The Dallas weekly herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1885, 1873-08-30

Jennie came to the wedding, but re-
turned home the day following the
ceremony, declining Mildred's urgent
invitation to accompany her on her
bridal tour. She returned to the home
of her uncle in the fall, as he said he
could not while he lived let his child
leave him.
One evening, about Il year after Mil
dred's marriage, Colonel Lcyton came
home looking pale and wretchcd, and
when she inquired the cause, he burst
into tears and exclaimed: "Oh, my
child, am a bcggar!"
Tmpossiblc!' calculated Mildred
at is even so" said the old man.
1t was some time before she could
fully understand their great misfor-
tune. The two banks in which Colo
mel Leyton had deposited the bulk of
his fortune had failed, leaving only the
smallest pittancc between him and alb
solute poverty.
"Thank God, my child" said the
kind old man, ''your marriage portion
is safe yet. Leonardo drew it out yes
terday, and has, of course, deposited it
elsewhere"
"Then there is Ell ough for us all to
have every comfort yet, dear uncle"
said his niece, the one drop of true
w0manhood in her heart bubbling to
the surface as misfortune 5 wand stirred
its waters; for she did love her uncle as
truly as she was capable of loving any
thing, and she was too entirely stunned
by the blow to think yet Of all the lux
uries that she must yicld--luyuries that
she had learned to consider necessarieS,
so long had she been accustomed to
them.
WWhere is the Count, my child?'
asked Colonel Leyton at last.
Gle has not come in yet" replied
Mildred.
She might have said she had not
seen him for two days. For many
months he had been growing more
and more careless of his wife, leaving
her to go out in society unattended,
and pride had inspired her to keep her
grief to herself and mingle still with
the world, as though her s'bOsom's lord
sat lightly on his throne" Hor
naughty, supercilious conduct had
alenated many who would have been
her friends had she allowed them, and
the hour of adversity found her COM
PEELED to meet it alone. That night
after her uncle had retired to his own
chamber, she sat in her room awaiting
the possible retrL of her husband.
Two days before he had left her in
anger, having, as was his custom,
taken ofiense at sCme trihe of which
she was ignorant.
The French clock on the mantle
struck one, and q step sounded on the
front porch, latch key turned in the
door, and moment later Leonardo
stood in his wife's room. We will
touch lightly on the scene that fol
lowed-a scene narrowing to Mildred,
and disgraceful t. the man she had
made her husband.
When he learned that her uncle's
fortune was gone he was more like an
infuriated demon than man in Gods
image, and when Mildred suggested
that her marriage portion still remain
ed, "tO say nothing of his estates in
Europe" he told her he had as little
claim to any estate across the ocean as
he had to the title of Count" "But," P"
he added, "as yon once told me you
loved me for myself alone, you can
now prove yourself 'ds t'7'e as steel" /
think these were your Words he said,
sarcastically. "Indeed," he added,
"bul for those beautiful sentiments oi
yours should never have ventured OH
matrimony."
Mildred was completely overwhelm-
ed with grief and establishment, and
sat like one suddenly stricken with
paralysis. All night long she sat there,
and her husband, after eXpending the
violence of his passion, flung himself
OH the bed without undressing and
slept heavily until morning. Mildred
had still to learn that the money given
her by her fond old uncle had been
drawn from time to time by Leonardo
to pay gambling debts, and to bribt
into silence his old friend JEFF" con
cerning some weighty secret which hel
husband feared he would reveal.
When everything came out, as al
dark deeds will come, the shock, addet
owhat he had already borne, prostrat
ed Colonel Legion on bed of sickness
from which he never rose. During his
illness Leonardo left the city, and Mil
dred was almost wild with anxiety con
cerning his conduct, as well as thu
grief she felt in regard to her uncle
whose condition the physicians pro
nounced hopeless. After weeks o
| cOIlStdut NdbCfiiiS tht S'iu eshhNi "si''
Mildred was again alone in the world
and this time without the kind friends
who once soothed her grief-friend
she had her herself estranged forever
Her pride forbade her to SO TO then
J now, Not even to Jennie would sh'
breathe her disgrace and misery.
Of her husband she could hear moth
ing, and the morning after her uncle''
funeral she left the house she coul'
no longer claim, and, taking with he
! only her wardrobe and jewels, sh'
started out in search Of Q home,
WHAT TO do, she knew not Almes
mechanically she directed the hack
man she had hired, to pawnbrokeri
ishop, where, after disposing of some o
: her jewels for less than half their value
she sought and found 10 lgings in
-. III