The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1871-12-22

ter. The great banker, Terhune, short
of funds We always have grand
crush, New Years'--so-I ordered the
cards this morning"
"Do you know, Margaret, your grand
brushes have crushed your husband
body and soul--for New Years., did YOU
say very well, it makes no difference
now"
He seemed wandering, but l recalled
him. I'm glad you've grown rational,
Walter; this morning you talked so diff.
ferent."
"This morning was fool enough to
dream that my wife would be my stay
and comfort. / see my mistake now
all is gone-all-n
grew really anxious. "What is
gone Pr / cried.
:" We are gone to smash. The great
house Of Terhune will be closed in a
few days. Can you understand p
1t was hard to believe | thought it
the frenzy of fever "You are SICK" |
said, "you rave"
"You will see,r he said "this house
will be sold over us; piece by piece of
these treasures will pass into strangers
| hCy viii lcU you Keep your
clothes, madam; comfort yourself with
them ~
"You seem to reproach me-" | an
swered angrily. "Am | to blame for
the failure?''
He looked at me with an expression
of pain. Il might tell you of extrava-
gance, Margaret-of routs and balls-of
jewels fit for princess"
Yes, that is like you men, | an
swered feeling my face grow hot sit
is so sweet to throw the blame on the
weaker side. You have specialized
wildly; it must be so, Walter. 1t is a
sin-an awful crime think of the chill
dren."
I do think of them he MUIR
INJURED. g have thought till my brain
is on fire."
at is monstrous," | cried show
could you venture?-b you did not
think of us. 1t is a sort of insanity, |
believe-that possesses you spectators
"a mental dram-drinking."
Let US forgive one another, Mar
garet," he said, bearing my reproaches
meekly. We have eason.n
But | was too proud and angry-too
stunned by the news | heard--to an
swer. | rushed up to my own room in
storm of rage. l, the fashionable
the courted-the copied-to fall from
my high estate. /, to leave all the
splendor which we had gathered about
us--to 60 in some odious little bye
street to live, perhaps on one floor
with the odor of poor peoples dinners
filling the halls-to be forgotten by my
countless friends ALL | knew the
world well enough for that-yet valued
its tickle friendship. What would life
be worth? | thought only of myself,
and of the children too young yet to
know their loss-my peerless darlings,
to be thrown with common little ONES
to have no advantages! Oh how the
thoughts surged over me, and left me
still wild-despairing, rebellious At
last, | wore myself out pacing the floor
so wildly. How silent it was in the
house-a great hush seemed to fall on
everything. The clock licked madly
on the mantel. 1t was one o'clock, and
| began to wonder vaguely what had
become of Walter.
Angry yet, with no softenipg thought
in my heart-as if he had, with fell pur-
pose. done me a great wrong-I went
down stairs strange, the gas was out. /
opened the parlor-door and called, i'm
patiently, "Walter, do you mean to
stay here all night p
No answer. ! CROPPED my way lit.
tie. There were matches near the man
telpiece. A Dresden shepherdess held
a basketful. I knocked them over in
my blind way, and, STOPPING to pick
them up, touched-oh, my God Ia
dead face-not rigid yet, but clammy
and cold.
did not scream was too paralyzed
for that. wonder how | picked up
the matches and lit the gas with that
shuddering horror shaking me from
head to foot. How | turned to look.
Dead Yes, there he lay-my hus-
band. A CHASTITY cut from ear to ear
had loosed lifes burdens, which he had
found too heavy to bear. remembered
my cold and angry words. had given
him no comfort when he came home
crushed, wild with misfortune. | had
shared his brilliant days. | recalled
how he had lavished all on me, and
had shrank from the days of sorrow-I
who should have been his dearest stay
No wonder death seemed less bitter to
him than life.
sob, Walter-oh, my husband" ]
cried, throwing myself down by him,
and kissing the rigid hands. "Oh
come back---we will be happy, spite OF
all. What is it all to me if l have lost
: you? Oh, God, have pity!''
But those rigid lips made no answer
| to my cry, and God does not open the
gates of Death for mortal prayer, that
: the traveller once departed from that
bourne may return. felt something
in that rigid hand-a scrap of paper
| seized it read, although my brain was
on fire, and the letters swan in white
mist.
: Margaret, my wife," it read, "per-
haps you will forgive me now, and
teach the little ones to think Of me
kindly. l cannot live; / cannot bear
r your reproachesr together with my
r other misfortunes. | am coward tC
escape it all in this way. If you haC
borne up, might have had courage too
We might have stru poled together Bin