The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1872-10-10

tidy Martha had been his pride; an
though not a demOnstrative husband
,, he had bOasted sometimes of the mod
I el housewife that kept his home i
: order.
But underneath her quiet exterio
there was a story that John neYe
dreamed of, and would have believe
is impossible had he been told. Sh
did not marry for love. When sh
was nineteen, a rosy, happy girl,
stranger came on visit to their vii
lage, and that summer was tn
brightest and happiest she ever knew
Paul Gardner was the stranger
name; he was an artist, and fell il
love with the simple village girl ant
won her heart; and when he wen
away in the autumn they were be
trothed.
''I'll come again in the Spring." b,
said. Trust me, and wait for me
Matte dear"
She promised to love and wait fol
him till the end of time, if need be
land With a kiss on her quivering lips
he vent away.
Matte Gray did not tell her father
/ and mother of her love, for they haC
@QO liking for London folks, and haC
treated Paul none too Hospitality
when he had ventured inside theil
4 home.
Spring time came, and true to his
word, Paul returned; he stayed only a
day or two this time.
II am going away in a few weeks
to Italy, 10 study, he said. II shall
be two years, and then L shall come
and claim you for my bride.D
/ They renewed their vows and part
ed with tears and tender, loving
words; he put tiny ring upon hel
! finger, and cut a little curly tress from
her brown hair; and telling her al
ways to be true, and wait for him, he
went away.
The months went by, and Matte
was trying to make the time seem
short by studying to improve herself
so that she might be worthy of her
lover when he should come back to
make her his wife.
SIT must be about the time he is to
start" she said to herself one day.
And by and by as she glanced over
a newspaper, her eyes were attracted
by his name, and with white lips and
dilated eyes she read of his marriage
to another.
Married! Taken another bride, in
stead of coming back to marry me
Oh, Paul, Paul! L loved and trusted
yes. for, ,.this!n
She covered her face with her
hands, and wept bitterly. An hour
afterward, as she sat there in the twi-
light, with the fatal newspaper on her
lap, she heard step on the gravel
walk and looking up she saw John
Phillips coming up the steps. He had
been TO see her often before, but had
never yet spoken of love, and had of
course received no encouragement to
do so. He was plain, hard-wOrking
farmer, with no romance about him,
but matter-Of-fact to the core. His
wife would get few caresses or tender
words. He would be kind enough
give her plenty to eat and and wear
but that was all.
Now he seemed to have come for
the express purpose of asking her 20 be
his wife; for he took a chair and seat
ed himself beside her, and after the
usual greeting, reserving scarcely a
moment to take breath, began, IN his
business-like way, to converse. There
was no confession of love, no plead
ing, no hand-clasping, no tender glan-
ees; he simply wanted her would she
be his wife? His manner was hearty
enough; there was no doubt he really
wanted her-wOuld rather marry her
than any other woman he knew; but
that was all.
Her lips moved to tell him she did
not love him; but as she let fall her
eyes from the crimson-hearted rose
that swung from the vine over the
window, she caught sight of those few
lines again.
- "Married?" she said to herself.
What can 1 do? He doesn't ask me
to love him. III marry him, 1 can
be true wife to him, and nobody
will know that Paul has Tilted me-"
The decision was made. Her
cheeks were ashy pale as she looked
up straight into his eyes and answer
ed. "Yes, Yes, l will be your wife,
Her parents were pleased that she
was chosen by so well-to-do a young
man so it was all settled and they
were married the same summer. Peo-
pie thought she sObered down won
derfully; more than that, nothing
was said that would lead any one to
suppose that any change had taken
place.
Yes, she had sobered down. She
dared not think of Paul. There was
no hope ahead. Life was a time to be
filled with something, so that she
might not think Ofherself John was
always kind, but she got so wearied Of
his talk of stock and crops, and said to
herself, 81 must work harder, plan
and fuss and hustle abOut as other
women do, so that may forget and
grow like JOhn.n
Two years went swiftly by. A baby
slept in the cradle, and MaItha-nO-
body called her Matte but Paul-sat
rocking with her foot as she knitted a
blue wOOlen stocking for the baby's
father. There was a knock at the
half-Open door.
II have got into the wrong road;
will you be kind enough to direct me
the nearest way to the viIlage?r said
a voice, and a stranger stepped in.
She rose to give him the required
direction, but stopped short, while he
came quickly forward.
"Mr. Gardnerw
"Mattie Ir
His face lighted up, and he reached
out his arms to draw her to him.
With surprised, painful look, she
drew back.
"Mr. Gardnerp' herepeated. "Mat-
tie what do you mean? ?'1
Don't call me Matte, if you
please" she replied with dignity.
My name is Phillips.n
"Phillips ~ he echoed. care you
married ?''
'These are strange words from you,
Paul Gardner; did you think was
waiting all this time for another wO-
mans husband? d?-that was keeping
my faith with one who played me
false so soOn?"
"Piayed you falseI l have not. /
am come as I promised you. The two
years are but just passed, and l am
here to claim you. Why do you greet
me thus? Are you indeed married,
Matte Gray?"
She was trembling like an aspen.
For an answer, she pointed to the
cradle. He came and stood before her
with white face and folded arms.
'Tell me why you did this? Didn't
you love me well enough to wait for
me?n
She went and unlocked a drawer
and took out a newspaper. Unfold
ing it and finding the place, she point
ed to it with her finger, and he real
the marriage notice.
"What of this?" he asked, as he
met her questioning, ,reprOachful look.
"Oh, Mattel You thought it meant
me. 1t is my cousin. am not mar
ried, nor in love with any one but
you :"
"Are you telling the truth ?n she
asked, in an eager, husky voice.
And then, as hereplied, "It is true,
she gave a low groan and sank down
into a chair.
"Oh, Paul, forgive me! didn't
know you had cousin by th ssame