The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1875-04-01

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gns Sc alistre dR
once 6Hately edso;
butl SIwais Lar ;
pleai son ehl Sers =
s1d ,ss3fSS7ii;5f,eI s -
"a - ios' & 3 =
were co.'s bited aiast me I'D grad
ually there grew into my heart a
fierce hatred for them both which of
course made me very miserable.
'Iooking back nov can see that
at first much of my trouble arose
from unguarded jealousy and passion
for I had no suspicion of the real
state of affairs. 1t was not until af-
ter the birth of my baby and the
lingering illness that followed that
the real.truth began to dawn upon
me. 1t was.tormeut incxpressiblc to
lie in bed, helpless, entrusted to the
sole care of a nurse and know that
my husband was in the company of
that woman whom l hated so. In
the long evenings / could hear the
hum of their voices in the parlor be-
low and the nervous, restless nights
that were sure to follow greatly re-
tardcd my recovery. Often at twi-
light they would walk up and down
the yard, and sometimes as they
passed my window Iwould catch low
and tender tones of voice that |
thought had been used only for me.
Once there were words Of affection so
distinct that they could not be mis-
understood, and after that | could not
name the horrible suspicion that |
would intrude upon every thought
for that she was a guilty creature to.
thus endure the caresscs Of married
man, ] did not doubt.
"Still.it would not do to proclaim
what | 50 thoroughly believed and an
attempt to dismiss her from the.
house would invoke a REVELATION of
all my suspicious, of which there
was no substantial proof and which
probably no one would believe after
all. Thus l. lived a most wretched
life, finding MY only consolation in
my little son. Ny husbands tender
Observation-Disclosures
cd but the'heartless dissimulation of
an unprinciplcd libertine. | could
not diSSemble the hard thoughts that
were in my heart, and 50 grew NOR
cse and distant toward them all
As might have been supposed, to the
relatives and friends who visited at
the house, the stern, reserved woman
who had kept her room and rarely
smiled was not judged a very pleas
ant wife and Miles received much
sympathy from allhisfricndS. When
my baby was a year old, God took
him out from our wretched home.
| think Miles grieved as much as ],
for he was passionatcly fond Of his
little boy, but | would not allow his
tears to mingle with mine and rcso-
lutely shut myself in my own room
there to await alone the feeling Of
the days that contained such griev-
Gus chastening. On one of the mis-
cradle evenings that intervened be-
fore the funeral, l stood at the open
window, fearless, watching the out
coming stars and thinking that to-
morrow night my little boy would
sleep beneath their faithful guardian
ship, when scene forced itself upon
me at which l was then almost too
stupifed to wonder.
Miles came YEARLY up one of the
graveled walks and seated himself in
seeming dependence upon a rustic
bench. Miss Slayton followed, pla-
cling herself by his side, though she
did not speak to him, as he sat with
his head upon his hands.
"My poor wife! my heart aches for
hcr!" | heard him murmur at last.
And then Miss Slayton's voice said
sneeringly:
"Your wife, indeed! All, Miles
Clerris, if she only knew" was ad-
ded in softer tone. Presently she
moved nearer and leaned lovingly
against him while her hand rested
upon his. Icould not hear the words
she uttered, but he started up angri-
ly cxclaiming:
"a curse upon you! [ defy youh
and pushing her from him he walk
ed away and stood leaning against
the trunk of the old elm. She fol-
lowed.
"You defy me! You have perhaps
forgotten this little document" And
she held up something.
He seemed aStonished, and almost
hissed between his shut teeth: ''Iou
have lied to me-"
"You were a fool to think.I would
ever lose sight ofthis," was the taunt-
ing reply.
He grasped for it and selling hera
little struggle ensued, but she broke
from him and ran into the house and
! heard her go into her room. Miles,
too, soon walked away. Still l stood
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