h her long curls falling round her like a
pall.

The ball had entered just beneath her chin, glanced, and lodged in her
right side. It was a most ghastly wound, and as the blood poured from
it, over the snow-white dress, and trickled slowly along the floor,
Bernard stood gazing upon it like one petrified. His eyes opened wide
with horror, his limbs grew rigid, his very hair seemed to rise up, in
the intense agony of the moment. The pistol dropped from his extended
hand, and he fell upon his knees beside his victim, completely sobered,
and awakened to the full magnitude of the crime he had committed.

"Oh, Minny, Minny! I have been the curse of your life-time; a shadow,
mingling with all your sunlight; fearful, fearful is the retribution
cast from your dying spirit upon mine. Forgive me, oh, forgive me!"

Suddenly, with the last remnant of strength gathered to speak once more,
her small hands were raised convulsively, and placed in Bernard's, while
her dark eyes, softened, and even more beautiful in their death-hour
than ever before, sought his face.

"God forgive you, Bernard, as I this moment forgive you _all, all_. To
your wife, Bernard, your Della, henceforth be faithful; be true to her,
love her, cherish her, guard her as your life. Do this, and the shadow
of this hour will rest ever on your heart holily."

"I promise; as God hears me, I promise."

There was a faint pressure from the hand he held, the lips moved, but
gave out no sound, and Bernard sat alone in the chamber of death,
clasping in his own the cold hands of the murdered Minny!

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

"Adversity, sage, useful guest,
Severe instructor, but the best;
It is from thee alone, we know
Justly to value things below."

Somerville.

Roused at last from the stupor in which he fallen, Wilkins rose from the
floor, and taking his infant son in his arms, went out and told the
neighbors what had occurred. Leaving his child with a friend living near
by, he next went in search of a coroner, and returned with him to the
house. All this Bernard did calmly, quietly, almost like one in a dream,
with no thought for his own safety, no idea of danger to himself. The
coroner was a gentleman well known to Bernard, acquainted with both the
good and bad traits of his nature. In looking upon the corpse he readily
understood the whole matter, and pitied the unfortunate murderer, even
more than the beautiful victim.

A jury was summ