tip toes, an I saw at a glance mat a lev ruinates would close nis mortal career.

When Liz found that her lover’s body had disappeared, and heard of the duel, sue had an instinctive idea of whit Dr. Fordyce’s object had been in buying her husoand’s body. Gambler and rogue as he had been, she •ove I hi n, and, with Drains sharpened with destitution, she resolved to make her market out of the secret. “ I will make these proud creatures in silks know that I am a match for them!” Sup smiled haggardly to herself to think that George would be spare I the h >rrors of Potter’s Field—tnat he would be dros o 1 i i broadcloth an I smothered under t beroses and < ape jasmines in his fine rosewood coffin with the s Hid silver handles. It almost deadened the dull pain at lur heart a little while to think of t he splend’d tunera- her G jorge would have, jolted along in a Humpiu us hearse for miles and miles, and followed by half the proui ladies ano gentlemen of Filth avenue ie (her gli toring ca nages, driven by fellows in capes and butt <ns inn ime.able. As fur hefseir. she wmld take a cheap ride to Greenwood by curs, find out the lamily plot of toe Remingtons, and be on hand to see her lover pat in the ground, witr» ihe Bish >p him&e t to read the prayers. CHAPTER 111. A beautiful child of 11 years was sitting in a summer house in tho midst of a most blooming garden overlocking tho broad, blue Hudson, as it wound by the Palisades. The house to which the garden belonged was called the lia 1, and was the home of Madame De Vivo, a widow of French descent. The lady had married Capt. De Vivo after reaching this couLtry. Both were wealthy, and had purchased and improved an elegant place on Washington Heights. The Captain had died after fifteen years of tranquillity passed in his American home, leaving two children, a b:y of 14 and a girl of 5. True to her race, which had-always been military in the jnsunjts un i ambitions of its male scion?, the wid av had placed her son at Wert Point, grateful to know th it he was within a few hours’ travel o his home while he was filling for the career be’oved of all true Frenchme’j. Edouaru De Vivo grew up toward manhood with all the fau't? and virtues of a true cadet. He was proud, fiery, vain. ijamUomo, honor-ble and brave. Alas! poor boy! What matters it to us what he might have been, since he w s doomed to so early a dea h ? I.et us eo hack to that bright, sweet afternoon in late May, when Dal e De Vivo, a lovely little girl of 11, satin her bower, q i'e lost in the fascinations of a volume of the “Arabian Nights ” Her brother’s particular friend. Clymer Remington, had bought her this bewitching biok. If there was a person in ths world whom she adired. it was Mr. Remington. Dulce had ns ardent and ass ctinnate a little heart as ever beat in a chi d’■* bosom She loved her rnotht r her old grandmother, her 1 rother; but the feeling he had for Edouard’s friend was a kind of worshipping admiration. Wbi’e she was musing on Clymsr’s perfections, the deal body of her beloved brother was brought home. He hid 1 een slain in a duel with Clymer Remington.

CHAPTER IV. The mock funeral was over, and the gambler and the scapegrace George was bu'ied in the vaults of the Remington?. whoa L : z, the gambler’s wife, made her appearance at the stately mansion of the Remington?. Here she tells Fio:a what she has discovered, and demands bush mou'-y. “ Yen didn’t hurt my husband; lie was dead afore. You g tve him a splendid funeral. But your secret is worth a mirt o’money. I’m poor—starving! I mean to live in comfort alter this I mean you shah pay my way.” F or.i stretched out her white hand, where a lanre r’iam nd sparkled, and thiust her purse in her visitor’s ciu oh. “There are SSOO there—nil the money I had in the bo s :i to day.” ** All ri-'ht.. You have lots more in the bank. I want a settlement in writing, you see. So much a year.” “ i w ll d • a* well by you as I can.” ‘ I’d l.ke rh it ring on your finger, that shines so, miss It’s a beaut\! May I have it?” Th it jewel had been in tl.e R-miington family a good many yers, but Flora immediate y it off and oa sed it over t • Liz, whose black eyes glitter* d gr ed ily “ When sh 11 I come to havedhe writing drawn up an* siirne t ? ’ ‘ In a we *k.” '* Very we'l. Yau can have Dr. Fordyce to fix it for you I w »n’t bring n > witn a s»; bit you must give m-* a paper. So. now, good night, miss, and don’t worry too in i h about it Ihlbe as silent as he is. if you do tne tai;- Hhuk by me.” Liz, hidu g the pur?e in her bosom, and turning the diamond < n he. tinker inward to ni e it from the rapaci >us eyes ot McDonigle alley, made a courtesy ans withdrew. Tne continuation of this admirable and exciting story will be found in Frank Leslie's Chimney Corner, No. 714. and now ready at all news depots. 10 cents weekly, $4 pet annum. Address Frank Leslie’s Publishing House, 63, c 5, and 57 bark place, New York.