The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-01-28

shop, and the surrender Of her little fortune !
into his hands. Her eye happened, in the
course Other coeitations, to wander 10 por.
trait of her father, which hung oppositei and
as she gazed on it, she could hardly help
thinking that its naturally stern and sou:
feature assumed an expression still sterner
and sourcr. No doubt that this was the mere
effect of some inward pleading of conscience,
for she could not but acknowledge secretly
that the step she had taken was not Of that
kind which her parent would have appro,-
ed. She Withdrew her eyes with a disturbed
mind, and again looked musingy towards
the fire, when she thought she head the
door open and n person come III. Al frs
she supposed that this must be her hu. band,
and she began, therefore, TO transfer the sup
per from the fire TO the table On lisiehna.
however, she heard that the footsteps were
accompanied by he sound of walking cane,
which assured her that it could not be For
dync. She stood for a moment moionless
and silent. and distinctly heard the sound ol
an old man walking along the passage with
a sick-sonnds which at once brought to
her recollection her departed father. She
sank into her chair, the sounds iied away
in the distance. and a'no.l ai NJ n,anrnt
her husband came IN 20 ricc' ucr, Il nG 'o
he servant a. pn-sed. in ia, oud ...
boisicrous wy. HAT h. bad >iuwdi, lett
the outer door oqcn.
Thoueh i,tbri Lucas had committed ID
very imprudrni action m marrying "a mass
who was a perlce: stranger to her, nr,er-
ihe!css the predominant. features ia her
mind was prudence. The Impressions. Just
made upon her senses were of very agila
ting nature, yei. knowing that it was TOO late
to act upon them. she concealed her emo.
lions.
There could be no doubt that she had re-
cciyed what in her native courtry is called
a warning :. yet conceivin1 that her best
course was TO 90 on and hetrav no suspicion
she never Ialiered in any of her promises to
her husband. She was next dav installed
in Mr. Fordynes own house. to whom. in re-
turn, she committed sum rather above lour
hundred pounds; for to that extent had she
increased her stock in the course of her lale
employment.
For some time matters proceeded very
well. Her husband proiesscd to lny ont
part of her money upon those goods which
he had formerly represented himself as un-
able TO buy. His habits of application were
rather increased than diminished. and few
customers of more respectable kind than
any he had hitherto had. began to frequent
the shop. being drawn thiiher in consiiera-
tor of his wife. Among the new articles
he dealt in was whskey which he bought
in large quantities from the disilleries, and
sold wholesale TO number of the ncightor>
ing dealers. Bv-and>bve this branch of
his trade seemed to oulgrow all the rest, and
he found himself occasionally obliged pay
visits 10 the place where tho liquor was man
uiaftured, in order to purchase it at the best
advantage. His wife in "A little while be,
came accustomed TO his absence for day or
Two at lime. aud having every reason 70
believe that his affairs were in very pros
porous state, began to forget all her former
niseivines.
On one occasion he lefi her on what he
described as circuit of the Highlands dis
lilleries, intending, he said, 10 be absent for
at least a week. and rarryng with him
money TO the amt of nearya thousand
pounds, which he said be would probably
spend upon whskey before he came back.
Nothing hat could awaken the least suspicion
occurred at their parting but the next day
while the wife superintended matters in the
shop, she was surprised when large bill was
presented, for which he had made no pro
vision. On inspecting it, she was still fur
ther surprised TO find that il referred TO a
transaction which she understood at the
lime 10 be a ready money one, Having
dismissed the presenter of the bill, she lost
no time in repairing TO the counting house
of large commission house in Lcilh- which
she new her husband 10 have had large
transactions. There, on making some in-
direct inquiries, she found that his purcha-
ses, instead of being entirely for ready mon-
ev, as he had represented to her, were mosi-
Iy paid by bils-some Of which were on the
point Of becoming due. 1t was now bat
too apparent that the unprincipled man had
taken his final leave of her aud hs cred-
tors, hearing with him al! the spoil that his
ingenuity could collect.
Isabel Lucas was not person to sit down
in idle despair on such an event. She was
a steady Scotchwoman, with stout heart
FOR difficulty and her resolution WAS soon
taken. She Instantly proceeded 10 The
Glasgow coach Office, aud ascrriaincd. AS
she expected, that man answering 10 The
description of her husband had taken a place
for that city the day before. The small
quantity of money 'hal had been collected
IN the shop sIn,e bis departure, she put INTO
her pocket; the shop she committed TO the
porter and her Old servant Jenny; and, hay.
ing made up small bundle If extra clothes,
She set or 10y the coach to GLASGOW On l.
lighting at the Ironsale, the first person
she saw vas female friend from Edinburgh,
who asked with surprise, how she and her
husband happened TO be travelling at The
same Lime ? Why do YOU ask that ques
ton !? asked Isabel. Because replied
the other, i shook hands with Mr.. For