Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1875-10-21

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Advertisements for three months or longer will
Inserted at lower rates
him absent, he inquired for the gentle-
mans wife, and was admitted AS he
was handsomely dressed, and bore the
appearance of man of substance, the
lady Supposed that he had business
with her husband, and told him where
the latter could be found Still the
stranger stayed; and continued the
conversation, with such strange twin.
kle in his eyes that the lady was dis
concerted His elegant broadcloth and
massive gold chain at last grew to
look suspicious. Finally the stranger
said:
madame, don't yon know met"
81 cannot say that do" was the req
ply.
"Did you never hear of Albert Hall7"
"You don't mean old Albert Hall 2"
"The very same -s
ayes, knew him. He was a WORTH
les scoundrel Who deserted his wife and
babies"
81 am Albert Hail." was the quiet
reply.
Il don't believe" was the emphatic
rejoinder. She then examined him
more closly. Abort Hall had been
very tall and slender, and his cheeks
bore just the suspicion of whskers
when she had last seen him. This man
was tall; but his frame had filed out
and his figure substantial A full
beard, slightly tinged with gray, fell
upon his breast. Undeniably he was
handsome, "a the fugitive had also been.
There was no recognition, however, so
far But there was one feature which
age could not dim nor change. The
missing mail had ali eagle eye, sharp
and piercing, and just such eyes as his
were now looking into her own. The
evidence of these mute witnesses grew
overwhelming. The lady was cons
! vinced. Il believe she said slowly
but with emphasis,
''YoU ARE ALBERT HALF
A few questions and answers abodt
the people and events of thirty one
years before, made conviction a Ger
tainty. The returning prodigal had
called upon her husband, as one of his
earliest and most intimate friends, to
! learn of the whereabouts of his family.
He had heard that his wife was mar.
ried, and was frank enough to express
his belief that she had found in her
second venture better husband than
! he had ever been. His son lie was an
xious to meet. For the rest he cared
but little. His lot apparently had
become that of an Ishmaeiite in broad
cloth.
When questioned about his WANDER
ings Mr.. Hall failed to give satisfactory
replies. He had grown weary Of the
hum drum life of home, he SAID, and
thought that his wife would be better
off without him. What had he been
doinge He had been in business of
one kind and another, travelling over
every portion of the United States, but
never touching New York, and only
venturing into Grange county a few
months before to make some inquiries
of certain OF his wife's old friends
about his wife and those who used to
be intimate at his house That visit
had impellel him to come to the city
and make himself known. IL have
done little of everything" he said,
Except drinking and getting married.
AS to his wife, he should never trou-
BILE her. He had no visit to Interfere
with her domestic relations. Deliber~
ately and wiltully he had forfeited all
claims upon her lifetime before. This
was all that could be cleaned by the
lady at that time, and by her husband
III subst buent INTERVENE, concerning
the wanderinys of the absentee. Roll
ing stones generally gather no moss,
but Hall appeared to be we'll supplied
with money and acted like a man of
means
The next act in this strange domes-
tic drama was the meeting Of the long
separated family: Unlike the hero OF
Tennysons poem, the New York
Eroch Arden did not content himself
with peeping through windows and
sentimentalizing in the street. Mr..
Albert Hall, ST., on the contrary, pros
ceeded at once to introduce himself to
Mr.. Albert Hall, Jr., and with such
paternal persuasiveness as opened to
him a home Under his sons roof Two
of his sons children were sick at the
time, and the house soou became a
scene of sad affection. The little ones
died. At the bedside of one Of the
dying children the long parted
HUSBAND AND WIFE MET.
There was no outward sign of any
nearer recognition than that OF old ac-
aualntances who had so long been
strangers that former familiarity had
lapsed out Of memory. II any OF the
old love survived il gave no outward
sign of its existence. The twain who