Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1869-01-21

bands room, The door was lock,
- cd, but | could see a light shining
family under the threshold. /
knocked wildly and persistently.
% Gerald, dear Gerald for heay-
ems sake let me in T" r aaf
Something fell on the marble
l. hearthstone within, making a me-
!, tallic click, and my husband opened
4 the door a little way. had never
seen him look so pale before, or 80
rigid, yet so determined.
9 "Who are your" he demanded,
wildly, why cannot you leave
9 me in peace?
$ " 1t is /, Gerald--yeur Madeline
your own little wife" e.
And | caught from his hand the
0 pistol he was trying to conceal in
his breast-its mate lay on the mar.
Bile hearth, under the mantel-and
flung 1t out of the window.
"Gerald would you have left
me ?" aN H .
"Iwould have escaped p he cried,
still half delirous, to all appearan-
ces. Debt-disgrace-mis -misery-Eer
reproaches! Iwould have escaped
them ALL" ..
His head fell, like thet Of a weary
child, on my shoulder l drew him
gently to a sofa, and soothed him
with a thousand murmured words
Ia thousand mute caresses. For
had it not been all my fault?
| And, through all the long weeks /
of fear that followed, nmsed him
with unwayering care and devotion. !
/ / had but one thought, one desire,
TO redeem myself in his estimation, !
to prove to him that l was some
thing more than the mere butterfly I
of fashion / had hitherto shown
myself. ft.l.
Well, the March winds had howl
ed themselves away into their
mountain businesses; the brilliant
April raiudrops were dried on the
bough and spray, and now the ap-
pie blossoms were tossing their
fragrant lbillows of pinly bloom in
the deep blue air of latter may.
Where were we now?
1t was picturesque little villa,
not far out Of Pittsburg, furnished
very like a magnificent playhouse.
Gerald sat in a cushioned easy chair
in the garden, where he could glance
through the open window at me,
working busily with my needle
What an industrious fairy it is"
hegsaid, smiling sadly.
Well, you see, | like it, It's
great deal better than those sonatos
on the piano" F.,
"Who would ever have thought {
you would make so notable ahouse-
keeper?" {
laughed gleefully; l had all
child's delight in being praised.
Are you not gong TO MISS /
Delanceys croquet party Z" he pur-
sued. .b..tsE
. " No; what do care for croquet
parties ? l am going to finish your
shirts, and you'Il read aloud to t
me-" |
"Madeline, I want You to an, t
swer me one question " /
What is it2"a nas X I
, "What have you done with your {
diamonds ?" W '
IL sold them long ago; they q
paid several heavy bills, besides set h
tling, half a years rent here" n
"Bdt, Madeline, you were so |,
proud Of your diamonds. " n
al was once; now they would q
be the bittcrest reproach my eyes y
could meet. Oh, Gerald, had ] been I
less vain, and thoughtless, and ex T
trayagant-" N''
/ checked myself and a robin
in the perfumed depths of
apple blossoms, took up the drop il
ped current Of sound, {
That's right, little redbreas," {
said my husband, half jokingly, il
g talk her down! She has forgot Il
ten that our past is dead and gone, S
and that we have turned over n
new page in the book of existence ! p
do you know how ! feel, l.
when / sit and look at Il
you?rT tlt.''i @'i o
"No!" II
Well, l feel like a widower who a
has married again " b
My heart gave a little supersti- p
tious jump. tt
"Likga a widower who has married Il
again, Gerald ~. a
g Yes, can remember my first Il
w;fe-a brilliant, thoughtless child, a
any idea beyond the arati- p
fcation Of present whims--a spoil II
ed plaything Well, that little Ma "
define has vanished away into the II
past somewhere; she has gone away W
10 return to me no more, and, in 81
her stead, | behold my second wife, K
4 thoughtful, tender woman, whose M
love surrounds me like an a
whose character grows a
more noble, and develops itself o
nto new depth and beauty, every r'
lay!" IN
| was 'kneeling at his side now,
With my check upon his arm, and tr
ny eyes looking into his. III
And which do you love the W
,est, Gerald-the first or the second n,
wife 2" q
II think the trials and vicissi- Sc
udes through which we have pass al
ID are welcome indeed, since they gl
rave brought me, as their harvest a
'ruits, the priceless treasure of my la