The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1866-05-31


long looked upon with admiration, and
whom in the event Of his wife's death.
he had resolved to take for his second
wife. But all his hopes in that quarter
would have been forever crushed, aud
instead Of favor he would have met with
scorn and loathing, had these lines ev.
er reached the eyes of Mrs. Wilbank
s"How fortuAate that I overheard
them" muttered he, crushing the pa.
per in his hand. "What an escape !
Surely fate has decreed it so. So Mrs.
arold," continued he, fiercely glancing
at the bed, as though the iuanimate clay
could hear his words. 80 you would
tain evade the oath | made you take, by
revealing our secret in writing ? But
it would have been strange, indeed, if
you who were ever my slave in lie,
should thus triumph over me in death.
Nay, | am the victor as ever, and thus
do forever oblterate what you have so
carefully penned.
He placed the elaborately written doc
uments on the burning coal in the stove
and in moment they were consumed I!
The money he placed in drawer of a
desk of his own, and then wrote few
sheets of fool>cap, full OF what purpnr
ted to have been written by his wife.
This he placed, neatly folded, in the
package; then reseaIing it, he returned
it to its secret hiding place, aud repla
cling oil the articles as he found them,
he locked the desk and threw the key
into the stove.
"Now, Mrs. Wllbank," muttered he,
"you may read all But I'm afraid there
will be far different tale revealed to
you than what my foolish wife intended.
| have managed to throw all the blame
of our unhappy marriage upon herself,
which will go far to further my suit
with the pretty widow. do not think
Richard will ever trouble me again with
his presence if he should do so, shall
settle that little matter with him in a
manner not very agreeable to him. "
Half an hour later the heartless man
announced to his children the death of
their mother, after which he left the
house to summon some of the neigh
bors.
Mrs Harold was laid in the tomb, and
Mrs Wilbank obtained possession OF
the desk Harold falsely told her that
just previous to her death, Mrs. Harold
had made him promise to give it to Mrs
Wilbank, and he did so.
What the widow read in the lines ad
dressed to her by the deceased, (as she
believed) had a tendency to lessen her
esteem for the poor woman and increase
her respect tor the base hypocrite. She
had frequently noticed that Harold cvi.
dently admired her, and her heart was
quite susceptible; nor had she vowed t(
remain widow, dearly as she had loved
her husband.
Months few by, and Harold becam;
a frequent visitor at the house of Mrs
Wilbauk. The gossips winked and whis
percd they knew what would be the
end of all this at least so some of then
said, and doubtless all believed that
wedding was inevitable.
But " time works wonders" is tru,
saying, and, in the present case, it pro
we'd no exception. Harold suddenl,
ceased visiting the widow, and the gos
sips were sorely perple1ed as to the caus'
of it Vain we're their endeavors to as
certain why Joshua Harold quit visit
ing Mrs Wilbank. They made direc
inquiries when indirect ones failed, bu
all to no purpose. The mystery re
mained my stery, though all who con
cerned themselves about the matte
we're positive that the widow, innocen
though she appeared, could unravel i
were she. so inclined.
Mrs. Wilbank kept a small, thougl
well stocked trimming store; Harol,
did the same in fact the two shop
had always displayed an innocent rival
ry, while Mrs. Harold lived, aud sine
the poor woman's death it was whisper
ed that Harold sought the hand of Mrs
Wilbank, solely in order to remove tn
competition, aud by being united to her
the two stores, by combination, woul'
secure the monopoly OF the town.
Possibly such were his thoughts, bu
he was evidently disappointed in bring
ing about such result, and the suspi
cion that the widow rejected him, Wa
made manifest by the fact that in
week or two after he ceased his visit
there he reduced the prices II his good
TO such low figure that he drew ava
! many Of Mrs. Wilbank's customers, an
those who continued to pstrouize he
predicted her utter ruin within a yeal
if Harold persisted in the course he Wa
pursuing
At first rhe widow felt annoyed at tn
fact so pointedly brought to her notice
but, relying on the patronage OF thos
) who viewed Harold's proceedings in til
) right light, she continued to sell he
wares at the usual price.
: However, her custom diminished da
5 ly, aud bankruptcy certainly stared he
in the face, unless she reduced her pr
r ces to a standard with those Of her avOv