Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1874-04-09
and mocking smiles ofthe gilded sa,

myself. But oh! what can we d.
what can we dc? It's dreadful to S
still witA lulded hands and see the ha'
uc these places are making
The patiIos and distress in Mrs. AS
mans voice were too deep to be cause
by merely general appreciation of tt
evils Contemporaries. / had read I'll
secret of the mothers trouble in til
flushed and bloated face of one of h,
sons. Mrs. Elliott looked at her wit
little surprise. and said more quietl.
i agree with you it is a very gre;
evil, perhaps the greatest of our ag,
but it is mans work to cope with
publicly. Women c..n help by maxim
home SO attractive that husband
fathers and brothers will find nothin
that can tempt them abroad. Than
God, have never had much persons
experience in this matter. My hus
band takes a glass of wine when h
feels like it, and so did my father
| There's no more harm in that than j
the use of tea and tOffee.'
No. said Mrs. Ashmau, with anoth
er deep sigh, Il suppose not, if it woul
only stop there
Again Mrs. Elliott looked at her
little curiously, and changed the sub
ject. The early shadows of the comm,
winter evening soon after warned Mrs
Ashman that she must be on her way
horneward. At Mrs. Elliott's reques
remained to tea.
Her husband came in at the usua
hour. l do not wonder she half idol
lied the handsome dark-eyed man
with his free anu easy Western bear
ing refined by Eastern culture (for he
had completed his studies at the East.
He certainly petted her to her hearts
content. BnI tonight! he seemed a lit
tie preoccupied and excited. After the
meal was over he Immediately excu.
sed himself.
Must you 60 OFT again this evening,
Vinton?' asked his wife pleadingly.
Indeed l must, Nellie. It's court
week, YOU know. There are many
lawyers in town, and / have much on
hand
l heard her kiss him affectionately at
the door as he departed, and thought
it must be stress of business, indeed,
that would take a man from such a
wife; but surely that kiss would be
protection against every evil.
/ sat with her till ten o'clock. We
only spoke at intervals, for we had at
tanned that true companionship that
does not require constant talking. 1
saw dreamy, faraway 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 in the supreme joy of mother
love, and her home be complete.
l did not offer to stay later than ten,
for by so doing L might betray some
what of the anxiety and boding of i'll
that oppressed me. lido not often have
such feelings, but am always in terror
when do, for trouble has soon follow
ed. My sitting room 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
me, pnd so practically watched and
waited with her. i.
When from a city steeple eleven was
tOlled out, my neighbor grew restless.
When with solemn, measured stroke of
midnight was announced, / heard her
side door open and her quick steps on
the gravel, I met her at the door.
Dear Mrs, a. she exclaimed,
breathlessly. 'hew good of you to be
up! I halt believe you have been
watching with me. lVilton 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. I put my arms
around her and said.
Let us hope for the best, my dear.
Ii you wish / will come and stay with
YOU
please do she half sobbed, and
then hastened back, as if unwilling to
De absent from her post a moment. l
was soon at her side, and with her
hand dRhich trembled and fiuttered
ike a frightened bird) in mine, we sat
silentIy through another long hour.
Like kpsll, one sounded from the
,teeple. Her hand closed convulSive-
" upon naine, and with an ashen face
she turned and gasped:
'On, if anything should happep-f
[ shouldn't SET him again!'
Don't fear that,' said hastily. '1'm
sure you need not. If he had been in
ured or sick, you would have been
sent for long before this
what, then, can keep him?' she ask
sd with wild, questioning lock.
'Well,' answered evasively, looking
away from her, when lawyers get to-
sether they have Il good deal to say,
and time passes more quickly than
they think. They may have had lit
lie supper 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 fig gntened, haunted
Ook as l hope never to see in her sweet
blue eyes again.
Come she said hoarsely, we must
ind him. l shall go mad if wait here
in uncertainty
But where shall we go?' 1 asked in
lismay.
'Anywhere!' she cried desperately.
Action must take the place of this aw-
full suspense
saw that she would go, and prepa-
red to follow; but before we could as
sume some hasty wraps, the door-bell
rang. She flew t, open it.
have fallen mad she not caught him.
1t was pItiable sight sight to see him
leaning upon and clingiDg to her frail
and trembling form, as if she were
lamp post. AS the light streamed
the door, l caught a glimpse
Of the glitter of 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
3 foul death, for 1 found him in the
gutter this raw night
True enough, he was reeking with
the filth of the street, and besmearing
tie delicate fabric of his wife's dress as
he clung to her; but that wife would
soon be in agony over deeper, more
stains.
Its d-n liev hiccoughed her hus-
band, in tones SO different from his
usual clear, manly voice. Il was in a
teather-bed.'