The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1875-09-29


in thought he furnishes in tongue.
Tom was good specimen of the
business men of the city. He was
well posted in The events of the day,
an earnest advocate Of such measures
as he approved Of, but a man who
could not, OF would not, talk when he
had nothing to say. His idea of be-
ling sociable was TO take hearty in
terest in the personal welfare of his
] COM pany, and Tot in ehattering
like magpie.
As said before, | was Toms
best man; when they were married,
and when their boy was christened
he had my name tackled on for a han
die. Up to this time. and for a few
years afterwards. | think they were
as happy as the average among mar
ried people; but there gradually came
a change over Tom that | could not
account for, until be informed me,
one day, that every thing was not
quite as it should be at home.
| can't remember now whether |
was surprised or not. There are too
many cases of material unhappiness
upon every court calendar, for a law
yer to be surprised at hearing of one
more. l think | puffed away at my
cigar vigorously and kept a wise
silence. Tom was silent too, Cor
some time after his disclosure, al least
he turned to me with question.
What would you do, Ed.n
DO your best to remove the tT0u-
ble."
"I've been doing my best for over
year, and things grow worse all the
time"
You are sure you are not light
ling a creature Of your own magma
tion?"
Quite sure"
Il can't advise you Tom
We sat and smoked quite 9 while /
longer, but neither spoke until Tom /
threw away bis cigar with sigh, I
and babe me goodnight He had /
not given me any clue to lis troubles, /
and | was glad of it. | think I con-
graduated myself upon the fact that 1
| had DO wife, snd then dismissed the I
subject from my mind as much as / /
could
Seeing Tom during the next few /
DAYS, | car fully avoided all allusion
to his home matters, and so did he /
| might have put it down to some
triaing misunderstanding betwee
them, but | had call from Maria,
and the trouble az once became a
real thing. She was i'll at ease, and /
| did not help her to become less SO. |
At last she asked if | had been talk
ing with Tom lately | replied that
| had seen about as much Of him a.
usual
Have you had any confidential |
talk with him? she asked.
"All our talk is confidential" | |
answered.
Did he say anything Of home |
troubles?''
He has given me no particulars !
Of such troubles"
"But he told you that we were not
happy"
'He said something that gave me
the impression that you were not quite |
happy"
"But he did not tell you the cause
of our unhappiness:"
He did not"
There was silence between Us for
several moments At last she seemed
to have braced herself for the purpose
Of hef visit.
"We are not suited to each other"
she said, with spasmodic energy
I'VE ought never to have married.
She looked at me as if waiting for
a question, but | remained silent.
I'VE are unlike in every thing"
SIC continued II feel as if l was
b Jag dragged down into moth n yness.
Tom eats, and sleeps, and works He |
takes me to nothing scarcely, and |
when he does be goes to sleep in 6 |
corner, until | waken him to bring me
home l am sick of my life, and / |
want to change it."
Still | made no suggestion.
Tom thinks q woman ought 10
feel herself in Paradise if she has bat
a child to care for. | sometimes
think | hate the boy. l know that
be is exactly like his father, and l do
not care for him"
She stopped, as if expecting me to
say something; but as | did not, she
went on again.
Tom ean have his boy, and
want to go back to nay fathers.
have spoken TO him and be viii take
me-"
She stopped again. l neither en-
cOuraged her to continue or to be 81
lent.
Il want you to speak to Tom, " she
said.
Il decline to do anything Of the
kind, l answered, emphatically.
You think me entirely to blame?"
sne remarked q1estioningly.
Il think you are entirely to blame"
| answered
you never thought me good
enough for Tom" she said, rather
sneeringly.
Whatever | may have thought Is
of 40 consequence; but am sure now
that you are not good enough for
Tom
WELL said she, "that point is not
worth disputing over. l have made
up nv mind to separate from bin, and
| thought be would rather hear ii
from you than through another. II
you decline to tell him, l mnst send 1
some one else 10 him. II
II do decline to be the bearer OF
any such intelligence" l answered. I.
Il see you have made up your mind
in regard to your future, and | do
not take it upon me to advise or warn
you; but, as believe there is q jus,
God in Heaven, so | believe the time
will come when you will beg on your
bended knees, and with a broken
heart, to have these DAYS blotted out [
of your life, and your prayers viii /
only mock you with their misery" +,
Her face grew pale as | went on,