The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1852-02-24
Written FOR the Morning Express.
The Husband. ,..
Br MADAME DE ST. REnY.

| chatham. rode slowly through The village Of
Brpmpion, He had passed the village itself.
| when his aiteniion was attracted by a separate
corIage. whose latliced paoes reflected. with
'ints Of fame. the rays Of the setting sun. II
was one or those cottages which form a special
item in lhr heau'irs If EngIand. The picinr
esqne ihstched roof partly covered with moss
| ihe porch "verrun with honey suckle and ro-
| ses. theirim vegetable plots edged with flowers;
The uca, paling, all bespoke industry. care and
| even iasIe, +. n. ,rf,.,.
Our soldier had been TOO long a wsnderer in
foreign lands, noi To gaze with pleasure on such
a spot. As he gazed, peasant man and woman
came down The TOAD. and stopping at The col
,age gate, Induced him TO check his horse and
watch them. II The cottage had attracted his
a'irh'ioh, IT'S appa, snt inmates fixed il. The
wo,nan was about twenty five, tall and well
| formrd, with sunny hair. blue eyes, and the
brilliant complexion peculiar to the children Of
| the Nonh; browned, II is true. BY Toll and
wea;hes; but sull passing fair. The man was
1 simply an English peasant. broad, burly and
| bluff; habiinally the man Of his class and coun-
try; bur sluggish natures sometimes cover a
! depth of passion unknown 10 more exciiable
minds
Such seemed 10 be his case, the usually
heavy iennres were strred by an expression OF
mingled rage and grief IL would have been dao-
gerons To cross, So snong was his emoiion,
Thai. after several effrls TO unfasien the lach,
ne was obliged to lie, the wnman open IL, and
they entered. As the porch door closed be-
hind them, Tho youog officer remembered an
engagement FOL suppeB and half an hour later,
found him among joyial party in the mess
toont, where the cottage aud It's inmates were
| forgotten. T t, .,-7 ...t
Though Captain Summers, (fof such was
our friends name and rank.) forgot his ride,
among his gay associates. he had sufficient
spice Of romance in his composition 10 rehiehi-
her u the next morning, and starring for ride,
he almost unconsciousIy turned his bo,se's head
to- ards Brompi"n. Nearing the cottage. he
was surprised TO find il surrounded by groups
or people, talking and moving, seemingly in
great excitement. Stopping par icnlariy EN-
erge,ic group Of women, Capt Summers in
| quired the cause OF the commoiion.
"Oh. SIR said the oldest woman, "a dread
| .ul thing; Lucy Benson whom wo all thought
an honest woman, has left he, husband, and the
roor man singh crazed. and what's worse, her
father, who has kept decent name 10 the par
ish, man and boy. for seventy years, has to be
told his daughter has consigned herselfto last.
ing infamy, and the poor creature turuec away
with groan.
"Oh" said another. otis well that the moth
er who bore her is in the church yard" A
lire further inquiry brought out The whole
| story.
II appeared the couple. Summers had sreu
| the previous evening had been married three
wears, after a couriship of four, during which,
Benson worked early and ia'e To procure and a.
dorm the comfortable home 10 which he brou ght
his bride. For more Than two years there was
not happier pair in many miles round. All
wen, well, ill the death Of little girl, who had
been born just year after their marriage, and
| live Itt ber Etfl fppf md lispi M
tongue wound round their hearts. and when
she departed, leii their home dull, almost as
the grave. II was long eie either father or
mothe, gained spi,iis; but when they did, a
great change was visible. John was more and
more kind 10 his vile, but she showed little
eralilrde; her dress became evety dsy more
gaudy aud her visits so The town more and more
frequent, ill. during the last few weeks, wh:s-
pets had spread among The oeighbors, Of a
young clerk from Strobe having been seen
walking alone with Lucy Benson The prece-
ding evening, they had been seen together, and
that morning, John had gone TO the village
lawyer, and telling him i,ucy had gone of, bur
he would no, pursue her, added, he could not
stay al home 10 be pointed al; begged Mr..
Winter 10 sell The furniture Of The cottage, pay
the small sum Of rent due, and hand the bal
ance To Lucy's father; said he should 90. him
SELF to America, and beiore the aid lawyer re-
covered from his surprise, gone.
Summers felt deeply moved, and when Inc
was told that since Benson had left, Lucy's
ra,her wonld probably come oo the parish the
young officer determined TO see the clergyman
of The place, and through him aif,rd such so-
lace as money could bestow. The clergyman
received him with much couresy, confirmed
The story he had heard, and willingly undor
took 10 lie his almonet. From this slight
acquaintance arose. aud in visiting him about
three weeks after. Summers again encountered
| n crowd near the cottage; but this time suspense
kept all silent. body had been discovered IN
. stream which principally supplied the village
preparations we've making for raising IL. and u
few minutes after Summers reached the bank
the once lovely form Of Lucy Benson, was Iaii
on il. Ouce lovely, now ioathsome, fetd
mass.
The eazefs. shrnnk back In dismay and hor.
ror; and in few minutes magistrate arrived;
The body conveyed 10 a neighborng Iun,
and an examination showed the rigl, temple
had been facinred. Snspicion wavered be-
tween The husband and The y,.ung clerk. she was
supposed to have absconded with; but The lat
ter appearing and proving an alibi on the night
| in question; a verdict of wilfnl murder, was
returned against John Benson.
AZ The sympathy Tor Benson's supposed suf-
| ferines had been crea the fury of the neigh
bors knew 90 bounds. Every effort was mall
/ to t,ace him. Advertisements were published,
descriptions posted, rewards ofrrcd, WITHOUT ef
feet. CraduaIly the excitemenf subsidized, the
gray haired man slept by his nin,de'eh child.
and save the deserted cottage. nonght remained
10 recall the faults OF snffeings Of Lucy Ben
son.
Years passed-ffeen winters had dropped
little snow ah our fiend Summers temples
he had Struggled through the hMdships as we'll
as dangers Of many campaign; 'eft an arm ~
Wae'loo. and early 10 the year 1916, we find
him with the rank oi Col and the star OF the
bath, assn ming the command Of fine regiment
quartcrrd oesr Dublin. A fes days alier his
arrival, his attention was attracted by a soldier.
whose counsenance always struck the officer as