The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-10-15

AJ "AN VAAAoI L
lay stretched on a sofa in the parlor,
Jane sat and worked and watched
Arthur and his maid out in the gar
den.
"Jane," I said to her one day, after
biding my time, "why are you not
happy?'
Jane became crimson, and I saw
her little fingers tremble as she vain
ly tried to thread her needle.
IL am very happy" she stam-
mered.
"No, Jane, you are not; neither is
Mr.. Forbes. I do not want to meddle
betweenyou; butyet, Jane, if aword of
sound sensibleadvice from cousin Will
liam would help to set matters right,
whynot give yourself the chance, and
him the pleasure, Of that word ?" Her
color came and went her work drop
ped on her lap; she clasped her hands
and said:
20, if you could-if you could tell
me some thing-advise me, I mean,
cousin William, if you could make
my husband like me!'
II always suspected this" I re-
piled, rather ruefully; "but, child, I
must know why he married you. Do
you know ?"
20, yes )" she answered, in a very
peculiar tone; "and that is just the
mischief: I'll had known nothing,
all might have been WE'LL"
This was very mysterious. 1t took
me some time and trouble to make
Jenny more explicit; at length, she
told me all.
"When we were really married."
she began, "and I came home his
wife, and looked at him and felt proud
of him, I was happy. o, so happy
Perhaps you remember that, even be.
fore changing my dress, I went down
the garden. I had a foolish facny to
gather some of my favorite flowers
and take them with me. I thought
to be alone there but some one had
given Mr.. Forbes letter on our com.
ing in, and he had gone to the garden
to read it. I saw him in the summer.
house, sitting in your chair, his head
flung on the table, his arms clasped
above it; and I heard him groanine
as if he we're in great agony. I turn.
ed cold and trembled. I knew it was
no physical pang that wrung those
means from him. The letter he had
been regdmgt was on the ground by
him. I picked it up and stood with
it in my hand, looking at him. HI
had not heard, and he did not
heed me. Hooked just at the first
words end when I had read them, ]
could not leave off till had finished
the whole letter. God help me! II
was love-letter, written to my hus.
band by one who had been compelled
to betray him: but who, at the elev.
enth hour, repented her error and
asked to be forgiven! She wrote full
Of hope and fondness. She had suf
fered so much that he could not, she
said, be long angry with his own An
ME! Yes, she called herself his own
I was his wife; I had not been ar
hour married; I still wore my white
dress, my veil, and my orange-wreath
and another woman wrote thus to my
husband He now reused himsel
and saw me. I still held the letter il
my hand, and my face, no doubt, tolc
him that I had read it; for he took i
from me and walked away,-bott
without word. I wondered how he
felt. Was he sorry the letter had no
come sooner =? Would he have given
me up even at the foot of the altar?
know better now,-I know Mr. Forbe'
Enot could be dishonorable; but thel
my mind was not my own. One thing
lhowever, was clear. He did not low
me. He had wished to marry me i,
order to punish the migrate, and t.
hurry our marriage in order to fore
stall hers and show her how little h
felt her faithlessness. He had takel
me, poor, plain, and unattractive, tha
I might owe him much, and he, tn
rich, handsome gentleman, owe m
very little. That was it, and cousil
William, it was very bitter.
"You know why that we are moi
J and cannot be, happy. 1t is becaus
I read that letter. I am like Psyche
} and, like her, I pay for my error. If
had remained ignorant, I should hav
been content. Mr.. Forbes would hav
acted his part to the end, and to tn
! end I should have thought that I ha
? fascinated him. But my poor littl
; Cpride has had q fall, and little cousi
Jane has been sorely humbled. Sh
knows, what you knew all along
that she was never loved, but merel
made the instrument of an angry lo0
; er's revenge. Still, must be just
: him. I am sure he meant to make m
: very happy,-to be generous, kin,
and sttentive, and perhaps, in the en'
8 he would have liked me. Only, 70
q |see, now he cannot. I know too muc]
! As he is in your presence, SO he is
6 private,-a perfectgentleman. I, WI
:. meant to be so good, so devoted, {
t dutiful even, never find word to So
r to my husband. I answer when
e speaks, and that is all. I am cold
: q statue when he is by. I feel it,
}, know it, and I cannot help it: tn,