Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1874-10-01

tering word AZ the tshas Mr. Mail
lard vas politely attentive. and led tkl
conversation to subjects of general Inter
est. keeping II up 20 skiIlfuIly thst not 4
opening appeared for the inircd duetiou .
any references to the particular satj~e
|. sihaeengrosscd his wife's mind; and uhcr
. he rose. hs said:
] 1 have On engagement st the ci6ee 10
night. Mn. Maillard. and Il will probabl,
, Be late when I return, and went oat.
why did not speak Z won't let 4
pass 20! He isas cold ~ IN iceberg
, sill have an explanatien before sleey
to-night.' said Alice. passionascly -
He shant treat me like child any long.
err
] 1txss ls.a xhsn Mr.. Msillard resssa&a
and he did not expect the watcher who
sat in the parlor. aud little surprised
was in bis glance when he entered, bal
lie made no comment.
1T is twelve o'clock I know, William
but sat up for you. The truth is.
wanted to speak to you sbout--about,
but here she paused.
Well .
There was but little encouragement in
the cool moBosyla liable that Mr.. Mailiard
uttcred-and tho eyes upon which his
wife's were turned appealing'y held no
glance Of tenderness to lure her on the
step that was now growing painful to her,
although he very well knew what was go
ing on in her mind. Was this man a
hardened boorf
He had many excellent traits; and he
had not really felt comfortable himsclf
since ,ha, affair in the library. but he had
strong passionate nature, and sn iron
will that had never been subdued; and ,
like many of bis proud and i'm perious
type, he would neither beud to acknowl-
edgements hiuself nor seem to encourage.
by any tenderness Of manner. his wife's.
So he sat. stately and frigid. in the scat
he had taken by the register.
Meanwhile. .Alce-sffcctionate and SEN
si;ive. with her whole heart in her eyes.
and those eyes eagerly bcseechiug his
stood near him. where she had advanced
as she spoke. At first. il had been easy
for her to utter those words; but that ono
unimpassioned monosy liable checked furth-
er u:terance and fross her lips. But at
length she burst out, passionately.
Il vii. speak William. you know
what want to say. ] am very unhap-
py.' and the hot tears thickened her
voice.
What makes you unhappy. Mrs Mail
lard =
| Yes. that man. actually asked this
qucs,ion-he who knew just how that no.
bic. sensitive. affec.ionutc girl was suffer-
ing. Not an embracc-no opening Of
his arms to draw her to his breast-no
kiss on her quivering mouth, no tremor
in his own tones, but instead. that impas-
sive question:
What makes you unhappy. Mrs Mail
laid y
For an instant. the ice-fow. driven
into the guif-stream OF feeling, checked
its topic current; then it sweep on again,
but not SO warm as before.
Il am unhappy because have suffered
AIN suffering. wish u reconciliation.
You know W::...iam- those words spoken
in the library the other night. / was
sorry the very minnie afterwards
And was sorry also. Mrs. Maillard.
Any exhibition Of mpetuousncss-temper
| might say-iisgusts me. think any
wife ought to know that. and avoid such
occasion. But forgive you
Mr.. Mai!lard said this as loftily as
though he were a judge. pronouucing SEN
.ence-as though he, himself. were not
the cause Of it all. A chill ran through
poor Alice's veins. She had read of
lovers quarrcls and irifling arrangements
between the married-but here was new
phase. She had expected to be taken to her
husbands heart and restored to happiness
again. She never dreamed Of thus being
thrown of. baf.led by tho power Of tha.
cruel wi!l-she who was oil heart and af-
fec,ion. If he was only downright. an-
cry with her-would only scoid her round
ly-ihen the tempest would pass; but no.
there was only this lofty assumption of
superiority. She was cast back on herself.
and could say nothing. Chilled. amazed,
humilia.ed. and half stunned by the turn
the matter had taken. the poor girl. wife
turned to her chamber.
Mr.. Maillard sat for perhaps half hour
ere he left the parlor, buried in revcrie.
The expression Of his eyes interpreted
this thought:
i intended to let her suffer; and in
tend that she shall suffer more. II is not
n mans place to yield. A wife's spiri,
should be broken TO her husbands s.
When l think she is sufficiently punished.
| shall take her back to my heart again"
And the poor girl above was taking her
frst lesson in that bitterest knowledge
that ever comes TO woman's heart-the re-
alization that she is treated unfairly aud
unkindly.
Days. and weeks. and months followed
that frs, rupture between William Mall
lard and bis wife; aud. though to All out
ward appearances. they were attentive
and. in society. as happy as ever. ye,
Alice felt that the gulf between them had
never been hridged. She had, indeed.
often essayed to ding across it the rosy
bands Of affection; but in tha. chill. lev
air they had wi,hered speedily ere they
reached him, standing on the other side.
And yet. had any one come to iha, man.
aud said to him: You are to blame. and
are daily adding to your .in,' he would
Indignantly have denied il.
The truth was. his imperious viii.
rampered By that irst entire submission
on tie part Of his wife. had grown nth