The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1850-11-12

90. But not now, Lucy
Il wW 60, in spite Of you : and Lucy
pushed forward William stood between
her and the hall door, She was furious; he,
calm and sorrowfu'.
This is too much shriekcd Mrs. Now
bray. But if you are determined to op-
pose me, take the consequences
And for the first time in her life Lucy
struck her husband in the face.
William became deaihy pale. lie step
ped aside, and bowed his head soriowiully.
As he spoke, his whole frame quivered and
his deep voice was broken by the heaving Of
his torn heart.
Il will not oppose you. Go home to your
father, if you will, But if you go, farewell,
forever ?
Without appearing to notice the deep
meaning of these words Lucy few past her
humiliated husband, and passed his thresh-
old.
In an hour, MIS-. Mowbray was under her
fathers roof.
By this time, however, her rage had sub
sided in great measure, and she felt aslam-
cd of the steps she had taken. But she re-
membered that she had struck her husband,
and dared not 90 back to him that night.
On the following day although dying with
remorse and wrechedness, Lucy dreaded to
return and pleaded an excuse to pass anoth-
er night with her friends.
The next morning, she said to herself
IF | remain absent still another day,
William will become alarmed; he will for
give me, he will come and entreat me to
come houe.
But as William did not come, Lucy felt
her pride fail her. Humbled trembling re-
morseful, on the evening of the third day of
her absence, she set out TO return to her hus-
band.
He has forgiven me thousand times
she said to herself, whenever her courage
failed her, and surely he will forgive me
once more
With crushing sensations Of dread, Lucy
approached his house. In the dusky light
of the declining day, it looked dreary and
forbidding. Thrice she passed the door and
she re passed it, dreadful forebodings of evil
filling her excited brain. AT length, resolu-
ton prevailed over her tcrrors, and she as
cended the steps.
With trembling hand, Lucy turned her
atch-key. but the door would not come O.
pen. Then she hesitated trembling STILL
At last she summoned courage, and trem-
blingly rang the bell. Her heart seemed to
stop beating, while she listened for footsteps
in the hall. But there was no sonnd. The
wretched woman clung to the door to keep
from falling
AT that moment, young lad crossed from
the opposite side Of the street., and looking
up good naturedly at Mrs Mowbray, cried
out
'Ye won't find nobody there. The folks
are all gone away, and the house is to let
Poor Lucy This was a death-blow 10
her hopes Her heart stopped beating,
and she sank upon the cold slabs; and
moment after, the blood rushed into her
brain tempesuously, and her eyebals rolled
in darkness, But Lucy did not faint. With
desperate effort, she staggered to her feet,
and with her veil drawn closely over her
face, returned by the way she came.
Once more Mrs. Mowbray rested beneath
|
her fathers roof Rested in body, but not
in soul. Much as she had suffered, the az
ony of years could not have equaled the
terrible pangs of that endless night The
past seemed dark mass of folies; the pres
ent, torture, harvest of thorns she had
sown, vulgar gloom the future, black
globe, which, turn it, and turn it as she
would, showed no spot of warmth and
brightness on its cold dark surface.
On the following day, Mrs. Mowbray re-
ceived letter. 1t was from her husband
1t enclosed check for five hundred dollars,
and contained the following:
i have bidden you an eternal farewell.
shall never see you again. To the many
injuries, your temper has heaped upon me,
you have added an insult which in a man,
would have punished with fearful retribu-
ton. Coming from you, can only hide it
in my heart, among the ruined hopes and
corr oding sorrows, which have been my mar
riage portion.
Il have one consolation. My dear child
is left to me. Fam with her now, and shall
never leave her. l shall devote myself to
labor for her happiness. Do not thing that
will prejudice her mind against you, for she
shall never know of your fault, nor of the
cause of our separation, nor OF the ruin you
have wrought.
Enclosed is check for $500, which
trust will supply your immediate wants.
have retired from all business with the
world, and my income will now be small
5 but, one third you shall receive, quarterly
, while on one-third shall myself live frugal
ly. will devote the remaining third to the
maintenance and proper education of ny
= child.
D "A part of our furniture have directed
to be sold but everything which / though
: you would wish to preserve, is now stored
4 for you, und at your disposal, as you vii
= learn from my friend and agent, Mr.. Gray
= Lucy read this brief episte eagerly, ant
: re-read it with dismay. But she had still
: purpose and hope. She flew to Mr.. Gray
her husbands agent.