Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-11-16

! ing the husbands consent.
The morning broke cheerlessly
| enough over the cold, sluggish river,
and in it, harsh, unsympathetic light,
/ Barton Marie, after his sleepless night,
! looked dreadfully worn and haggard.
/ But there was a new expression in his
suuken gray eyes, unusually so cold
and saturnine, and his stunted figure
/ drew itself up with proud air of tri-
umph. He had achieved victory over
himself. How hard the struggle had
been before his better nature bore down
the more selfish impulses of his heart,
he alone viii ever know All through
the night he had asked himself over
and over again one questiOn-could he
I hope to retain his wifes love if she
ever saw him as he was, so plain,
/ SO misshapen, Sc utterly beneath all
other meme He knew how shame
/ ful it was for him to weigh his own
/ happiness against Alices; he knew how
/ selfish and hard he was to pause for a
moment in seeking to restore his poor
( dark darling in the light of Gods
/ blessed sun but he could not win the
( victory over himself without a severe
struggle, and he shrank with an mex
H., pressible dread from the trial. She
was the only woman who had ever low
ed him-she the only thing on earth to
which his heart still chung and now
it seemed that he must be content to
see her turn from him with avoidance,
or at least endure him with a contempt
nous pity.
But he had conquered at last In a
few hours the doctor would arrive, and
I ne had resolved to sign the death war.
rant Of his own happiness. So be it,
ne said to himself; let the memory OF
the happiness OF the past years become
for him but the memory Of q pleasant
dream, from which ne had awakened
strengthened aud calmly prepared to
take his place in the battle of life once
more He would return to his old
cherries existence, that would be rem .
dered brighter and more enQurable 10y
the remembrance of Alice. She, too,
would sometimes think kindly on hum,
perhaps though they might never meet
again in life. He was much older than
his wife; in the ordinary course of
events he would die many years before
her; then she would be tree-free to
choose for herself another husband, .
who would be to her all he had pas
sionately yearned to be, and half hoped .
he might become.
The entrance Of the doctor cut short /.
poor Bmton's melancholy thoughts at
this point. 1t is unnecessary to relate F..
in detail the conversation that took
place between them. Marie made a
clean breast of it, and wound up by
urging Doctor Gray to lose not a mo-
meat He was now as eager as he had F..
been before bvt there was a feverish
restlessness in his manner which show /
ed how i'll Mt ease he was.
Il have telegraphed for Alice's |.
mother, said Barton. 81 thought 1t
best that some near and dear relative
should be with her at this trying time.
Every good, " said the doctor; cher
mother will no doubt be very useful. .
But you seem to forget that she will
have you also by her side.
~ SAID Maria, I'm going away
tomorrow, If Mrs. Prescott arrives
then, as | expect she will. -
. Going away 2" echoed the doctor,
incredulously Going where ~
Oh, not far, Gray. be sure of that, "
said Barton, mourniully; "not 50 far
but what [ can receive news hourly of
my poor darling"
But why will You go away at all, at
this time ~ asked the doctor.
''Have You listened to what | told !
Won few minutes since Z" said Marie, /.
tierccly; or must repeat the confession
,ah | n In hrn II
in the event of your attempt being sue /
cessful, rs | now pray 1t may be, that /
| would be the first object upon which /
her eyes would openl No, no, man!
Let me hear that my wife is restored TO |
sight; let me have news of her every /.
hour in the day; but in heavens name,
let me keep away from her.
II understand you, Barton said .
DR. Gray, gently, land [ understand,
too, the morbid sensitiveness which .
dictates the resolve. However, let 1t
be so since you wish it. At least let me
know where you think OF going.
Marie considered for a moment, and T
then mentioned the name of a village (
a short distance up the river.
= 1t will do as well as any other, he |
said. Aud now dood bye, Gray, till [
tomorrow, / would pass the remainder /
of the day alone with Alice. -
Six weeks have elapsed The doc F
tors experiment has been successful, .
and Alice has left the darkened room to /
look forth upon the bright, happy .
world never brighter or happier than
to-day, though winter is scarcely vet .
past. The sun is shining on the broad .
bosom OF the river, and lights it up