The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1869-12-02

I
- ] was as handsome once, 100.
." You're not Ill to look at now
laughed father, only that you lock
J TO be in trouble. Have you got friends
! In these parts?'
"She looked at him steadily.
So Yes-I have got a frieBd-at
least he should be friend with
short laugh. am in search of one
Harry Dartmouth. Do you know
such MANI
At the sound of that name a dead
silence fell upon US all. Father
grew as white as paper, and [ did not
dare to look at Barbara. 1t was she
that broke the silence. She stood
up before the woman and l heard
her say-it was in such a voice:
"'TeIl me-pray, tell me true
what is Harry Dartmouth to yoUP
'"What is he to me2 cried the
woman. sharply. Why, he's my hus-
band and my boys father. Has he
b en- up to his old tricks2 I dare
saw But see here This is ny we'd
ding ring, and here's my certificate.
o yes I've got him fast aud close;'
and she laughed.
: crept up, and sure enough there
il was in black and white-the mar
riage of Harry Dartmouth and Laura
Mendon.
There was a pitilul, terrible cry,
and Barbara slipped to the floor In a
swOOn. All me This was the trouble
/ had been looking for. | didn't
know tnera was more to come.
Father was in fury. He carried
49,
aud told the Squire if he knew what
was good for young Dartmouth not to
let him come within sight OF the
house. He didn't. We never saw
his black horse and handsome
figure afterwards. But we had
our darling still, only her heart
was quietly breaking. She made no
moan-she never mentioned his name.
But she just dropped and dropped.
Richard came home.
"Who knows but her heart will be
turned to me now?' he said; and he
surrounded her with all sorts Of Low
ing attentions, and she took them ali
In the same sweet, passive way.
20 that winter! IL is pitiiul to go
over. 1t is enough 10 have lived it
once. March came, and one day
Richard came TO me with looks wild
with delight.
She says she will be my wife.
Mother, Barbara says she will marry
me!
:" 1t was such a shock, but it made
me hope. went to Ter, aud she fell
crying into my arms.
. am not good enough am not
good enough, she sobbed.
But / told her of has great love,
aud blessed her for giving herself to
him, aud told her that her sorrows
would fade away when once she was
ny Richards wife. And all the time
| could not see. | never guessed.
Well, Richard was wild to be mar
ried that Spring, and he began to get
out timber, and he hewed stone for
the underpinning of the house that
was never to be a home. You see now
why father can't bear to look at your
picture Nr. Paul. April came on,
mild - sweet. The Spring cane
early IN Green Valley that year, and [
was glad Barbara could be out, and
| fancied it would do her good. One
afternoon l missed her long time,
aud went to meet her. |
remember / was thinking how
couriously Mrs. Saxon looked the
last Sunday, when she inquired
for Barbara, and l wondered what
that and some other odd looks could
mean. And so thinking | wandered
down to the bank of the river. There
was tangle Of alder and clematis,
and just near il stopped. for / heard
voices. At first [ thought it was the
children, and then thought, j don /
know what, for | found It was Bar
bara, aud she was sobbing and plead
ing with sOmebody-and when heard
the other voice it was Harry Dart
mouths.
20 Harry she cried, "take me
away l cannot bear it. | cannot be
worse than | ana cheat and hypo-
critel y Harry, pity me
don't know how | got back
home. Those words were in my cars.
My sons betrothed wife praying to
another man TO take her away.
was dazed, bewildered. and before l
came to myself Barbara came in.
Mo;herl' she cried. What has
) "She stood in the full afternoon
light, aud all at once it flashed across
me. D, what blind fool [ had been
[ knew now what the old looks iuu.
endoes meant. l knew my sweet
lamb could never hold up her head
, among innocent girls again, aud
knew my Richards heart was broken
, g Barbara. Barbaral | Grid. e
, my child, how could you be so cruel
10 usi'
Il thank God, Mr.. Paul, that wai
the only hard word l ever spoke tt
} her. Irepented that instantly, wher
I | saw all the light go out of he
t young lace. L threw my arms around
& her.
! My darling, forgive me-
? She sank so5bing on her knees
She hid her face on my lap, ant
) shook like leaf But her face wa
/ white and fearless when she raiset
' it up.
b fore God, mother, l thought
. was bis lawful vile. The minister a
. Aliendale married US. l did no
, know | was to be a mother. | neve
/ thought 30 wrong Richerd-I neve
e meant TO bring shame upon him Blu
! he pleaded so-and IL was so mis-
E cradle = could not bear to break al
your hesrts-and l thought no on
e could ever know, aud l would hav
tried so hard to make Richard happy
: she said, brokenly And then some
J. thing stirred behind US. She locke,
around aud cried out, aud hid lie
G face again.
6 1t was Richard, and l knew b
his looks that he had heard all. All
@ Dir. Paul, you would have pitied him
4 You might think the worst wa
over. But trouble upon trouble came
: | Rnrhara ~ rinh INTO A.a4L