The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1871-08-17

horribly. lie showed the doctor
out, and returned to the chamber.
Annie did not look up. Martha the
cook, who was very fond of her
young mistress, was sitting beside
her.
eff you please, Mr.. Dana, I'll stay
with her while you have your tea.
It's already below, Sir"
Annie did not speak, so he went
down and made fOrloan attempt at
meal. How empty the room was
without its queeni how utterly des-
olate! He kept trying to think what
he had said in that wild moment at
the gate. he knew he had called her
by every loving name while he was
bringing her in, but he could not re-
member that she had returned one
kiss, one loving word. She had on
ly said, ''Take care, Robert; it is
broken" and afterward, "Don't
mind, it does not hurt much;" but
her eyes had been averted, and her
voice had repressed tone that he
had never heard in it before. By
and-by he went back, sending Mar
tha away. Annie's eyes were shut,
but he felt sure she was not sleeping.
Her cheeks were flushed /; her breath
ing rapid.
''She is as unhappy as l am"
thought Robert. GLOW can she have
the project repOse the doctor order
ed till we understand each other and
are recOnciled? p? This silence is kill
ing us both. Somebody must speak
first. tits she who is in the wrong,
surely it is and yet why can not |
look at her and believe it? Why do
/ feel myself the guilty one?
lie leaned over his wife and stu
dicdher sweet face eagerly, as these
thoughts agitated him. She felt him
near, and yet how distantl Hot
tears sprang to her closed eyes, hung
ON the thick lashcs, ran over her
burning cheeks, but she dared not
look up. Pride was afraid of giving
away. Robert saw her lip tremble,
her tears fall, and he broke down.
"Oh, Annie, my wife, speak to me!
look at me! l am afraid have been
harsh and cruel to you; but why,
why do you have a secret from
meP"
Wide open, honest, fearless were
her eyes then.
"RObert! Robert it was no harm.
Could you not trust me? But [ will
tell you everything. | never will
have another secret. / hated myself
all the time. But ii was only story,
for surprise and l am so glad
that need not be sly any more ~
And then she burst into such wild
sobblng and crying that Robert was
fairly frightened.
lie had never seen her bcvond her
self-cOntrol before, and, like all usu-
ally quiet and serene persons, her
giving away was entire, and most
distressing. 1t was q long time be-
fore she could tell her story cohe-
rently. In vain Bobcrt begged her to
wait till morning, assuring her that
he was perfectly satisfied She felt
assured that she could not sleep till
every cloud was cleared away; so at
last interrupted by her own tears
OF laughter, by his tender caresses
and self reproachcs-thc whole his
tory of the manuscript, the table, and
letters was told. How the husband
felt, as every link in the chain prov
ed her so tender and true, can not be
described.
Suffice it to say that he, in his turn.
laid bare all his heart before her. and
that upon these hours OF suffering
and confession, of humiliation and
JOY, their mutual confidence and love
were rebuilt upon tried and perfect
ed foundation. The next morning n
reply was mailed to the editors letter.
the innocent cause of the trouble. 1t
contained merely a request for per-
mission to alter the name of Mrs.
SnIlIUpgaJc 81
acquIcsenCe, the cOrresDOnd dcnce
ceased and 'Mrs. Cynthia Sullivan"
was known no more in the literary
world.
a few weeks later, on the evening
before Roberts birthday, his wife
failed to meet him at the door on his
return from the city, but in the par
lor he found her, blushing and ra-
diant, sitting at the dear old chess
table, trying i'll vain to keep the ira
dItIonal look of absorption in her
game. The only drawback to the
correctness of the picture was the
sling in which she was still eblig-
cd TO carry her arm. Perhaps it
was this which sent the rare tears
to her husbands eyes as he kneeled
beside her and held her close to his
| heart.
Thus the quaint old Chinese table
became one of the most cherished of
| their household gods, the companion
| of many coy winter evening, the
| silent preacher to Robert against
all impaticnce and suspicion-tO An
| ME against any cOnccalm ent or dis
! engenOusncss. When February's
magazine was published Annie's
arm was entirely strong again, and
she enjoyed TO the full the Iong-dc-
sired pleasure of hcariug her story
read and praised by the voice dear
CT to her than all the world beside
LfGTpeT''s Weekly.