The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-01-19
AHIAND UNTY wEDNTsDA

IT.
and preparing to leave the room, first, however
giving look to Ailsie, sleeping soundly ant
, calmly.
| Down stairs she went, uneasy fears stirrin,
in her bosom. Before she entered the dining
room she provided herself with candle, and
with it in her hand she went in, looking rount
her in the darkness for her visiter.
he was standing up, holding by the table
Norah and he looked at each other; gradua
recognition coming into their eyes. -.
''Norah p at length he asked.
"Who are you ?'' asked Norah, with the
sharp tones of alarm and incredulity. sI dom
know you:" trying by futile words of disbe
lief to do away with the terrible fact before
her.
Gam SO changed T' he said, patheticaly
II daresay Iam. But, Norah,- tell me ,'' he
breathed hard, where is my wife? Is she-is
she alive?" --< - . -s-.-
He came nearer to Norah, and would have
taken her hand; but she backed away from
him; looking at him all the time with staring
eyes, es'if he were some horrible object Yet
he was a handsome, bronzed, good-looking fel-
low, with beard and moustache, giving him a
foreign looking aspect; but his eyes! there
was no nlstaking those eager; beautiful eyes
the very same that Norah had watched not
half-sn-hour ago, till sleep stole softly over
them. 'z
eTeH me, Norah-I can bear it have
feared it so often. Norah still kept silence
"She is deadl" He hung on Norah's words
and looks, as if for confirmation OF contradic-
| ton.
esWIlat shall I dc? ?'' aroaned Norah. 40.
sirl why did you come? how did you find me
out? where have you been? We thought you
dead, we did, indeed!,' She poured out words
and questions to gain time as if time would
help her.
''Norah! answer me this question straight,
by yes or no--Is my wife dead?''
"No, she is not!" said Norah slowly and
heavily.
90, what relief Did she receive my let
ters? But perhaps you don't know. Why did,
you leave her? Where is she? O, Norah, tell
me all quicklyr' - -
"Mr. Frank ~ said Norah, at last, almost
driven to bay by her terror lest her mistress
should return at any moment, and find him
there-unable to consider what was best to be
done or said-rushing at something decisive,
because she could not endure her present state
Mr.. Frank we never heard line from you,
and the ship-owners said you had gone down,
you and every one else We thought you
were dead, if ever man was, and poor Miss
Alice and her little sick, helpless child 0.
sir, you must guess it," cried the poor crea-
ture at last, bursting out into passionate fit of
crying, 'tor indeed / cannot tell it. But it
was no ones fault. God help US all this night"
Norah had safe down. She trembled too
much to stand He took her hands in his
He squeezed them hard, as if by physical pres
sure the truth could be wrung out.
"Norah!" This time, his tone was calm,
stagnant and despair. "She has married
again.
Norah shook her head sadly. The grasp
slowly relaxed. The man had faintcd.
There was brandy in the room Norah forced
some drops into Mr.. Franks mouth, chafed his
hands, and-when mere animal life returned be-
fore the mind poured in its food Of memories and
lifted him up, and rested his
head against her knees Then she put few
crumbs of bread taken from the supper-table, |
soaked in brandy into his mouth. Suddenly
he sprang to his feet.
'.Where is she? Tell me this instant''-
he look so wild; SO mad, So desperate that
Norah felt herself to be in bodily danger; but
her time of dread had gone by. She had been |
afraid to tell him the truth, and then she had |
been coward. Now, her wits were sharpened
by the sense of his desperate state He must |
leave the house. She would pity him after
wards; but now she must rather command and |
upbraid for he must leave the house before
her mistress came home. That one necessity
stood clear before her.
''She is not here; that is enough for you to
know. Nor can [ say exactly where she is "
(Which was true to the letter if not to the
spirit) $50 away and tell me where to find !
you tomorrow, and will tell you all. My
master and mistress may come back at any |
minute, and then what would become of me
with strange man in the house,"
Such an argument was too pretty to touch
his excited mind.
a don't care for your master and mistress
IF your master is man, he must feel for me
poor shipwrecked sailor that I am-kept for
years prisoner amongst savages, always, al
ways thinking of my wife and my home.
dreaming of her by night, talking to her
hough she could not hear-by day. loved
aer more than all heaven and earth put togeth-
ST. Tell me where she is this instant, you
Tretched woman, who salved over her wicked
ness to her, as you do to me" @
The clock struck ten. Desperate positions
,equre desperate remedies.
'If you will leave the house now. I will
come to you tomorrow, and tell you all
What is more, you shall see your child now
She lies sleeping up stairs. o, sir, you have
,hild, you do not know that as yet-a little
yeekly girl-with just heart and soul beond
ler years. We have reared her up with such
are We watched her, for we thought for
many a year she might die any day, and we
Ter, and no rough word has ever been said to s
Ter. And now you come and will take her life
nto your hand, and will crush it. Strangers (
o her have been kind to her; but her own I
ather-Mr. Frank, 1 am her nurse, and love {
Ter, and | tend her, and I would do anything
or her that could. Her mothers heart beats {
s hers beats; and, if she suffers pain, her {
mother trembles all over. If she is happy, it
S her mother that smiles and is glad IF she {
$ growing stronger, her mother is healthy; if !
he dwindles, her mother languishes If she
don't know, it is not every one
an lie down and die when they wish it.
Jome up stairs, Mr.. Frank, and see your child. 1
seeing her will do good to your poor heart
Then go away, in Gods name, just this one
light-to-morrow if need be, you can do any
hing-kin us all if you will, or show yourself
great, grand man, whom God will bless for
ver and ever. Come, Mr.. Frank, the look of
sleeping child is sure to give peace -
She led him affi olr hol,, |