The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-04-28
Tracy's Second Wife.
BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.

Tracy
Frank Tracy laughed and reddene
little as his roommate, Howar
Leigh, carelessly put the question.
"Blushing, eh ?" pursued the latter
with spice of mischievous mailer in hi
voice, ''then of course 1 am to con
clude that you have been in the charm
s ing society of some young lady"
| Your guess is partly right" sal,
Tracy, lightly, "but the lady is yer.
little lady. To tell you the truth,
have been spending the evening a
Mrs. Walton's and playing with tina
charming baby of hers. I never say
such little Hebe in life. Why,
could have sat for hours with that ba
by on my knee!"
''Then 1 am to conclude that sht
neither chewed your cravat ends no.
jerked at your watch chain, to say no
thing of crying?"
''Not bit of it. She's the mos
perfect little piece of flesh and blood !
ever saw in my life if 1 thought she
would grow up half as pretty as she i:
now, upon my life I'd wait for her p
"And what would Leonore Warren
say?"
stAh, what indeed: Pm glad you've
recalled me to loyalty, though Ger.
tainly Leonore can't very well be jeal-
Gus Of my tiny firtations with Mrs.
Walton's pretty baby. Heigho, ]
sometimes think I've mad mistake
In engaging myself to Leonore War
rer. She is as beautiful as an angel,
and yet somehow we don't seen to be
congenial."
Rather late to think about that,
should imagine, when the wedding
day is fixed, and passage taken in the
European steamer for the wedding
tour. By the way, Frank, how long
shall you remain in Europe?
Il can't say, some years I believe.
Leonore thinks a residence in Paris
will be delightful. 1 don't agree with
her but brides, you know, are privi-
legged to have their own way. I'll tell
you what, Howard, the prettiest pink
coral in Naples shall be sent to hang
around the ivory neck of Mrs. Wal
toms baby"
Frank, how fond you are of child
rem"
"You're wrong there, my boy-I
am not fond of children, generally
speaking, but don't know who could
help loving that little brown-eyed
seraph."
Frank took up the newspaper as he
spoke, and the conversation gradually
merged into the all-entrancing subject
of politics, foreign and domestic.
Twenty years have ebbed and flow
ed in the broad channel of time, and
Mr.. and Mrs. Tracy had just taken
possession of their elegant home after
a long residence abroad. 1t was even
ing. The gilded clock ON the mantel
pointed to the hour of seven, the fire
burned clear in the ornamented CRATE,
and the flowers in the several vases on
each side of the chimney-piece were
scarcely brighter in their hues than
the pictured blossoms on the suberb
velvet carpet. Frank Tracy who had
changed from handsome youth into a
tall, stately man of about forty, stood
thoughtfully before the fire, while his
languid, faded-looking wife reclined
on sofa in the lustrous shine of the
glowing chandeliers. There was only
one guest present to break the mono
tony of the conjugal tete-a-tete, and he.
was our old acquaintance Howard
Leigh.
''I do wish, Frank, you wouldn't
keep drumming with your fingers ON
that mantel, it makes me so nervous,
but ofcourse you do not care for that"
exclaimed Mrs. Tracy, petulantly.
u beg your pardon, my love;
was not aware that l was annoying
you."
"Why don't the servant bring up
that chocolate ?' pursued Mrs. Tracy
her eyebrows.
"Shall l ring and enquire Z"
"No, it isn't worth while. If we
had only remained in la belle Paris,
where the servants understood their
business"
"Then you preferred Paris as re-
sidence," said Leigh.
80, by all means, but Frank never
could be centented there. 1t is the
most absured whim of his, returning
to America ~
"You forget, Leonore, and Frank |
gravely, "that America is
nome"
Mrs. Tracy tossed her head and |
tosk refuge in bottle of smelling
;alts. Her husband turned carelessly
% Leigh and resumed the conversa-
ion that her petulance had disturb
ID.
81 haven't asked yet whether my
I'D acquaiutances, the Waltons, are
living or dead. You have not forget
.en my penchant for the beautiful ba-
oy."
"Oh, the Waltons disappeared long
lgo from the current of New York
life. He failed, or something-and
blew his boains out, I believe. She
lied of broken heart, La Belle was
;ent, understood, to an orphan asy-
um, where she has already sprouted
Up into a gawky, red-haired woman"
Tracy was silent a moment contem-
,lating upon the sad facility with
which people slip from the cares and
Of their friends in the Whirl
# large cities.
All at once the door was thrown
pen, and two or three rosy little child
en- bounded into the room, with long
Inning curls hanging on their white
and eyes all in a sparkle
With infantine meriment.
s.Dont come near me, you noisy
title monsters I" lisped Leonore, waiv-