Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1868-08-21


say nothing. He has legal right to you, m
: poor girl, and haYe none. Pray, Marga
ret pray, my dearest, that Heaven ma
grant you strength to do your duty. Their
/ If nothing left for either of us except prayer.
] Still she struggled in Robert Nelson grasp
E affirming passionately that she did not belon
to him; that she was not his wife and tina
} she would sooner die than return to his pro
lection.
" Margaret interposed the calm voice o
= John Hartley, ''my wife-ah, no mean IN,
dearest, listen to me, and be brave resistanc
is utterly useless. 1t is we who, though in
nocently, have been in the wrong; it is w
, whose hands are now fettered; and Heaven
who has permitted your husband to return
alive, intends that you shall do your duty to
wards him as You have done it to me-
:" ou don't love me, john she answered
mournfullv; you can't love me as Low,
you, or you would die before you gave me "
so easily"
:. Easily" he repeated, bitterly. " L
this task be easy, Meg, God have mercy OF
those who endure harder ones
I'll have no more of this" said Robert
Nelson, rudely; " I'm sick Of such bosh
Put down that brat and follow me- I'll not
wait another second.
My child must part with my child -
screamed the unhappy woman, as she press
ed the infant closer to her breast. .. 0 John
can he take away my baby Can he force
me to leave that too behind?"
90 And am | to have nothing, Margaret? u
replied John Hartley in a voice Of despair; am
| to lose wife and child at one blow? all the
desire Of my ewes at a stroke? Won't YOU
leave Daisy behind You, as a little comfort
that may prevent my heart from breaking -
She rushed back to him, and put the baby
in his arms
Mine, she whispered, with feycrishly
excited eyes, and gasping tone, " mine and
yOurs,-ours, John,-l give her TO YOU love
her for her wretched mothers sake
=. You shouldn't have taken her anyway. 80
growled Robert Nelson " I'll have no other
mans brat kicking about my premises but
its as well. perhaps, to make virtue Of a
necessity. Now, are you ready?
Then She turned and fell at that hard
mans feet. and embraced his knees with her
hands. as she poured forth her soul IN an en-
treaty that he would give her up.
.-Rohert have pity on me-on us-l shall
never live with John Hartley again shall
leave this dear home, where | have been so
happy but don Il ask ne to return and be
YOUR wife. To remain here would not be
right. but TO return to YOU seems worse. o
Robert, have pity-haye mercy on US both
Listen to my baby wailing for me, and don't
separate me utterly from all that Is So dear ,''
But She might as well have laid her head
against "a stone wall, and implored it TO re-
sFond TO her passionate entreaty.
The only answer which she obtained from
Robert Nelson was harsh lau h at her dis
tre,s. as with grasp of iron on her arm he
dragged her roughly towards the open door
ami she felt that her fate was decided, and
hope, m this world. over Tor her.
d" Husband, God bless You for all the love
You have -howertd upon me ! have been
ungrateiul, John, often inpatient, discon-
tented and careless. but have loved YOU
faithfully throughita all. q, don forget me
now that l am going
Such were her farewell sentences, tranti-
cally uttered. as, hali-dragced and hali-sup-
ported. She was borne through the dark pas
sage towards the outer door.
81 shall never forget You, darling and
we shall meet again-look up, Meg and think
of that
One lackWard glance at hm whom she
had considered as her husband, as be uttered
these last iond words and Margaret, that
cruel sup stlll tNed upon her arm, was hur-
rel ont OF the house into the driving, pitiless
ram.
bareheaded. and otherwise unprotected
from the nclemen' weather, 1t stil never
suuch her as strange remembering Robert
Neislh nTulallty towards her in years gone
by. That hf should choose 90 expose her TO
ne illF oi The elements lhe ram. II any
luIH-' was coming Down harder than II had
done neio'e ln % lew minutes her dress
was clngn5 misert1iy about her wet ankles,
ana Der SHOES were soaked through and yet
the soreness ~ her heart and the great dread
creeping over her OF the man INTO whose pow
er she had agam been thrown, prevented her
thoughts dwelling upon anything bat the two
dear ones she had left IN theold house behind
her, and the hard grasp upon her arm which
seemed o. press mt her flesh like heated
iron.
OnTards be hurried her never relaxing
that unnecessary torture Of restraint never
addressing word TO her OF comfort or atiec-
ton whilst she. walking at her utmost speed
70 keep up with his stride, did not as much
as lllt her eyes 10 the dark. dreaded face
winch She ieit ever ana again L. he regard
ing aer.
She never inquired where be was taking
her. They passed stand after stand of hack
ney cabs. but Robert Nelson did not offer to
put her into one Of them, and she did not
venture to suggest that he should. They
might have been walking to the world = end
together i3r aught she knew or cared. shc
could think ui hUt two thlngs.-her re.-ret
i9r the past, and her fear OF the future
by and, after they had trayersed what had
seemed 10 Margaret miles Of dark and sloppy
layemeuts Robert Nelson, without relaxing
his hold upon her arm. turned suddenly in
another direction, and she found herselfinside
a railway station. \ busy, bustlins station,
where the bells We're ringing, and Passengers
pushing. and plrters calling. and everything