Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-01-15

a father told me that 1 was to marry hin
:. l refused to do so, but my father
a threats prevailed, and 1 was forced {
obey. What influence Hugh Wen
: worth had over my father never kne'
t but in his hands my father was as br
D a child. 1 knew before 1 had been maj
S ried a month, that my husband was
bold, bad man. Often, when he wa
under the influence Of liquor, he bea
; me; and sometimes Thought he woul
kill me. For two years staid beneat
his roof; and then, when life had be
J come a curse to me, left him, and trie
; to hide myself where he would neve
find me. But he did find me, and ha
to go back to the old life-and dragge
, out two years more of living death.
think he got so he hated me at last, be
cause he could not make me as bad a
he was. Often hoped he was goIn,
to kill me-but he was never mercifu
enough for that. Then, in some way,
knowledge of his wrong doings got t,
the ears of justice--and one day he wa
arrested. He swore, when the officer
took him away, that l had been tn,
cause of it; and in his awful rage h,
threatened, if he ever got away, {,
make my life tenfold more miserabl,
than it had been. AS if he could d.
that! L never knew who caused his ar.
rest, but l was innocent. l did no
know how bad, how great vallain h,
was until he was tried; and then I fel
faint and dizzy every time thought o.
the years-such long, terrible year:
they seemed-that l had lived with
him. He was sentenced to ten years in
States prison, and he is there now.
saw him the day before they took him
away; l went to tell him that had
nothing to do with his being brought
to justice. l didn't want him to believe
that of me, because, bad as he was, bad
as had known him to be, had been,
or had tried to be, a faithful wife to
him. But he would not listen to word
of mine; and the last words he said,
were, to tell me how much he would
cause me to suffer when he was free.
Since then have not known what peace
really is. have heard that he was to
be pardOned out; and am haunted by
constant fear of meeting him some
time when least expect it. He will
seek me out, L know. 1 have felt a
greater sense Of safety here, than any
where else, because it is so far away
from the scene of all my trouble; and
seems so far away from the great world
outside. But he would find me even
here"
Her face was white with pain, with
fear, it might be.
"My poor darling!" he cried, folding
her in his arms-his voice broken and
low. "Must this mans life stand be-
tween us ?"
"Don't" she said, wearily. eff 1
had told you this before, it would have
saved you so much of sorrow. Oh, why
did you come here?"
And suddenly her face grew wet with
tears, and she sobbed like a child, in an
utter abandon of grief.
"Ethel, tell me one thing" he said,
earnestly. "Have been mistaken-or
do you love me? You cannot refuse to
answer my question"
"Oh, 1 do love you," she cried. "And
because 1 love you, because know that
you are suffering too, my lead seems
heavier to bear. Oh, it's such sor-
rowful world! Iwish were done with
it,
"And you do love me, Ethelr' The
was so sweet to him that for
a moment he forgot all else.
''I have tried to keep away from you,
1 have tried not to love you," she said,
getting up. "But sometimes our hearts
are willful, and they get the mastery of
us. If you could have escaped without
suffering, it would not have seemed so
hard for me. A little more doesn't
matter so much to one who has so much
to one who has so much to bear. But
you"
"My poor, uIselfish Ethel" he said,
while his honest eyes were full of tears.
iYou think only of what my pain is,
and forget yourself. If 1 could only
help you bear your burden-if could
only lift it from your shoulders wholly :,
gladly would do so.''
''But you can't she said, drearily.
Il don't want you to forget me, and yet
it would be better for US both if you
we're to do so."
"Don't ask me to do that" he said.
Il couldn't do it. l don't want to.
shall always remember you as the one
woman in the world to me-"
81 must go new," she said, with
'hiver. 81 am sorry that have brought
my bitter experience into your life, but |
was not to blame. L tried not to be |
Let us be friends; we can be nothing |
more. Think only of me as one who
always wishes you the best of earthly |
hings, and keep pleasant memory of
7ou."
"You don't know how much 1 care
or you if you deem can think of you
merely as a FRIEND" he said. "You are
he only woman I ever loved. shall
always remember you as such. Some
lay the shadow may clear away from
7our life, and when the shadow lifts, |
larling, thenl'
"I do not dare to think of it," she
'aid. "But must go in. Dear friend,
goodnight, and God bless you"
He bent down and kissed her in rev.
,rent tenderness. And then she went
lway, and he was alone with his loss
md disappointment.
There was no mention of that nights
.yent between them after that. He saw
much she had to bear, and felt that it
would be as cruel as it was useless for
lin to speak one word of love to her
whom he loved so earnestly.
And by and by he went back to the
,ity. He gave her his hand in silent
parting, but the deep and yearning ten
lerness in his eyes spoke language
hat she understood. Perhaps her face
leld an answer for him to read, and to |