The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-01-29
SrlrttrO TlisteIInuu.
LOVE AND
A story of woman's Devotion.

'4Of course / am,
Hooked down complacently at my dres.
of pink Grape, dew dropped over with crvs
tai aud the trails OF pink ~azaleas that oaughi
mp its folds here and there. 4 diamond
bracelet encircled one rouud white arm, and
a little cross blazoncd ftfully nj my throat.
never looked better, and / felt a sort Of
girlish pride as my eyes met the fairy re-
Election IN the mirror.
"Coue, Gerald, make haste. Why, yo7
havn't begun 10 dress vet
Where were my wiiely instincts that
did not see the haggard, down look in his
features-the fevcred light in his eyes?
81 can't go tonight, M~adolne-I am not
wen enough"
''You are never wen enough to oblige
me, Gemld. ] am tired of being put OF
with such excuses.
He made no answer, but dropped his
head in his hands on the table before him
ooh, come, Gerald, % I urged petulantly.
lit is so awkward for me 10 go alone al,
irdysl"
He shook his read listlessly.
Il thought, perhaps, you would be will
ling to remain at home with me, Made
line"
Men arc sclhshw I said plaintively
'and ! nm all dressed. Claudia took halt
an hour for my hair. / dare say you1l bea
great deal quictcr without me thot is, n
you are determined not to gp.'
M answer aglin.
''Well, il you choosc Ia hc sullcn, /
can't help it, I said lightly, nsI turned
md went ont of the room. adjusting my
bouquet holder, the tube roses and hello
tropes seeming TO iustil incense at every
motion.
Wa heartless aud cruel? Had / ceased
l.. . $50 Nu-. 10 n a. "
my heart, l believe that | loved him as
truly aud tenderly as ever wife did: but /
had been SO spoiled and petted all my btief.
selfish life. hat the better instincts were,
so 10 speak, cntombed alive.
l went 70 the party aud had my fill of
adulation and homage, ns usual The
hours seemed 10 glide away shod with roses
and winged with music and perfume, and It
was not until, wcaried with dancing, /
sought n momentary refuge in the half
lighted tea-room. that ] heard words walk
ening me. as il were, from-a dream.
"Geuld Glenn!"
could not well be mistaken in the name
lit was scarcely commonplace enough for
that. They were talking-two or three
business like looking gentlemen-in the
hall without and l could catch now and
then a fugitive word and phrase.
"Fine enterprising Young fellowr'-
Great pityl-' Totally ruined, so Bees &
McAlorken say!'-"Rockless extravaganza
of his wife,
All these vague fragments / heard; and
then some n said; And what is he GO
ing to do now?"
What can he: Poor fellow lam sony.
but he should have calculated his income
and expenses better
cor his wife should. Oh, these women:
they are nc the bottom Of all a mans trou-
blesr
And they laughed. Oh, how could they?
| had yet TO learn how easy it is in this
world to bear other peoples troublosl
L rose hurriedly mp with my heart beat
ing unanimously beneath the %azaleas, and
went back to the lighted saloon. Mr.. Al
bany Moore was waiting to claim my hand
Tor the next dance!
Are you i'll, Mrs. Glenn? How pale you
lookl'
"I-I am not very well. / wish you would
have my carriage called, Mr.. Moore"
For now fclt that home was the proper
place for me.
Hurried by some unRccountable impulse,
i sprang outthemomontthe carriage wheels
touched the curbstone, aud rushed up TO
my husbands room. The door was lock- |
cd, but l could see a light shining family
under the threshold. knocked wildly and
persistently.
Gerald, dear Gerald for heavens sake,
let me in"
Somethingfel on the marble hearth-stone
within, making n metallic click, and NV hus-
band opened the door IA little way. / had
never seen him looked 10 pale before, or so
rigid, yet so determined.
'"Who are you?" he demanded wildly.
''Why can not you leave me in peaceY'
ut is l, G~erald-your Madeline-your
own little wife"
And l caught from his hand the pistol he
was trying TO conceal in his breast-its
mate lay on the marble hearth, under the
mantel-and 1 flung it ont Of the window.
Gerald, wonld you have left me-;
II would have escaped" he cried, still
half dellrious, TO all appearances. debt
-disglace-misery-h reproachesl ]
would have escaped them air
His head fell, like that Of a weary child,
on my shoulder. 1 drew him gently 10 "a
sofa, and soothed him with a thousand muir
INJURED words-a thousand mute caresses.
For had 1t not been all my fault?
And through all the long weeks of fever
that followed, / nursed him with a
ing care and devotion. L had but one
thought, Que desire, TO redeem myself in
his estimation, 10 prove to him that 1 was
something more and higher than the mere
butterfly Of fashion | had hitherto shown
myself.
Well, the March winds had hOwled them
selves away INTO their mountain i~asteness;
the brilliant April nindrops were dried on
bough and spray, and now the apple bios
SONS were tossing their fragrant pillows of
pinky bloom in the deep blue air Of latter
May.
Where were we now?
IL was a picturesque little villa, not far
out of Pittsburgh, furnished very like a
magnificent baby house. 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, - he said,
smiling sadly.
"Well, you see, L like il. It's agreat deal
better than those sonatas ON the piano
''Who would ever have thought you
would make 80 notable a hOnsekeeper?'
laughed gleefully;I had all a childls de-
light in being praised
''Are you not going 10 Miss Delancey's
crOquet party?' he pursued.
"Ko; what do / care for croquet parties?
I'm going to finish your shirts, and you'll
read aloud to me-