The Findlay Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Hancock County, Ohio) 1870-1881, 1874-03-13

] ltttti L-f 10 NtT heart : content. But
/ tonight he seemed a little preoccupied
and excited. After the meal was over
! he Immediately excused himself
Must you go out again this evening.
! Ninton :; asked his wife pleadingly.
Indeed | must. Nellie Its court
week. you know. There are many law
/ yers in town. and have much on hand. -
| heard her kiss him affectiOnately at
| the door a. ne departed. and thought il
must be Il stress Of business. indeed.
| that would take a man from such Il wife
/ but surely that kiss would be protection
against every evil spell.
sat with her till ten o'clock. We
/ only spoke at intervals. for We had
attained that true companionship that
does not require constant talking.
saw a dreamy, far-away look come into
the young wife's eyes. She was build
ing bright castles in the future, when
her prospects Of maternity would be
realized i'll the supreme Joy of mother
love. and her home be complete
| did not offer TO stay later than ten,
for by so doing | might betray somewhat
of the anxiety and bOding of i'll that
oppressed me- do not often have such
feelings, but am always in terror when
| do, for trouble has soon followed Ny
sitting was opposite her parlor
where | knew she would watch and wait
After lighting the gas | did not draw the
curtains, but sat down with my knitting
where she could see lie, and so practi-
cally watched and waited with her
When from city steeple eleven was
tOlled out, my neighbOr grew restless
When, with solemn, measured stroke,
midnight was announced, | heard her
side door open and her quick steps on
the gravel. met her at the door,
Dear Mrs. NJ" she exclaimed
breathIessly," show good of you to be
up half believe you have been watch
ing with lie. Vinton has not come home
| yet. What does it mean He never
stayed out so late before"
She was shivering as with cold, but
it was the chill of fear. | put my arms
around her and said
Let us hope for the best, my dear
If you wish, | will come and stay with
you"
Please, do" she half sobbed. and
then hastened back, as if unwilling TO
be absent from her post moment
was soon at her side, and with her hand
| (Which trembled and fluttered like a
frightened bird in mine, We sat silently
through another long hour
Like a knell, one sounded from the
steeple. Her hand closed convulSively
upon mine, and with an aslien face she
turned and giisped
''Oh if anything should happen :;
if i shouldn't see him again !"
Don't fear that : said hastily. s'Tm
sure you need not If he had been
injured or sick, you would have been
sent for long before this"
What, then, can keep him = she
asked, with a wild, questioning look.
"Well, answered evasively. looking
away from her, when lawyers get
together tlIey have a good deal to say,
and time passes more quickly than they
think. They may have had little sup
per or something of the kind
She shook her head decisively.
Nothing of that kind would keep
Vinton from me, especially now,' she
said with emphasis.
Another hour passed, and she sprang
up with such a frightened. haunted look
as hope never 10 see iH her sweet. blue
eyes again.
Come, she said hoarsely, I'VE must
find him. l shall go mad if l wait here
in uncertainty
But where shall we go 2" | asked in
dismay.
Anywhere :" she cried desperately.
Action must take the place of this
awful suspense
| saw that she would 60 and prepared
to follow but before We could assume
some hasty wraps, the door-bell rang.
She flew to open it.
Her husband stumbled in, and would
have fallen had she not caught him. 1t
was pitiable sight TO see him leaning
upon and clinging to her frail and trem-
bling form, as if she were lamp-post.
As the light streamed through the door,
l caught glimpse of the glitter of a
policeman's star, and then heard his
gruff voice:
Glad you're up, madam. He needs
looking after sure enough. If it hadn't
been for me, he might have met foul
death, for found him in the gutter this
raw night
True enough, he was reeking with the
filth of the street, and besnearing the
delicate fabric of his wife's dress as he
clung to her but that wife would soon
be in agony over deeper, more loath-
some stains.
''It's a d-n lie" hiccoughed her hus-
band, in tones SO different from his clear
manly voice. Il was in a feather bed q"
go Godl what's the matter with him -
gasped the wife.
well, ma'a am, you are innocent, said
the policeman in a not unkindly tone.
'1'm sorry for you, but do you really
mean TO say that you don't know he's
drunk Ill stay a bit and help you with
him if you wish.
AT the word drunk" she tottered a
moment, as if she would fall, then, by a
great effort, recovering herself, said
hoarsely:
No, no; go away; l will take care of
him. Stay; let Inc thank you for bring
ing him home, but in the name of mercy
don't tell any one what you have seen -
The man made no promise as he de-
parted, and shut the door.
Mrs. NJ. am even sorry you are
here. ! would hide this from all the
world. Would that | could hide it from
heaven. But | know | can trust YOU
What shall / do with him.
This horrid, unexpected scene at the
to act. and for a moment longer we look
ed helplessly at each other
Then her husband muttered, Whats
the use standing here Z" and he staggered
| into the parlor.
Near the door stood dainty: little
table with Mrs. ElliOt's bridal wreath
and bouquet upon it, encased in glass
cover. He stumbled against this and it
| fell with a crashing to the floor. The
warmth of the room, with the excess of
liquor that he had drank. now produced
nausea, and, siekening TO behold, the
| flowers that had crowned his brides brow
were now fouled literally, even as his
action had stained her fair. pure name.
1t was awful-it was horrible. even to
me, beyond the power of words to ex-
| presto see that proud, refined gentle
man groveling helpleSsly, like vile beast
| in his own filth, in that sweet little par
| lor, that dainty casket of his priceless
| jewel But what must it have been 10
! his wife
She did not faint, as feared, or become
| hystericGl, but the anguish of her look
would have melted fiinty heart With
clasped hands she stood above her hus-
band till he became somewhat quiet. as
a pitying angel might Oh, the contrast
she made TO him! Oh, the mighty tri-
umph of love, that she did not turn
away in disgust,
| As soon as she could, she took his head
| in her lap, and said in a low, firm voice:
.'Vinton, how did it happen, Tell Inc
all"
Nothing much's happened" he hic.
| pougba1 Met som. friends AT Harry
Hills-took little too much-that's all.
Harry Hills, Harry Hills, she NUT
tered. as if some new light was dawnine
upon her.
have drelt ton LONG, 11nnn these main