The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-12-24

[ Il
dwell on this stale love story; it was
perfectly commonplace of its kind, ex-
cept that the dupe was not, for once,
the humble beauty, but the gentleman
from London. She consented to be
my wife; and at the summers end,
without asking her q question as to her
past, without knowing more of it than
the farm folk had volunteered TO tell
me the fret day saw her, brought
this girl to London, and married her.
That's what came of being too good for
this world, incapable of evil, or the
comprehension of it. I had written to
tell my father of my intended marriage
to q frankly eonfessed) a perfectly OBJ
scure and penniless young woman, that
had, Of course, everything but position
and wealth to recommend her. / wrote
a respectful letter which 1 received
back in blank cover. Yet my heart
| yearned to the crOssgrRiped old man,
and from the glory and Joy of my FOOLS
paradise l emerged voluntarily, before
the honeymoon was over, to seek a
reco lciiiation with my father.
When got to his door he drove
me away like beggar, like a strange
dog, with his LITE d stick, with his mouth
full of curses. That is the last ever
saw of him, He died six months after,
implacable.
"I went back to town, to be comforted
by the angel IN my house. returned
sooner than I was looked for. I opened
the door by 1atch-key, and went softly
upstairs to surprise my wife. It was
about IN the afternoon. Our little
drawing-room had folding doors, which
were now ajar. No one was in the front
room, but 1 heard-I heard my wife's
voice in the other. I heard her voice
and a mans. l had but to step forward
and saw"
1t was quite dark by this time, and
Urquehart's black corner suddenly
broke into an awful sob.
Don't go on" said I, much dis
tTessed.
"Let me alone, gasped Urquehart,
savagely.
In less than a minute he resumed,
| steadily:
81 saw my wife with her arms around
mans neck. She was passionately
entreating him not to leave her; he was
trying to release himself. The next
moment they saw me, and started apart
Then, instantly, my wife, that tender
angel, flung herself at me like q wild.
cat. She did not scream, but through
her shut teeth she said, 'pll kill you,
| I'll kill you. if yoR touch him Her
blue eyes glared much like yonder blue
lightning that keeps flashing out there,
and something glittered close to my
face. She had snatched up her scissors,
and L verify believe would have dug
them INTO my temple if the man, her
lover, Ead not come and pulled down
her hand. She Was going to fall into
his arms again, but he put her from
him, not very gently, and told her to
sat down. She obeyed him instantly.
l cannot IN the least describe my state
OF mind all this time, which was only a
minute or two, ! suppose. My impress
sion Is that had ceased to feel that,
If my brain and heart had been scOOped
ont, could not have been emptier of
emotion and thought; that I was not
conscious OF any vindictiVe rage, or any
transport of despair. Some people may
think I ought to have kicked that man
dOwn-stairs. I neither did SO, nor felt
any desire to hurt him. It was he who
took the initiative, and made me a sign
to go into the front room with him,
which did. Then, when I stood there
face to face with him, I said suddenly,
and, as 1t were, ipvoluntarily:
"' Who are you?'
gentle drawl, looking at me quite COM
Passionately, this woman has treated
you very badly. Still, yoa know, you
have only yourself to thank. Your
conduct has been quite inoonceivably
rash, you know
"'Who are you P I repeated, staring
at him bIuutIy.
eel am Capt. Edward Ringwood.
This woman Is an actress, whom l be-
came acquainted with about a year or
two before you first saw her. / assure
you knew nothing of your love affair
or proposed marriage. If I had known
in time, Is should certainly have con-
sidered 1t my duty to warn you of the
awful blUnder you were making. When
1 went abroad with my regiment, it
seems she chose to go down and wriggle
herself into nay family. What her mo-
tive was, 1 can't imagine. She is a
most artful, dangerous person, that is
clear. She saw my return to England
in the papers yesterday, and sent me 9
note inviting me to come and see her at
this address, which did. I give you
my word of honor had not been here
ten minutes when you made your ap-
peRrance. She had just told me she
was married, and this was your house
upon which l got up aud wished her
good-day.'
BY this time 1 had found myself
unable to stand, and was sitting on the
sofa with my head between my hands.
When Capt. Ringwood left off speaking,
1 looked up, meaning to say something,
but forgot what l. was, and only stared
at him silently.
g He was a fair, slight young man,
about 30 with handsome, thin features,
and large, light whiskers. He
stood there looking at me with the same
good-natured concern IN his face that he
had expressed in words, in his fashion
able, affected way.
At last I recollected what l had
been going to say, and t.ld him /
wished TO be left alone. He silently
took out his card, laid it on the chin
ney-piece, and went out.
81 don't know how many hours I re-
NAMED lying on the sofa, with my eyes
shut, in that strange torpor; but it was
night when 1 opened them, and found
my wife standing by me. She had
lighted the candles on the chimney
piece, and was stOoping down over me.
She started upright as my eyes opened,
but she did not avoid them. She con
frOnted me, arohiDg back her nymph-
like figure, and leaning one hand on a
taDIe Dehlna her. L felt no emotion at
eight Of her, but looked at her as If she
had been a picture. Her beauty was
splendid. all her fair golden hair was
turned Off her white face in sort of
glittering aureola. Her great turquoise
blue eyes fared under slightly con-
tracted brows the nostrils of her deli
cate straight nose and her infanting
mouth expressed rage and pain.
am glad yoE are awake, said
she 1 want you to hear me say hate
you =
al don't care, said I, YEARLY. 60
away
Her face famed out with the fury
that was burning her heart.
But Won do care y" she cried 1;
you shall care ! I tell you I always
laughed at you and despised you. I
only married you from pique-because
he left me. I got into his family, and
toadied them, and made myself their
servant, only to hear of him, and to
\