The evening Argus., 1870-08-06
ENOCH ARDEN REPEATED.


Twenty years ago, young couple were
married in q rural district in the southern
part of Ohio, and after having passed few
months of welded bliss the husband bad
the young wife sdieu and started IN quest OF
a fortune among the distant gold regions OF
California. California was great way Oft
twenty wears ago. When the day of parting
came, many were the pledges of love and
constancy given and received, and also
promises on the part of each that q regular
correspondence should be kept up Inc
Young husband was faithful to his WORD,
and each month brought missive 70 tue
expeotant little wife in Ohio, and she IN turn,
obasred his lonely hours with only suoh
,.,,ers as a confding wife can write.
Two years had now passed away, and
cloud began to gather over the young wife's
dreams The bright sky in the future to
ward which she had 30 often gazed was
becoming .obscured, and little of the
sprightliness which had followed her foot.
steps began to desert her. 1t was whispered
around by the village gossip that she no
longer received letters from her husband,
though no words of hers betrayed the cruel
neglect. The grief was her own and no one
should be sharer. Time wore on, but no
word came from the truant husband to cheer
the lonely one who mourned him as dead
Finally she was induced by friends to
come west, and having settled near our own
city of Rock Island, the old sorrow began to
disappear, and in its stead appeared life
young and vigorous as in the days of her
eirlhood.
1t had now been over ten years since the
parting at the hillside cottage in Ohio, when
a new character appeared upon the stage.
He formed the acquaintance of our heroine,
was fsvorsby impressed, and straightway
proposed. She reciprocated the attachment,
5lushingly confessed that he, was all she
could desire for husband; but barrier-s
serious one-forces itself upon her mind. 1t
is possible that she may have a husband
living.
The facts of her first love and marriage
are then recounted the parting, the inter
change CT loving lines, the death or deser
ton, she is panied to know which. Her ad
mirer was obstinate in pressing his suit. He
portrsys the probabilities-nay, certaiuties
- of death By starvation, or by the merciless
somahawk. She is finally convinced of his
probable fate, and upon conditions that 6
| i IL -
cured, the marriage VOWS were to be taken.
bill from the former husband, "desd or
alive was at last placed into the hands OF
the dutiful chats Popes sdjeotive) wife,
and their union was contaminated. Unfor
,unately it proved an unhappy one. The
| husband was neglectful, often abusive, which
to avoid she passed much time at the house
| of a sister on B street 1t was while
here that she one day recently arose TO at
attend call at the door bell. On opening
the door she was confronted by a portly
bespoke ease and contentment. In an al
most forgotten voice. he called her by name
and asked if she remembered him. The
truth flashes upon her in an instant, and In
the person before her she recognizes the
husband of twenty years ago.
Love laughs at locksmiths," they say,
and in this instance there ere reasons for
believing that neither the law nor husband
No. 2 were more fortunate in obtaining due
respect from Master Cupid than are
| ocksmi:hs IN general. 1t was futile to hope
| for 9 second divorce, and reports say that
after few weeks of courtshlp and g renew
ing of the old love under the sisters roof, il
WAS finally arranged that husband No.
should go to Ohio, and that in the course
Of few weeks, she who had played ''li.tle
wife to both" should follow him thither
She had firmly resolved not to trouble the
| ,sw courts, let the consequence be what i
might. Nor was he particularly nice OF
this point, well knowing the difficulties o
obtaining second divorce.
Here the matter rested. The first husband
has gone to Ohio, and she is busily engaged
IN gathered together what of earthly goods
she possesses, preparatory to joining hin
among the scenes of their early life. Mean
time husband No. bushes himself in trying
! to retain what of household effects the wife
claims. The affair has createa no little
gossip among the denizens in that part Of
the city, manytof whom will have little diff
Guilty in placing these characters where they
be ong. She is vet in the city-not more
than block from where these lines are
being penned, and if the curiously oonstitu,
ted are laboring under the impression ths
VIC are prompted by desire to "msnufac-
ture' sensation, they have but to institute
inquiries to satisfy themselves of the truth
of what is here hurriedly sketched. 1t il
nothing more than a tale of rea life. right
here in our midst. That there are many as
curious we well know, only they do not al
come to the ears of the world-and perhaps
it is we'll they do not.
| ALMOST SERIOUS ACCIDENT.-This
morning the little child of Mr.. Hardy fell
| into that unsightIy hole on Broadw way street