Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1874-04-11

quickly than they think. They ma,
have had a little supper, or somethin!
of the kind"
She shook her head aecisively.
Nothing of that kind would keel
Vinton from me, especially now,
she said with emphasis.
Another hour passed, and she
sprang up with such a frightened
hunted look as I hope never to Sc,
in her sweet, blue eyes again.
"Come," she said hoarsely, "wC
must find him. [ shall go mad if
wait here in uncertainty"
"But where shall We go?" l asked
in dismay.'
"Anywhere,' she cried desperate.
ly. "Action must take the place OF
this awful suspense"
saw that she would 90, and pre-
pared 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 a pitiable sight to see
him leaning upon and clinging to her
frail and trembling form, as If she
were Il lamp post. As the light
streamed through the door, | caught
the gIimmer 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 mi ght have
met foul death in the gutter this
raw night"
True enough, he was reeling with
the filth of the street, and besmearing
the delicate fabric of his wife's dress
as he clung to her; but that wife
would soon be in agony over deeper,
more loathsome stains.
'It's a l. lie!" hiccOughed her
husband, in tones so different from
his usually manly voice. 81 was in
a feather bed"
"Oh. God! what is the matter with
him? gaSped the wife.
"Well, madam, you are innocent" :"
said the policeman, in a not unkindly
tone. 81 am sorry for you; but do
you really mean to say that you do
not know he is drunk? l will stay Il
bit and help you with him if you
wish"
At the word drunk, she tottered a
moment as if she would fall, then,
by great effort recovering herself,
said hOarsely:
"No, no; go away; I will take
care of him. Stay; let me thank
you for bringing him home, but in
the name of mercy, do not tell any
one what you have seem"
The man made 10 promise as he
and | shut the door.
"AIrs. M, l am even sorry
you are here. would hide this from
the world. Would that | could hide
it from Heaven. But | know that l
can trust you. What shall l do with
him."
This horrid, unexpected scene at
the door had found us both too be-
wildered to act. and for a moment
longer we looked hOpeleSsiy at each
other.
Then her husband muttered,
"what's the use standing here?" and
he staggered into the parlor.
Near the door stood a dainty little
table with Mrs. Elliott's bridal wreath
and boquet upon it, encased in a
glass cover. He stumbled against
this and fell with it, crushing it to
the floor. The warmth of the room,
with the excees of liquor that he had
drank, now produced nausea, and,
to behold, the flowers that
had crowned his brides brow were
now fouled literally, even as his ac-
ton had stained her fair, pure name.
1t was awful-it was horrible, even
to me, beyond the power of words to
see that proud, refined,
groveling helplessly, like
a vile beast in his filth, in that sweet
little parlor, that dainty casket of
his priceless jewel. But what must
it have been to his wife?
She did not faint,a | feared, or be-
come hysterical, but the anguish of
her look would melt tiinty heart.
With closed hands, she stood over
her husband till he became somewhat
quiet, as pitying angel might. Oh,
the contrast she made to him! Oh,
the mighty triumph of love, that she
had not turned away in disgust.
AS soon as she could, she took his
head in her lap and said in low,
firm voice:
"Vinton, how did it happen? Tell
me ALL"
Nothing much happened" he hic-
coughed. "Met some friends at Har-
ry Hill's-toOk a little too much
that's ALL"
"Harry Hills, Harry Hills" she
as if some new light was
1awning upon her.
| have dwelt to long upon these
painful scenes, but they seem burnt
in upon my memory, and my mind
will revert to them, even though to
think of them is torture. He was not
violent though somewhat obstinate
and profane. At last she got him to
bed, and he fell into a heavy stupor.
AS she returned to me in the dining
room, where there was a fire, | said:
81 will not leave you tonight"
She thanked me by a silent press
lre of my hand, and we sat down to
watch together as before, but with
the awful certainty of evil instead of
its expectation. In the depths of my
soul | trembled for her. She might
stand one or two such shocks, but
the moment she lost faith in her hus-
bands will or power to refrain from
The cause of his present condition,
she would die. Her hold upon life
was fragile as it was.
She stepped to her husbands side
from time to time, and then came
and sat down, Her brows were con!-
.racted as if in deep thought or the
formation of purpose. Her eyes
had a fixed, solemn look that con
trasted strangely with her fair young,