The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-11-07

over what she loved best
Burnham slept till late sun thrust
bright daggers through his hair, and
heated his eyelids.
Dissipation treated him kindly. He
came down to luncheon after bath and
toilet and a little philosophy, as fresh
and suave as your father confessor. Isa-
bel did not trouble him for the time
She had taken her maid and gone out,
he supposed, and he was glad of having
more time to recover himself before he
attempted to pass muster under those
black eyes again. He came home to
dinner, invigorated by business, with
his winning, repentant guise on his arm,
ready for use, as you may say. But
Isabel had not yet returned No one
had seen her that day.
He rushed to her room and plowed
among her belongings. She had taken
little; and that little had evidently been
packed hastily.
Pinned to frame containing his por-
trait, Burnham found her last testament;
he opened it with face like the dead.
She said to him:
"Do not search for me. We can new
er be anything to each other again
You have killed me; you taught me to
lean on and adore the best of men; and
then you unmasked and showed me
xrh FTl,o u-0rlI IIoaT-.
have no faith in anything"
Mr.. Burnham, in reading this scrap,
forgot the repose of good breeding. He
fell upon his knees as if Hercules had
planted blow between his eyes; he rung
for the police; and whirled up the great
otel like mailman. But those much
buttoned gentlemen, with clubs and or
namental caps, have soothing effect on
the most narrowed mind. Burnham
dropped down in his parlor, with his
head between his hands, and explained
himself in fragments to one of them,
who stood reading him like book.
"Did she have money?'' asked the i'm
movable
"She has large bank account, her
own property, which I never touch
Perhaps she has cashed that"
On investigation it was found that she
had.
"And with eighteen hours start" pur-
sued the immovable, she'll be well
away from the city by this time. De
cription oflady, and lady's woman, sir?'
So they took notes, examined, put
their hand to the wires, and flew
about surely and silently. While Burn
ham measured his rooms or the street:
or set in police stations, looking like al
old man.
Once, when juvenile, / seized stone
with an impulse of disgust, and hit a ra
which crept from under the barn, Il
screamed and tottered, hitting suffering
eyes. The poor thing had been poison
ed; great ulcers were on its back; it wa
crawling from death, and / hurt it!
sat down on the grass, crying and wiring
ing my hands, the veriest wretch alive
I had struck a suffering, defenceles
creature! If could only have gather
ed the rat on my lap and soothed its dy
ing moments! But he dragged out o
sight and left me everlasting remorse
Since cruelty is two-edged sword tina
falls back painfully if you use it ever
against vermin, how it must cut if W,
have lifted it against our best beloved
The rhyme of Burnham, his wander
ings, his remorse, his sack-cloth ant
fastings, are they not written in tn
book of his experience?
His police force traced Isabel out Q
the citv, but they were long discoverin
her. They sent him continued message
of their progress; he left his affairs t
follow every clue. And dismal hour
he spent in her dressing-room porin
over a glove or ribbon, enjoying
the sweetness of freedom and widow
hood The "Pickwick Club" was n
stay to his care. He hated the sight {
their Bacchanalian faces.
1t seemed that years instead of month
had passed, when the chief man of bur
tons and clubs waited on him one da.
with the joyful assurance that in Gel
tain Northern village, in certain hous
he would find his wife. Was it joyfr
assurance after all? At the end of b
long, sickening journey, he stood at tt
; crata Of how bousa n abo,,t doeIz mora Il,
pressed than he had ever felt before
I She had commanded him not to scare
j for her; he was minded to turn and 6
back, satisfying himself with the know
a edge that all was well with her. Sue
e floods of change had rolled betwee
t them. He knew not how to approac
: her.
But, like call to him, little coolr
), cry came from the house; it stirred hi
;. like a sea, Then Isabel cane to Il
window, looking out ana up. Her bear
IL tiful face was softened and sweetene
:. for she had been in the hard land
d maternity, under discipline which brin
o out the angel-side of woman; in her arr
IS she held his little child.
II Her eyes falling on her husband, th
/ most consistent woman reached towa
/ him, bursting into low, glad cry {
o ooh, knew yon'd come"
iS After supper, when the room W
cosey, and the good maids steps h
ceased, and the blessed child had be
I admired till both parents were in sta
* of imbecility, Isable hung to button
% her husbands coat and falteringly &C
y fessed her sins; her days of darkne
~ her ignorance of patient love, till t
N baby came to teach her Then Bu1
~ ham took up the parody, and shriv
himself and made promises in a W
70 which would have afforded the epic
wick Club" infinite amusement Al
- in his turn, the remarkable infant ra
ed his voice. So that they were ve
d cosey.
Vi And it was not fatal after all, Il
/, some other Club affairs.
III A fragrant insult has been put up