The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1868-06-13

Saturday evening, as she brushed her glossy
golden hair with the shining bands he best liked,
and put ON his favorite blue muslin dress with u
long turquoise pin in the blue ribbons that set
off the transparent whiteness of her throat. "Oh,
il seems an age since saw him last"
But instead Of her husbands presence, the up
train, from New York, brought only note, hur-
ried and brief:
business is too pressing Love to the children
C. L."
The note fell from Alice's fnger's-a sickening
sensation came over her heart
"And had watched for him SO anxiouslv-
Oh can it be possible that he has ceased to love
me ? me, who gave up everything for his sake y
On Monday, a letter from DR.. Carson was
brought Mrs. Lynda letter enclosing letter
to her husband.
'Please give this to Mr.. Lynde," wrote the
doctor; II was at his office twice on Saturday
afternoon trying to find him, but the doors were
| closed, and the clerk told me that he had gone
into the country. Tell him he is a lazy fellow
to neglect his business SO, when his business is
making him rich 50 fast"
Alice Lynde read the words three times over
before she fairly took in their whole meaning.
''He has deceived me-" she thought. at was
not the convenient plea of business that kept him
away from mel Oh, Charles, Charles! and has
| it come to Mts?'
She sat down claspng the letter in her uncon-
scious hand, and gazed vacantly out upon the
sunny landscape that lay before her.
'If it were not for the children--if it were not
for my little ones, would GO away and never
look upon his face more! He loves me no longer
the affection I so blindly deemed my own is
transferred to some other object-and why should
| care what becomes of me? Only-the
children
And as blue eyed Garry ran up to her to ask
some trihing question, Mrs Lynde drew the
child closer to her heart and burst into tears.
Mamma" exclaimed the astonished little
girl, 'why do you cry? Are you sick, man.
ma 7"
, Sick yes" s0bbed poor Alice 81 am sick at
And the plentiful shower of tears helped to
relieve her ovsrcharged heart
81 will endure it for the sake of these little
ones; / will suffer on, and try to be silent"
thought poor Alice, pressing both hands over her
aching bosom.
The next week Mr.. Lynde was to come to bring
his family home. Alice looked forward to the
day with sick anticpation-a shrinking ex-
pectation. She longed for the hour of their meet
ing, and yet she dreaded it.
In this nervous state of excitement she came
to the door, leading little Lucy, as the carriage
wheels grated over the stony country road and
stopped in front of the old-fashoned portico
But Charles was not there-only the driver
who touched his hat with an awkward attempt
at politeness as he descended from the box.
"1f you please, ma'am, Mr.. Lynde couldn't
come--but he'll be there to meet YOU
More neglect! Alice answered not word,
but the hands with which she tied the blue rib
bons of Lucy's hat trembled sorely, and her lip
would culver, in spite of the resoute little white
teeth that held it DOWN.
The little ones laughed and chatted and play
ed in the carriage as it rolled along, exclaimng
loudly at the various objects on the road, but
Alice leaned back IN the corner, pale and SILENT
seeing nothing but the fantastic VISIONS of her
own fcvered mind Once or twice the idea cross
ed her brain that the journey was rather longer
than she expected but she did not reason at all
on the subject, relapsing at once into her painful
reflections. .
"Mamma oh, mamma what pretty place p
chorused the three children at once. There's a
tall white statue back of those fir trees and q
fountain all sparkling like diamonds, and oh,
mamma, such beautiful beds of fowers!'
Alice, reused from her thoughts for the instant,
leaned forward and gazed out of the window
Surely there was something familiar about
those green terraces with their flights of marble
steps, in the Doric columns of the majestic stone
piazza, before which the carriage suddenly came
to halt.
Gam dreaming" she thought looking vague.
ly around her, cor is this really Beech Grove p"
She went up the steps, feeling as if she were NOV.
ing through the uncertain fantasies of a dream.
But in the vestibule stood reality itself, in the
shape of her husband, with face of bright, en-
raptured happiness!
my dearest wife," he murmured, folding her
tenderly in his arms, 'the time has come for me
to restore to you what you gave up so cheerfully
for my sake years ago. Welcome once again to
your home, Alioe!"
"Home" she repeated. gazing up into his eyes,
as if she scarcely credited the evidence of her
own senses
"Yes, home indeed! have purchased Beech
Grove, Alice, and furnished it just to suit your
taste! My cherished little wife, am rewarded
now for years Of economy-the extra work-the
self-denial which have been obliged to prac-
tice!" ..r.s ...t ..,-s-
"Charles," she whispered, growing scarlet and
pale alternately, "was it this that kept you away
from me that occassioned your absence last
week 7"
81 was determined to bring you here, Alice,
when / took you away from that cramped little
farmhouse There have been countless delays
-innumerable difiiculties-but have conquered
them all! Welcome to your home, my precious
WIFE"
And as he took her once more to his heart -
AlicesLynde's happiness was mingled with the
keenest pangs IF rcmorse she had ever known!
Sitting in the handsome familiar rooms that
evening, with the moonlight streaming through
the stained glass windows, her children alseep
upstairs in the nursery that had once been hers,
and Charles beside her. Alice vowed to herself
the best resolution wife can make-nevcr, never
again TO lei the least shadow come between her.
self and her husbands loye!
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