Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1868-05-28

nav her 10 have an original Idea; in-
Iced. I think she never had but one
rery clear idea Of any description. The
houaht of her whole life had been
'her Willie" Mrs. Rohinspn, elth0ugh /
. weak little woman enough, has had .
,hrious history of her own.
She was an orphan; had married, ct
twenty, William Robinson, sailor oi
the town, and had moved into her pre-
sent home with her husband and an
old uncle with whom she had lived be-
fore her marriage. Two months after
ward young William sailed for India.
The appointed time for his return has
passed, month by month went by, and
still his wife looked for him who never
came. And two years the old uncle
was laid at rest,' and the little woman
was left quite alone.
How she waited and watched--watoh.
ed all through youth, all through mid
die age waited and watchedin vain
through twenty long, long yearsl
In all that time her one thought
when she rose in the morning was of
''Willie;" her last thought as she laid
down at night was of her lost husband.
Nightly, long after we had gone to bed
and she thought me, asleep, her little
figure would steal from the bedroom
and kneel in spot she had often shown
me, where Willie had said his good
bye, and there she would pray, in a
low, soft voice, the words always the
same: ,aMy God, take me home to my
Willie: oh, come and take mel Willie.
my husband, come back and take mel
Aud then she would creep away to her
room as quietly as she came.
By the fireplace stood Willie's arm
chair; out in the pantry was Willies
cup and saucer, carefully, tenderly
washed every day. Over the n1sntel
piece hung Willie's picture-to her
that of beautiful hero; to me, that OF
rather commonplace young man with
blue eyes, light curling hair, large lea
lures and tnrned-up nose. had seen
love, devotion, infatuation, all manner
of mischief brought on through men !;
but never in all my experience had l
encountered such complete merging
of one life into another. To her, Will
lie seemed to be not all this world only,
but all she dreamed of in the world to
come. She did not thinkof him az on
earth, but as in heaven.
The little womau's mind and heart
were study to me. was sitting,
with my hands in my lap thinking her
over, she was knitting, and the click
of the needles diversified by the splash,
lust audible, Of the large, comfortable
tears on her neat black silk, when we
were both started by vigorous swing
of the gate and a heavy step on the
gravel. A moment more and the door
was flung open, and suddenly, with
ont a word or gesture, a.large, weather
beaten, rough. looking man stood, like
an apparation, before us. A long, pur
pie scar, crossing his forehead anc
cheek, gave a sinister expression to one
eye. He stared at US, then gazed abou
the room for some time without speak
ing; at last he fastened his eyes on Mrs
Robinson. She crept behind me an'
whispered, "Please send him away
Miss Jemima; see how he staresl Dear
dear, what o dreadful manT
"What do You wish, sir?" l inquired
boldly enough, I think, although quak
: ing Internally, for he had now transfer
red his eyes to me.
'Does Mrs. Mary Jane Robinson
live here2" The harsh voice made u
both start. ,
"Yes; 1 am Mrs. Robinson" said tn
little woman, retreating further behin'
Ime. Suddenly was seized, chair an'
all, and deposited in the middle of til
= room; the next moment the strange
lifted Mrs. Robinson and gave her
bear.like hug, the little woman strug
Cling and screaming with all her might
I ran to the door, intending to call fo
help; but the words, "Mary, my wife
don't you know meP" struck me dumb
1 turned in amaEement He still he'll
lher in his arms. She had ceased strug
Cling, and was looking at him wit
strange, wild, shining eyes. Was he
mind shaken? Had the shock been to
much for her?
'Let her go; you will kill her."
cried, scarce knowing what ] said.
lie put her down gently, still holdin
her hand. She stood quite still an
! passive, as if frozen, the two fixeG
bright eyes staring from her death
white face. The man looked from on
to the other in frightened way.
, ''Do you think I've frightened he
out OF her wits?" he asked, in an un
, easy whisper, as she stood with he
eyes riveted on his face.
81 dare say you have" I blurte
out, ourtly, as / turned to Mrs. Robin
son. "Mary, my dear, what is it?
taking her passive hands in mine. Sh
made no motion, not even shifting he
eyes. won't you speak to me, Maryi
: The eyes turned on me, and, slippin
her hands from mine, she CROPPED 1
the air like blind person. It was tel
rible to see. ''Mary," l said, despel
ately, sit is your husband come bac
to you"--anything, / thought, to rous
her; won't You speak to him2"
Eyes," said Mr.. Robinson, eagerly
: IT am your husband: don't you kno
me, Mary2 Amt you glad to see mt
my dear2" Thetears stood in hiseye
and although they could not soften th
look of the scared one, still coul
see dina very dim--likeness to th
picture overIthe mantlepiece, and coul
no. longer doubt: his identity. Dee
lines seemed to grow in the little VIC
mans face as he spoke to her: the yer
roundness appeared to fall into shsr
angles, such as long years of sorro
? had failed to produce.
. "Send him away; tell the man to 6
: away. Cannot he go awayG" she sale
q lfpiteously. ''s.i f-'>ss
t 'No, my DEAR" said her HUSBAND
: 81 have come to stay, and 1 though
: you'd be glad to see me-" His roug
] voice trembled little. "See, I've CO
Il : Al "