Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-11-30

the stroke of twelve, she finished the
last sheet. Her head throbbed, and
a hectic bloom flushed her warm
cheeks. She pushed! aside the grave
documents, and arose with sobbing
sigh. The fire was nearly out, and
the hall beat against the windows
with fierce, sharp sound, She press
ed her. face against the glass, and
looked out. The storm and darkness
were terrible. She could hear the
roar Of the winds9 and the mad rush
of the swoollenl streams. A sudden
fear pierced her heart like a knife,
and She uttered a cry of agony.
Midway between the cottage and
the village tavern ran a wild, brawl-
ing stream, sptanned by slender,
unsafe bridge. Over that bridge,
with athe turbidI waters raging be-
meath him, her husbands unsteady
| feet must walk that night, ere he
could reach his home. For one mo-
merit sbe> stood white. and faint, as
the terrible possibility rose before her,
and then she turned her blue eyes
strong and steadfast.
She stirred the dying fire, tucked
eup the! babies,la descended ito the
kitchen, awakened the little maid =
1hf ." Go up stairs, Kitty" she said, as
she put. on q heavy. shawl, "and take
good care SoEthe Cchildren till I re
turn, and you shalt have an extra
dollar rthissmonth: =----------==--,--,.-.--
Kitty being a discreet girl; obey
ed, and asked no questions Out into
the midnight storm and darkness the
young wife went; down. the ssodden
meadow path, and into the highway
that led to the village tavern. The
winds beat her back and the sleet
and rain almost tooksaYaysher breath,
|ibut she struggledeo1f swift 2and
resolute feet. her blue eyes straining
into the gloom before her, full of pite-
GUS expectation. .b4a a4ot!a h ias
7 She reached the stream, and found
Fit swollen to the very brink the'lit-
I tie swaying bridge looking like a pale
shadow in the darkness. But she did
not pause an instant. She went over
with the step of an antelope, pray
ing Heaven that she might not be too
late.
A CLEAN of light blazed from the
iswindows of the tavern, and she could
catch, when the wind lulled, the sound
of music and revelry, She drew
near, with timiid steps and burning
cheeks, and not daring to confront
the bold eyes that would,grsether en-
trance, she c-ept round to a rear win
dow, and looked in. ~ 9 nj
Y She could see the bar-room, with
its rows Of glasses and decanters, and
a little beyond, a circle ofgambling,
boards surrounded by groups Of dark!
faced men. In the very midst Of
these, his face white and desperate,
stood her husband. He held glass
III one hand and. a diee-bex in the
other, and was singing fragment OF
a bacchanalian song. The woman
who bore his name, and was the
mother Of his children, gazed upon
him with feeling of terrified h ror.
Was that besotted, degraded man the
husband she had loved SO fondly {?
For an instant she shivered with dis
gust, but with the next breath, the
hot tears overhowed- her eyes, Her
woman's S heart was true, her womanss
love strong and deathless.
"Poor Tom," she sobbed, chow
wretched he looks if he would only
come out"
The sharp rattle Of dice reached
her ear, and the next moment she
saw her husband fling glass and box
from him, with bitter cry.
"Im lost, ruined" he cried :; Z" the
very roof that shelters my wife and
children is gone. There's nothing
left but death. .7 -
He snatched up a revolver that
Law on the table, but before he could
turn, some one struck it from his
hand; and then he rushed from the
room, and out into the stormy night,
like one insane.
Swift as thought, his wife followed
him down the street out into the vii
lage highway. On the brink Of the
mad stream he paused, throwing up
his arms, and crying out in his lren:,.
zy and remorse:
Ruined lost" he cried, "my
wife and children left beggars. Great
Heaven forgive me y
ThenShe plunged forward to make
the mad leap that would end alike
his life and his misery, but grasp
like steel held him back. He turn
ed sharply and faced his wife.
"Ohl Tom,p she cried, "what are
you going to do.?, For Heaven 9 sake,
for our children's sake, come home. .
But he threw her off almost an
igrily,
"This is no place for you, Lizzie, .
he cried, half sobercd by the sig ht Of
her white face; "go home and leave
me. I'm tormented enough without
your reproaches. "
- But her fond arms clasped him
again, and clung to him ,il
9"I haven't come to reproach' you,
Tom she sobbed, =" but to save you,
to love you. Heaven sent me, Tom,
Oh, my husband, if you knew how
I love yolul, you wouldn't make me
The nan ms Hard, desperate face be-
'iH | didn't mean it, Lizzie" he said,
trying to qi@ssngage her +, clasping i 2g arms :,
"but it's,done .nowMit' sltoo Late IL
"Never too late, Tom, while hold
you in my arms thus. I shall save
you, darling, because my love is
stronger than your besetting sin: -