The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1869-11-26
THE FoReER's WIFE.

and mingled With weird echo to The
sound Of the rushing tide ss it cams
from the river. Out into the dark
ness came, too, & wAii-low, sad, de-
spairing. It Was not the echo Of pas
siOnate grief, bat as ( the heart cried
out in cruel pain At its sense ofhops
bereft and life made desoIate. It Wss
such = cry as sometimes breaks above
the cOfiu-lid, or mingles with the
rafting clods when love and life have
parted.
It was q low, ruinous room. III
kept and damp. The spide wOYe
bis web on the bare walls, and the
glare Of the lightning flashed through
the sbattsElsss windows. There MAS
a pile Of straw on the frslsss hearth
and . cradle beside it. Bat il vas
not this that made the salttosre come
into my eyes. The lips Of the moth
sr pressed ike Al augsl's Oaress the
brow Of the child, and thar cried oui
il agony.
"You must Dot grievs 50, I SAID
aud attempted to lift her up. "There
is yet hope that he may escape; eli
is not lost yet.'
But she needed me not, and the
passionate grief went on. I felt .
sympathy for this youag creature I
could not control. I had arrested
her husband on 3 charge Of forgery.
Mr.. - was then conveying him
to prison.
A few days before, a check for
several hundred dollars had Der
passed and the money reali2~ he :
was subsequently ascertainsdl the
been 5 forgery. We had adFsis
usual means Of discovery
patiently for the torger % aenee
spending the money. Prom the de-
scripsion given : thought him
some reckless whose extrava-
ganoe would he means of his de-
lection. q so. Days went by,
and We ould get no clue to his
where's. outs. By some means, it is
not now necessary to relate, my sus-
picions fell upon young man had
frequently seen upon the streets, new
sr apparently doing anything, but
ever SIeking employment. There
was a wild. frightened look about his
face that might have been caused by
crime, and yet be despair. At all
events, he answered the description,
and the night have described. I had
followed him home and there arrest
ed him. As soon as 1 entered the
door, bis face turned pale and an sx-
preston of bitter anguish swept over
his eountenance. 1 do not know
why, but before = single word was
spoken, my heart felt a reluctance I
could not account for in making the
arrest. "YOu are my prisoner.
81 know it," he said; and turning
around he placed a pocket-bOOk in
my hand, with the remark:
"Hsre is the money"
"Why do you do this'" I said
"YOu are crimiuating yourself"
"I know it, but it is some repara-
ton for the crime I have committed,
and make it. I could not use the
money after I obtained it"
His wife stood BY pallid with fear,
and her great blue eyes looking es-
gsriy frst into my face then into his.
"oh! what has be done? It csnnot
be crime, sir he would not do wron 2!
be would not do wrong !" Aud she
flung back the long hair from her
head and clung to her husband as il
shielding him from some great peril,
she knew not what, yet feared, me-
naced him.
eyes, Mary. I am guilty Ofa crime;
but God only, and yOu. know my
temptation. We we're penniIsss, sir,
my wife and I; and our little one
cried for bread. I sought work day
and night, but found it not could
have perished with hunger, but
could not see them die Aud the
mans strong frame shook like g
chiid's.
It did not take me long to learn
that they had come to the city many
weeks before from q distant Ststs.-
Educated and refined, they had been
reared in luxury, and knew not the
poverty that so suddenly and over
whelmiUgly besst them. Finally
dissensiOn springing from their mar
riags had exilsd them from home and
friends, and this was the result
Still had no alternative, and val
compelled to arrest him. It wsi
then, ss Mr.. r. led her husband
away, that the bitter grief broke out
che has returned the money"
said. alt is pOssibis shey may no
prosecute him. Then all will b
we'll"
"But he did it, sir. he did it. Mr.