Connecticut western news., 1874-10-23
CHAPTER II.
Had we hut met iR other days,
 Had we but lowed in other ways, Another light and hope had shonc

Two years have elapsed, and the home of Ralph Summit has not materially changed. True, the newness of the luv- CTS love has almost imperceptibly wand, in that proportion which is SO common among married people. It is only in rare instances thAt we find thp CD ruppou love to continue beyond the first few years oi we'ided life. That constant companion- snip, and the frailtics of our nature sooner or later, are too liable to destroy it,
 Perhaps that ever-restless spirit of Ralph summit, in it's day-dreamings of something more than the prtst nj, had begun to be affected hy luis waning love; at all events change |" him was necessary. L"ssons "t adVrrsi'y in his past lite were forgot tcu; he had been good loo long already; uls existence WAS too tame; he was pinin'. tor & new romance in hls life, and-hr found il. few years previous to our writing he had met young, lady (his wite's c0usiD) at an agricultural fair, but beyond the exchange of single word with her on introduction, hud not seen her since. Now his m, mory revived the girl anu in snme way learned that, she was quito poor, having friends in name. uut actually friendless. From feelings of compassion only, he wrote to .hcr, offer ing her Q home, and Mrs summit went to the county to g-t her cousin, and bring her back with her. .- =. =.
 Sue comes-the heroine of Ralph Sum- nit's romance! Even before she arrives. on the night he tXpectrd her, this man feels the influence uf Il something unte- tinahle stirring his heart with feverisb an licipatioE. Was it the forrrunner of fpte Indeed it were cruel fate in the final consummatiOn! '. +e"
 It would be difficult at this time to give anything more than mere superficial description of Mss -----, She was so very modest and reserved that any good or bad qualities she mighI nave possessed, were ely covered hy her affected hash tuness. IL was not till later time aud contact with a man ike Summit. re- vealed the inner traits and character ot the fair one, whom, for reasons all our own, we shall give the singular, yet no, unmeaning, sod1Tquet, Sinner" he was immediately inteIeste6in this veritahle girl of the centu-y.' She was witty, pretty, and we'll versed m all the current slang of tha, rather low society in which she had pre- ferred to move. Yet so shy she seemed in his presence, and he was anything but buld that several weeks had passed ere they became at all acquainted though from the first, without knowing her il the least, he looed her Loved h,r with strong and passionate love, but in which pain too was lnlngled. in lhe thought of his position.
 What would his wife think of him |? and. worse than that, what would the loved one do in such a Case, could she have known with what feelings he regarded her? Would she sympsthise with The unfortunate weak mar, or would she fly from this threatened taint to her character? These were the humiliating thoughts that forced them.- hi AShu .,F ,;, ;,, h; heart he certainly was, and feeling how hard it was to bear alone, and not thinking of what might be the effect of his words, but only that he was doing right, he con fessed to his wife the relation of his heart to her cousin. It. was u cruel blow, which could he have foreseen, the words had never been uttered. No pen-pc,ure of ours could portray the anguislling heart rain she suff, rcd It was the first grea, sorrow of her life. " Oh my hus6and!f nay chSt1 / 'mnlored /" she qontted, "u1aloced."
 Summit was shocked at the re ulr of his confession; he felt keenly in sympathy with his wife in her sorrow, and all his in- fluence was used in trying to neutralize tue effect of those cruel words. He finally succeeded in inducing her to believe that i, was not so bad ss she imagined. He told her it was not love, but a faucy that he
 
 "Shiner was entirely innocent, anu knew nothing of this scene, she allowed her to remain with them and treated her kindly, as before.
 Thus things were smoothed over on the surface, but only on the surface, and Sum. init was eyer afler guarded in his cOnver sution with his wite. 1.5 f "f
 But he did not forsake his new love nor did he struggle against this wicked pussiOn of his heart he discarded the warnings of his better judgment, and the plain path of duty was ignored:
 Sore was life to such a nature as his he could not foregO it. It brought to him such a joyous, ravishing feeling, he wanted to indulge It but he would keep it secret, and never reveal it, then it could do no harm and would not be wrong.
 But he does not find it so easy to hide the inward workings of hls heart. By his wife that love is plainly read in his every look and action. She often tells him of ft but seldom chides. She Is praying that he may be led aright. And her cousin, if not from the ardent glanccs Of his eyes, the pains he takes for her comfort and welfare anticipating all her wanis-und the thou sand little daily acts of kindness if not from all these, then from hints and words uttered at different times hy Mrs. Summit, she must have come to understand the true situation.
 But she exhibits no uneasiness she gives no sign that she is in the least affectt q thereby as for pity, sympathy, or emo tion, she knows not the niearing of the terms. Under these peculiar circum stances she is the same, innocent, passive, 'cold, silent, serene "
 The days are fieeting, and the time soon coming that Sinner is to take her vacation 1 in the country. Summit is becoming i'm patient; he is not satisfied Wrh this love ! that is all one sided. There is no bright 1 outlook of promise in the future, and lhr present is a mockeIy. The burden he is bearing is growing heavier, What would he not give for the sympathy of the girl beloved, in this time of trouble? But she has noticed the change, and perhaps moi the true cause, she leaves him more to himself though single kind word from her would have chased away his anxiety in a moment. He could no, feel that she had ever given him the least cause he did not know her. Sometimes she would allow her eyes to look into his n vague way that he did not al all com prehend, and consequently was lost upon him. It he could only tell to her the story Df his heart but he dared not. Yet some thing must be done; he would not long brook such a state of things; if nothing better he could wild up again on new is. ,ue.
 But an event occurred about this time which partly turned the tables; success 1as come to him in this, as in every other ike undertaking of his life! From his naughty "crcst of pride he had often that be could do all things yes, all things, and forsooth for the wrong, ,e ft rgiven. Now once more he is thrilled with happiness, and this is how it came lbout Coming home one evening in )out-what his wife used to call his mug slng turns"-he did not speak to Sinner; bought he would not notice her, not even ook at her. When from the tea table he