Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-23

her rich silks sweeping after her like
purple pillows, while Mrs. Lamer tol-
lowed her like shadow, in her pale
colored tarleton robes.
Poor Alice Shelton had heard ev-
cry word, and sat perfectly still, with
her slim, white fingers clasped tight
ly together. Every faculty of her ma
ture seemed paralyzed by the inten-
sity of her emotions. Her honest
conscientious heart was shocked by
the hypocricy of two of her most in
innate society friends, and with the
bitterness was mingled a feeling of
intensity for Mark, who had kept all
this from her ears that she might
hear it from such uncharitable lips.
Verify, she thought, the world is a
vain show, and those who love it are
but moths futtering about it's daz-
zling pleasures, only to have their
wings singed by the CT eli tongues of
the flame that leap up from envy, de-
ceit and malice.
sMark shall not fail!,", she said,
rising up, with a white, determined
face. 81 will show them his wife is
worthy of him.
Needless of the gaiety and warmth
around her, of the binding snow
storm that was raging without, OF the
long snowbound walk that lay be-
tween the Austin mansion and her
husbands warehouse, she hurried up
to the dressing room and, wrapping
herself up in cloak and furs, went out
into the storm and bravely faced the
binding sheets of snow that the wind
dashed into her face-a face almost
as ghastly as the snow that fell so
swiftly and silently on the halt-de-
serted pavements. The gas f1ared
out through murky gas-lamps with "a
dull. sickly glare; hacks and car
riages went whirling by like sheeted
ghosts, and once in while some be-
lated pedestrian almost walked over
her; still Mrs. Shelton walked on her
heart too hard and ANXIOUS to think
of fear or fatigue.
When she reached the warehouse
the clock On distant steeple was
just Ginning eleven, and Mark was
standing in the dimly-lit Office, put
ting OH his oyercoat. The porter
dozed in chair before the stove in
the outer room, and Alice stole softly
past him and stood before her hus-
band
"Alice!"
His eyes dilated in astonishment.
Alice dropped into seat and looked
up to him, with glitter in her blue
eyes that held him spell-bound.
"Mark, do you think I'm tool!'
Her voice had raspy ring that
startled Mark. He glanced at her
snow-covered wraps, and then made
a dash for the soaked boots peeping
out from under the edge of her bed
raggled silken skirts.
"Alice!'-one boot came off with
4 jerk-"what insane whim drove
you out on the street such night as
this?" He flung its mate to the
turthest end of the room.
80 Mark" Mrs. Shelton's tempo
rary strength and courage was swift
ly vanishing, "are you going to fail?"
Mark instantly comprehended the
situation. She had heard the story Of
some his financial troubles, probablyin
distorted form, and the knowledge
had almost crazed her. He blamed
himself severely for keeping her in
ignorance of the truth. He always
had repugnance to womanly inter-
ference in business matters, but felt,
in justice to his wife's general wor-
thiness, he should have trusted her
in this emergency.
"Hush, Alice!"-for she was be-
ginning to sob hysterically-"you
must not be alarmed. If can raise
the money to pay off a note that falls
due tomorrow, l may weather the
panic yet"
allow much will you need?"
Her little face was upliftcd eager
ly.
"Four thousand dollars
"Is that all?" with little hysteri-
cal laugh. "'Then you won't fail; for
l have five thousand, all my own,
saved out Of the money you gave me
to spend on the house and myself.
Ah, Mark, you thought l had spent it!'
sAlice!''-Mark took the little
shivering form in his arms-''you are
worth your weight in gold!"
81 know it," slyly retorted Alice;
'but it has taken you five years to
find it ont. And, Mark, if you can
not cancel the rest Of your debts,
we'll sell the house and furniture and
live in room or two until the panic
is over; for you shall not fail"
Mark sent for a carriage, and they
went home through the white, noise
less streets, Alice recounting, AS they
went, the story she had heard in Mr..
Austin's perfumed library. AT its
conclusion she said:
s'It was cruel to keep me in the
dark so long, Mark. And never,
never treat me like a fool or child
again. For If l am soap-chandler's
daughter l have sense, and feeling,
and Judgment and discretion enough
to save something for a rainy day"
1t is needless to say that Mark re-
deemed his note, to the chagrin OF
some of his business rivals. who had
secretly gloated over his difficulties;
and, although his affection for his
wife was never dcmonstrative, the
care he took of her was wonderful,
for he had found that the price OF a
good wife is "above rubies."
A Lame Affair.