The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1861-11-21

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the thought their actions gave utterance to-
1t might be half an hour, for many who cam
after her were served before her, ere she final
succeeded in getting her errand, loaf of breat
| for which she put down half sovereign
had given it to my daughter only the night b.
| fore to buy new book) How the sharp, hur
gry-looking eyes listened as they saw the golt
and how many sharpened, curious faces scar
ned its owner. l could not yet see her fac'
but she took the change without looking at i
put the loaf under her shawl, and turned away
Again followed her, till she disappeared dow
cellar stair, at the head Of which / could jus
decipher on painted board
| "Goals, milk, and groceries,
| Managing done here.''
This was not her home, knew as 1 stoo
back awaiting her temperance, for the frs
| time asking myself how this was all to end?
could not tell-circumstances must decide. L
few moments YEARLY she dragged herself u
again, behind her a boy carrying bag with
few pieces of coal in it at least so l judge
from its black sooty appearance. | had nc
far to follow this time. They both disappears
up a narrow arched court that stood at the hea
of the stairs.
/ tried to grope my way in too, almost suffo
Gated by the unwholesome vapors of the place
Judging it best to await the temperance of tn
boy who was carrying the Goals, as he woul
likely be able to give me all the information
wanted, retraced my steps. had not long t.
wait. lie soon returned, whistling with tru
boyish uonchalance Nancy TILL swinging hi
bag round his arm,
who is that woman p asked. approaching
him.
'Duzzent know answered the boy, scannin!
me as closely as he could, though | had takel
hnoBy hf, liorhf
Has she been long here 2
'P'raps. Be you the beak'' (Anglace pc
liceman
NO, answered, slipping shilling into hi
hand as the surest method of untylng hi
tongue. Tell me all you know about her, i an
friend
Holding the shilling up between his finger
and his thumb for moment, as if to satisfy
himself of its genuineness, he gave an account
of which the following is the substance
That about eighteen months ago or two years
he was not sure which, Mrs. Arnott had frs
come to his mothers shop. TWAS she who sold
GOALS, milk, and groceries, That his mother
thought she was a widow, though she never
told anything about herself-'Never spoke tC
nobody the boy said. That she did white SOW
ing for the shops, was dreadful hard up times
had been sick lately for month, and had been
obliged to sell about all she had That his moth
er had been very kind to her while she was
sick. That she had got some money tonight.
She thought she'd be comfortable tonight any
way.
The boy was evidently anxious to know the
object of my inquiries, and fingered about after
had dismissed him; so as did not care to be
watched, l turned away after securing parti
cular description of the exact door at the head
of the stair that there might be no mistake.
needed some time to collect my unsettled, throng-
ing memories, so | walked away.
What were those memories?
1t was nearly eighteen years since Minna
Arnott became my own wife!
1t was twelve years since that fearful night,
when returned home on professional visit
to find my young wife (she was but seventeen
when l married her) gone. Whittier? l was
too soon informed. The friend had trusted,
the wife loved had betrayed me--they had fled
together-where | scarce cared to ask. l was
legally freed from the now hateful bond. Her
name WAS forbidden, and | strove chow vainly
those who have loved deeply well know to shut
out the memory Of her existence and thought
that save from the child she had left me had
succeeded had vowed that shou she ever
xneel pray for my forgiveness, Ishould turn from
her and leave her in her misery, as she had left
me. All these twelve lonely unhappy years, |
forgot the wife had loved. remembered on
ly the woman who had deceived and dshonored
had taken with her the sunshine from
my life. had even shrunk from the caresses
of my own daughter, when she too strongly re-
minded me of her mother. l had looked calmly
forward l had almost said
this meeting for twelve years, and now that ac
providentially, if you will; it had &C.
Cured, my heart tuttered as if it had beat but
sixteen summers, instead Of gathering rust for
five-and- fifty. My brain was in a whirl Like
an accusing angel my conscience, long silenced
stood up and charged me with being accessory
to my wife's fall. She came to me a gentle,
loving girl, grateful for the love that had placed
her above want, friendle5s orphan, who chung
leaned lovingly upon me. Twas
twenty years her senior; had marked out for
myself an ambitious course, from which even
nv love for her did not divert me- l loved her
passionately, too ; but my love after its first
heat, was second to my ambition. Naturally
suspicious, l doubted whether her love was
aught but gratitude, and to test it grew ex-
acting. Conscience new upbraided me with
having frequently, coldly, even sternly repulsed
her when she sought by thousand devices
that love only could suggest to win from me the
endearing epithets | had been wont to lavish so
freely upon her. Then he-my friend came to
reside in our neighborhood. He was much
than |, more nearly her own age, ar
dent in temperament, generous, and kindly
The frequency of my absences made me glad to
accept his services for he, and the two were
thrown much together. l must
have been mad, infatuat H. or | would have an
ticipated tie result.
And he? Where was he now? | could not
yet think calmly of the possibility of his being
yet alive. Unyielding, stern, and prompt in
I had DIV tod
and battle with harsh realities of lite but to tai
ly untitled for the display OF the gentler graces
Consciously wanting the tact to pour the oil of
and forgiveness on the wounded
spirit, in the manner and degree that it was
able to bear, felt strongly the need of a third
party, able to sympathze with both, loved by
both, who should stand as a mediator between
the injured husband and the erring, desolate wife
And for that Office, who could be more suited
than our daughter, equally near to bothf Par
taking sufficiently of my stern, rugged nature to
appreciate me, she alone had dared to plead
with me for her mother, to beg of me to try at
least and learn her fate.
l knew that the yearning for mothers love
was stronger with her than any feelings of re-
sentiment for the shame and dishonor that moth
er had drought upon her. But l would not seek
her till / had again looked on my wife, las l
could scarce realize the wreck had seen to be, }
till had satisfied myself that had not been
merely giving the rein TO imagination, and in
vesting stranger with the loved features the
grace of movement, once my pride
l crept again down the court, up the broken
stone stairway, carefully bending my head to
avoid distractions, for from the sitting air of
the stairway Judged its height to be consider
able less than mine. Up, up, till had passed
four landings, with their numerous doors, and
still l bad another to climb. The increasing
cracks in the doors, and evidences of dilapida-
ton showed me that there the grades Of power
ty were distinguished by their height-the first
floor being comfort in comparison with the
Indebtedness of the attic. When l at length
climbed as far as l could go, racking cough
the same intensified which had heard on the
street directed me to the object of my search
The door, 1t would not close, was tied inside by
a rope to nail, leaving sufficient crack for me
to see in. a small but cheerful coal FIRE lessen
ed while it displayed the dleariness of the room
At the room merely glanced the figure at tbs
fire, crouching almost over it, took all my at
tentiOn. Her bonnet and shawl were thrown
of, but the face was still from me gazing int