The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1871-06-08

words of explanations few questions
freely-would have set all right, and per-
haps saved the life of as good and loving
3 woman as ever lived in the light.
But it was not to be SO !; and [ went
on wilfully binding my eyes to every
thing placing wrong construction upon
every look and word. and making those
true eyes gaze at me again and again in
wonder; whilst Harry Peneliyn, who
had never before shown me such good
will, now that had saved his life, would
have been friends, only | met his every
advance with black scowl, when he al
ways turned off and avoided me.
One evening it had come to the lot of
my boat to run into harbor with the fish
of several other boats fol the takes had
been very light, and somehow or another
[ felt more light and happy than | had
done for weeks. I got ashore, left my
mates tending the mackerel, and ran up
to our cottage to find my wife out.
This did not trouble me at first; but
after few minutes fdgeting about, I
felt flush come in my face. and hurry
ing out, [ made an excuse at Mrs. Pencil
lyn's and got to know that Harry was out
| too.
The hot blood rose from my cheeks to
my forehead, and seemed to blind me,
singing sensation came in my ears but
the next minute | was tearing along the
cove in the dark of the evening, so as
to get away where [ might be alone with
my thoughts, for that vile suspicion that
was struggling with me before had now
conquered and beaten me down, so that
l was it's slave, and for the time a regular
mailman.
had run about half a mile, when /
stopped, painting, and began to walk
slowly along beneat hthe trees close beside
the fern-hung rocky bank, while it was
now too dark to see far before me- But
the next instant was standing with my
breath held, and one hand resting on my
side, for as [ crouched close to the bank
| heard Penellvn's voice, talking earnst-
ly as he passed few yards from me with
his arm tightly clasping woman's waist
while just as they passed they stopped,
and there was light enough for me to see
him bend over her, and their lips met
in long, clinging kiss-a kiss which
sent the mad blood bubbling through my
veins, as, without stopping to think, I
leaped from where [ was hid, and, as the
woman shrieked and fed, [ had Penellyn
by the throat, and we joined in fierce
struggle.
Ii an angel had told me [ was deceived
should not have believed them then in
my blind fury and it was not until, hav-
ing dashed his head against the ground
again and again, felt my enemy's hold
relax, that leaped up. kicked him say
agely. and then ran back
Just as I expected, Mary was at home
looking hot and flushed, but she jumped
up with smile, and hurried to ne say
ing
Il was down at Mrs Trevere's dear
but I heard your boat had come and
-
She stopped short, half frightened by
my wild looks and disordered clothes, and
half by the savage curse | CRASHED out
at her as | seized her by the arms; while
I
as the truth flashed upon her, she was
at the next moment at my feet appeal
ing TO me, uttering VOW after VOW, clasp
ing her hands, and seeming half crazed
with horror while I, poor mad fool,
glared on her. and thought her anguish
was caused by guilt All me that I
could have been such fool-so blind, so
mad-that [ could turn from those true,
appealing eyes, and rush from the place,
meaning never to return, and feeling
savagely glad as [ saw her fall senseless
upon the floor.
Would weeping blood for my folly have
recalled all that, would giving up my
life have crushed it out. I would have
done it a hundred times; but it was
done-it was one of the hard things of
fate, and [ rushed from the room and
village, needless that the girl who had
been Harry Penellyns companion had
spread the alarm that he had been at
tackled, and that he had been brought in
nearly dead. [ knew nothing, saw moth
Ing except my own mad misery, and at
times was wild that [ had not slain the
wife who had lain in my bosom, till some
thing rose up whlssering me Of the past.
| found my way to Bristol, and then
to London, and after time [ learned
from one from my own part that Harry
Penellyn had recovered and was married,
and that my wife was i'll.
[ fought with myself one week-two
weeks-a menth-and then [ went. get
ting taken round the coast in a fishing
boat. | lands3 and went up the slip, on
to the cliff in the dusk of evening, lust
as had walked up year before, and
[ reused myself up to my task. saying [
would go and forgive her, and then see
her no more.
Forgive her! What lad L to forgive?
Had she forgiven me before her eyes clos
ed in that long sleep, and her pure spirit
fed? [ asked myself that again and
again when her mother had led me to
the room [ dared not enter alone, and,
with the few words she had uttered, made
the black veil of mad jealousy drop from
before my eyes.
But 1t was too late--too late-and I