The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-02-18
MY HUSBANDS SECOND WIFE.

Nv husband came tenderly to my side.
"Irey you going out this evening love?
.aOf course ! ami"
I looked down complacently at nv dress
of pink Grape, dew-dropped over with cry.
gtal, and the trails of pink aZaleas thai
caught up It's folds here and there. d1a-
nond bracelet eneircled the one white arm,
and a little cross blazed ftfully on my
throat. had never looked better and
felt sort of girlish pride as my eye met
the fairy reflection in the mirror.
Come Gerald, make haste2 Why, you
haven't begun to dress yet?
Where were my wifely instincts, that l
did not see the haggsrd, drawn look IN his
features-the fevered light in his eyes?
81 can't 90 tonight, Madeline am not
well enough"
TYou are never well enough to oblige
me Gerald. 1 am tired of being put off with
such excuses.
He made no answer, but dropped his
head in his hands, on the table before
him.
esOh, come, Gerald" I urged, petulant-
Iy; cit is SO awkward for me to go alone
GlaOdys."
He shook his head listlessly.
II thought, perhaps, you would be vii
ling to remain at home with me Made
line"
"Men are so selfish" said, plaintively;
'sand / am all dressed. Claudia took half
an hour for my hair. l dare say you Will
be ouieter without me-that is, if you are
determined not TO go.
No answer again.
.Wen. if YOU choose to be sullen, 1 can't
help it, said, lightly, as turned and
went out of the room, adjusting my bou-
ouet-holder, the tube-rose and heliotropes
seeming to aistin incense at every motion.
Was / heartless and cruel? Had ceased
to love my husband? From the bottom of
NV heart believed that 1 loved him as
truly and tenderly as ever wife did; but
had been so spoiled and petted all my brief,
selfish life, that the better instincts were,
SO to speak. entombed alive.
went to the party, and had my I'LL OF
adu'ation and homage, as usual Thehours
seemed to glide away, shod with roses, and
it was not until. weaTied with dancing,
sought a MON entary refuge in the half
lighted tea-room, that heard words waken-
ipp me, as it were, from dream.
s'Gerald GlenI'
coula not well be mistaken in the name
it was scarcely commonplace enough for
that. They were talking two or three bu-
siness like looking gentlemen-in the hall
without; and / could catch, now and then,
afugitIve word or phrase.
Fine, enterprising young fellov!-
ssGreat pity!"-''Totally ruined; so Bees
and McMorken saysI'-.'Reckless eXtrava-
gance of his wifei"
All these vague fragments heard; and
then some one said:
HAnd what is he going to do now?"
''What can he do? Poor fellowl am
sorry; but he should have calculated his
income and expenses better"
COR his wife should. Oh. these womenl
they lie at the bottom of all mans trou-
blesr'
And they laughed. Oh, how could theyF
had yet to learn how easy 1t Is, IN this
world, to bear other peoples troubles.
rose hurriedly up, with my heart beat
ing tumultously beneath the pink azaleas,
and went back 10 the lighted saloon. Mr.
Albany Moore was waiting to claim my
hand for the next dance. ''Are you III, Mrs.
Glen2 How paleP'
81 am not very we'll wish you would
have my carriage called, Mr.. Moore"
Fer now thought that home was the
proper place for mel
Hurried by some unaccouHteb bic Impulse,
/ sprang out the moment the carr age
wheels touched the curbstone, and rushed
I'D to nv husbands room. The door was
locked, but could see light shining faint
ly under the threshold. I knocked wildly
and persistently.
"Gerald, dear Gerald! for heavens sake,
let me inr'
Something fell on the marble hearth
stone within, making a metallic click, and
my husband opened the door little way. 1
H., .1ool co mol % hafOra
50 rigid, yet so determined.
'sWho are you p he demanded, wildly.
"Why can not you leave me in peace?"
"It's l, Gerald-your Madeline-your
own little wife"
And caught from his hand the epistol he
was irving to conceal in his breast-its
mate Law on the marble hearth, under the
msntIe-and flung it out Of the window.
'sGerald would you have left mer
81 would have escGped?" be cried, still
half-desirous, to all appearance. Debt.
disgrace misery-her reproaches! Iwould
have escaped them air.
His head fell, like a weary child, on my
shoulder. l drew him gently to sofa, and
smothered him with thousand murmured
yords-a thousand mute caressesi For,
had it not been all my fault!
And through the long weeks of fear that
followed nursed him with unwaveiipg care
and devotion. Ihad but not one thought, one
desire-to redeem myself IN his estimation,
to prove to him that was something more
and higher than the mere butterfly offash-
ion had hitherto shown myself
Well, the March winds had hewled them
selves away in their mountain fastness; the
brilliant April raindrOps were dried on
boueh and spray; and the apple blossoms
were tossing their fragrant pillows of pinky
bloom in the deep blue air Of latter May.
Where are we now?
tt a picturesque little village not tar
from New York, furnished very like mag
nifed playhouse. Gerald sat In cushion
ed easy-chair IN the garden, just where he
could glance through the open window at
me, working husiIy With my needle.
eeWhat an industrious fairy it is" he
said, smiling sadly.
well, you see l like 1t It's great
deal better than those sonatas on the pi-
ano."
ssWho would ever have thought you would
make SO notable housekeeper?"
I Laughed gleefully-I had ehild's de-
ght in being praised.
.Are you not going to Miss Delancys
croquet partyY p hepursued.
mo: what do care for croquet parties2
I'm going to finish your shirts, and you'll
read aloud to me-"