Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-02-17
MY HUSBANDS SECOND WIFE.

MY HUSBANDS SECOND WIFE.
NV husband came tenderly to my side.
"Are you going out this evening love?
.'Of course amr'
looked down complacently at my dress
of pink Grape, dew-dropped over with cry
stall, and the trails of pink azaleas that
caught mp iss folds here and there. A dia-
mond bracelet encircled the one white arm,
and little cross blazed ftfully on my
throat. had never looked better and l
felt sort of girlish pride as my eye met
the fairy reflection in the minor.
Come Gerald. make haste? Why, you
haven't begun to dress yetr'
Where were my wifely instincts, that /
did not see the haggard, drawn look in his
featurs s-the fevered light in his eyes?
81 can't go tonight, Madeline am not
well enough"
'.You are never well enough to oblige
me Gerald. / 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.
ION, come, Gerald" / urged, petulant-
ly; '.it is so awkward for me to 60 alone
alsoays."
He shook his head listlessly.
Il thought, perhaps. you would be viii
ling to remain at home with me Made
line"
Men are so selfish, / said. plaintively; !;
''and am all dressed. Claudia took half
an hour for my hair. l dare say you will
be qrieter without me that is, if you are
determined not to CO."
No answer again.
well, if you choose to be sullen. I can't
- : ,-If
went out of the room, adjusting my bou-
quet-holder, the tube-rose and heliotropes
seeming to 6istill incense at every motion.
Was l heartless and crueR Had ceased
to love my husband? From the bottom of
my heart believed that / 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,
90 to speak. entombed alive.
Iwent to the party, and had my fill of
adu'ation and homage, as usual The hours
seemed to glide away, shod with roses, and
it was not until. wearied with dancing,
sought a mon entary refuge in the half
lighted tea-room, that heard words waken-
ing me, as it were, from dream.
"Gerald Glenr'
could 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,
afugitlve word or phrase
Fine, enterprising young fellovr'-
"Great pityI'-"Totally ruined; so Bees
and McMorken saysr Reckless extrava-
gance of his wifer'
ALI these vague fragments heard; and
then some one said:
s.And what Is he going to do nowT
"what can he do? Poor fellowi / am
sorry; but he should have calculated mis-
income and expenses better"
'-Or his wife should. Oh. these womanl
they lie at the bottom of all mans trou-
blesr'
And they laughed. Oh, how could they2
had yet 20 learn how easy it is, in this
world, to bear other peoples troubles.
rose burriedly up, with my heart beat
ing tumultously beneath the pink azaleas,
and went back to the lighted saloon Mr.
Albany Moore was waiting to claim my
hand for the next dance. "Are you i'll, Mrs.
Glen? How paler'
81 Il am not very well. wish you would
have my carriage called, Mr.. Moore"
For now 1 thought that home was the
proper place for mel
Hurried by some unaccountable impulse,
/ sprang out the moment the carnage
wheels touched the curbstone, and rushed
up to nv husbands room. The door was
locked, but could see q light shining faint
ly under the threshold. / knocked wildly
and persistently.
Gerald, dear Geraldl for heavens sake,
let me inp
Something fell on the marble hearth
stone within, making a metallic click, and
my husband opened the door little way.
had never seen him look SO pale before or
30 rigid, yet so determined.
s'Who are you p he demanded, wildly.
why can not you leave me in peace?
''It's /, Gerald-your Msdeline-your
own little wife,"
And caught from his hand the pistol he
was trying to conceal in his breast-its
mate lay on the marble hearth, under the
msntle-and hupg it out of the window.
Gerald wouid you have left me?"
81 would have escaped" be cried. still
half-desirous, TO al appearance. Debt
disgrace misery-her reproachesl would
have escaped them allr'
His head fell, like q weary child, on my
shoulder. / drew him gently to a sofa, and
smothered him with a thousand murmured
Words thousand mute caressesl For,
had it not been all my fault
And through the long weeks of fear that
followed nursed him with unwaveiing care
and devotion. had 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 bad hitherto shown myself
Well, the March winds had kewled them
selves away in their mountain fastness; the
brilliant April raindrops were dried on
bough 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?
It is picturesque little village not fal
from New York, furnished very like q mag
niied playhouse. Gerald sat in cushion
ed easy-chair in The garden. just where he
could glance through the open window al
me, working busily with my needle.
ssWhat an industrious fairy it isr' be
said. smiling sadly.
well, you see like it. It's q great
deal better than those sonatas on the ri.
ano."
"Who would ever have thought you would
make so notable housekeeper?'~
laughed eleefully-I had q child's de-
eht in being praised.
Are you not going to Miss Delaney
croquet party ?" hepursued.
No; what do care for croquet partiesi
I'm going to fnish your shirts, and you'll
read aloud to me-"