National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-04

mother, Q poor widow, had year ago. II
England, married Q second husband. This
man, like many another second husband, proved
a cruel step father-when drunk, brutal ore.
They lived at Chester. From that place the
tep-daughter had escaped TO Liverpool, had
got q place by chance as nursery maid 70 some
children on board of q vessel bound for America,
and had come away almost penniless, and with
out change of clothing. Arriving N New York,
her services were no longer required by the
family she had come out with, she having
sci we'd as nurse merely to defray the expenses
of her voyage; yet they charitably gave her
little money. That being exhausted, she was
homeless, in which condition found her. ]
honestly believed every word che uttered; her
voice was musical, her dialect winning, and
her face beautiful. ... -.--
In three days time found myself enthralled
by the magic of her looks, her tones, her very
tears. In word, i loved her dearly, and
could scarcely live out Of her presence. In one
weeks time she became my wife, and TOOK
her on our bridal tour to distant Western city,
my birth place, and there presented her to my
mother and sisters. Prosperous in business,
happy in my marriage, worshiping my vile,
surrounded by mother and sisters, who petted
and spoiled me quite as much now as they had
done when I was boy, the days giided by de-
| liciously, till suddenly shock fell upon me,
and threatened to blight all my future life.
Soon after arriving in my native town, l
noticed q growing depression In Anna's (my
wife's) manners. II had left her alone for an
hour, found her In tears, which sne soon Gree
at the sight OF me. Another peculiarly that
1 rallied upon her, although vafnly, was that sne
| never would sit alone In her apartment but
with locked doors, and not TIL she heard my
voice, and was convinced that 10 was l, would
she be induced to open the door. Again, IN the
streets of our town she was timid, and avoided
observation. These were faint clouds rising In
hnrI Init times
| with vague foreboding.
Let me hasten to the finale, and get the
worst over. We were In the third week OF our
honeymoon, when my youngest sister proposed
q visit to a circus that was showing In the out
skirts OF the town. Our visit was fixed for
that night. OF course, my wife was included
| In the party. She had made faint protest
against going. but was prevailed by my giddy
sisters, whose anticipation Of pleasure was
almost childlike. The usual stale programme
| of q travelling circus had been nearly COM
pleted, to the delight of my townspeople, II
| not to mine; and as the tent was hot and op-
pressive, was congratulating myself that the
end of the performance was drawing near,
when q sudden burst of applause greeted q
gymnast who was set down on the tbill to per-
| form on the trapeze feat the name OF which
took at least ten syllables to properly express.
Hewas alarge muscular man, bull-necSed and
headed, with an evil eye, / thought, as acci-
dentally caught his glance directed-Nol not
at me, but straight at my wife, who turned
deathly pale. saw like flash of lightning,
| so swift and subtle was 1t, the recognition be-
tween them. never turned my head; never
looked at my wife again; was hot and cold,
and sat still as death, with q self-enforced
| calmness that was terrible to endure, while
suspicion, jealousy, and burning sense OF
wrong gnawed at my heart.
The gymnast had Just acknowledged the ap-
plause, when young man, dressed like him,
| bounded into the ring. He, too, bowed his &C.
acknowledgement of the reception, and then the
performance began. Both were performing on
| the same trapeZe. / saw these men, and yet /
saw them not. What evolutions they per-
| formed could not tell you; my brain was in a
whirl. Twas burning to drag from my wife
the confession who aud what one of these men
was to her! The music, the lights, the
revolving figures Of the two gym.
nasts-the scene will ever be i'm
pressed on my mind as will the
cry, the shrek, the heavy fall
ing Of body through the air,
| the sea of frightened faces around me, and Q
voice heard above the din and confusion calling,
''Or1er, order! Ladies' and gentlemen, as
sure"-but know no one hears any more
and the ring masterl How strange! In the
excitement, I take notice that he appears for
| the first time in my memory without his mill
tary cap. Crushing to the entrance, dragging
my half-fainting sisters into the open air-''Is
he deadP' "Do you think be is killed." echo
| ing on all sides-l turn AID look for my wife.
She had fed.
=
found her, many hours afterwards, BY the
| death-bed of her husband! Yes that man,
that bull-headed brute, was really her hus-
band. She shrank from him as she confessed
the truth. He had tried to train her as q
trapeeze performer, he had beaten and ill-used
| her, and she had run away from him when
they landed In New York. Her story to
me had been tissue of lies! Her one excuse
she loved me! That, at least, know to be
| true.
The man is dead. I loved her and married
| her for the second time.