Quasqueton guardian. (Quasqueton, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1856-1858, 1857-02-07
Impossible! not for the world s
But ! wil1, replied the stranger, stern.

!
you shall not E#
Hist you shall be exposed
Robert was obliged to consent; and,
borne down by the terrible agony that
preyed upon him, he conducted the mys-
terious gambler to his once happy home.
The clock struck eleven as they entered
Your wife is not at home said the
stranger.
Robert was surprised to find that An
gely was not in her accustomed seat by
the fire, Full of painful misgivings
he FASTENED to her apartment, to see
if she had retired; but theSe'was no trace
of her to be discovered. Returning to
the sitting room, he found the strange
gambler seated by the fire, intently pour
ing over the pages of book which he
had taken from the comfortable
Left you, | should say; women are so
tame, +" replied the stranger, sternly.
Left me? no!' exclaimed Robert, cast
ing himself into chair, and venting
in deep groans the anguish of his soul.
'The mortgage continued the stran-
ger, sharply.
Il will write it in my room,' replied
the young man, leaving the apartment.
Wiping away the tears which coursed
in great drops down his haggard cheeks,
he picked out blank mortgage from his
papers and proceeded to fill ii out The
task completed, he returned to the sitting
room.
AS he opened the door, he started back
with astonishment at beholding Angely
seated by the grae, reading the last mum
Der Of Harper.
why, Robert, l did not know that
You had got home, said she, rising and
placing chair before the fire. where his
slippers lay, ready to put his feet into.
The dark stranger was not there.
why, what is the matter with you,
Robert? How strangely you appear!'
continued his wife.
DO ~ and Robert started and looked
round in wild amazement.-Where was
the stranger?'
Il did not know You where here, An
] uelv, etan,marad l.,
1 Il have been out awhile, this evening.
but came in just as the clock struck
eleven
so did |, answered he, more confu-
sed than before. Where is Mr.-the
gentleman that came home with me?'
Il have not seen any gentleman
Il came in at eleven with
What time is it now, Robert??'
The watch-his wife's watch-it was
gone!
Your watch-I left
4 have it; it is half past eleven, said
Angely, taking the watch from her pocket.
Robert looked bewildered.
What is the matter with you, Robert?
You are crazy, | should say
The watch Robert paused.
'Well,' said Angely, beginning now to
wear mysterious, mischievous look,
how goes your speculation
Badly, my dear replied Robert, with
look of wonder.
What paper have you there in your
hand?'
'Nothing-that isl will put it in my
secretary and he left the room to getthe
ugly document out of the way. He was
not absent more than five minutes; but
when he returned, the dark stranger Of
the gambling hell sat at the fire! Robert
began to think he was dealing with the
devil.
The mortgage!' said the stranger, in
his low, deep tones.
who are you, sir?-man or devil
who are yo1?' exclaimed the bewildered
young man, rushing toward the dark
form. But before he could reach it, the
form shook off the cloak and the whis-
kers, and the wig, and his wife stood be-
fore himl
The spell was dissolved. He under
stood it all now.
Are you cured, Robert?' said she smi-
ling mischievously. And then using the
deep tones of the dark stranger, she con
tinued: You have wife; of course you
love her not, or you would not be here
All, Robert, that alone saved you. You
confessed your love, even in your gam
bling he'll. In making haste to be rich,
you have been led astray.-But | forgive
you, Robert and the gentle hearted wife
twined her arms aronnd his neck, and
kissed his check
A lwavs f0rn.,yipr, a- tba cr;.;t nf ma,