Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1875-09-29
VOL. 7O.-350S. NO. 50.

CALAMITY, but the tide was strong Ono
night a strange unrest took possnssion of
bertha She wondered what had tent him
silent She had sent her weekly letter fnu
oil pretty little sentences, carefully written
as one writes who Is anxious 10 please bnt
no word had come. The sen seemed saddle
than usual. 10 broke upon the beach win,
long lament. 1t seemed to Bertha tbaf
| there was trouble in the air, and she tiem.
bled for him, her husband
| The next morning She went down aliiroI
for travelling. She was going home. There
was a little choking in her throat n. She
said the words. She had only now begun TO
realize how dear home was to her.
All day she Travelled, and IL was after dark
when she entered her own house. She
asked for Mr. Archibald. and was told that
ne had not been home for three days. some
thing must be wrong, she was sure She
went into his study it was dusty and desc
late. Her last letter lay unopened upon his
desk. She ate q littlo supper and then she
went up stairs TO rest, charging the servants.
II Mr.. Archibald came, to say nothing of her
presence in the house.
She threw herself down upon her bed. and
began to think What was this that She felt
for George Archibald Was not this love
at last, sweet, though late Now. indeed.
she knew that he was more to her than ali
the world besides, that she would rather
nave INN poor than any one else rich-rather
share his sorrows whatever thew miqht be-
than rejoice with another
My husband " she whispered over and
over to herself and then she added. half
AFRAID Of the too sweet words, My love
Thinking Of him, she fell asleep az last,
and slept for while very soundly Meau-
while the evening wore late, and the SER
ants shut up the house and went TO bed l,
was almost midnight when George Archi-
bald let himself in with his latch.key, and
| went into his study. lie took up Bertha's
| letter, which lay there still, aud then laid 81
down again, shaking as one who looks ON
death.
" Poor girln he said. " 1t wa, this ho.ae
she loved and married, not me and now all
is lost, and | can never make it M to her
again--never."
And then he bowed his head on his folded
arms, and the great black wave of ruin
reaching him at last surgcd over him.
II was just then that something awokn
| Bertha from her deep sleep She was SUI
persttious-a7, at heart, most women are
and it seemed to her that something stood
beside her in the darkness, and whispered
/ her to come.
| Noselessly She descended the stairs aud
entered the study. She saw the figure there.
with the head bent in that awful, passionate
stiffness of grief At first she trenbad and
thought she could not intrude upon that ter
rible stillness-she who had been his house
mate but never his other self Then the
something that had led her down there
seemed to lead her on. II was an influence
outside herself, she always felt. 4 courage
came to her born Of her love, his need-who
knew what She went up to him. and pat
her hand on his PROSTATE head.
Mr. Archibald " she said, and then.
moment after, " George my husband!
He started to his feet and saw her there
before him in her white dfessing.gown.
with her long, soft hair falling, a duslty veil,
about her shoulders. lie thought he had
never known before that she was so beaut-
full, and the sight gave him a keen and sud
den pain. lie took her hands, and made her
sit down.
You here, Bertha?" he said, and his
voice was hoarse with the effort he made to
keep it steady. | thought you were in
Newport, How came you here just now
had strange, restless night, last
night" she answered, humbly-for it seemed
to her that he was blaming her" and /
could not stay away any longer, felt that
something was the matter at home"
All, it is well you came, perhaps. You
must have known the worst soon and there
may be arrangements You will wish to make
before this house is closed
"Closed George, are you going away
ts-st, an- % Foil"ra aI,r av,arifnsnt ." she
and a flush that burned like fever on her
cheek.
Yes, it is all failure" he answered
hardly knowing how sharply be spoke, in his
l. J l.
know, | suppose, for you are woman, that
New York has been shaken for the last three
days with panic. 1t has rocked like
ship in gale of wind. Scores have gone
down to ruin. am ruined too. / do not
care for myself but how shall | make it up
to you ? You married me for this home,
these things around you, and now they are
all swept away. have nothing with which
to console you. What shall | give you in
exchange for these things for which you gave
yourself ?"
Bertha sank down at his feet, and laid
her humble head upon his knee.
" You cannot give me anything she
said, "unless you love me. If only you
loved me, | should not mind, for have
learned what love means now
" BE careful, Bertha Archibald he said,
" that You mean what you say. There are
some deceits no man could bear. DO you
mean that you love me--iore me 2"
"Yes."
" DO you remember that June night when
you said to me-ah, how fair and cold in
the white moonlight you looked when you
said it l-and Gyou loved me it would mean
/ that you preferred poverty with me to pros
perity with any one else; that You would
/ like to share my life, whatever it might be
You said you did not feel for me like that
then do you mean that you feel so now 2"
Yes, yes, yes,' she whispered
Bertha" he said, " | am ruined man
"No man is ruined She answered, who
has honor and honesty good repute and
strong hands and-love.'
This home must be given up
"l should hate it if we kept it. Ii would
forever reproach me with the thought that
for it | married you though indeed, George,
| do not think | quite knew myself, even
then. ! can go back and stay with Harry
and Maria till you establish yourself again"
Not if know it, Mrs Archibald. You
have just said that you would like to share
my life, whatever it might be; and that is
what propose that you shall do. We can
| pay everything if we give up this house, and
/ have a small surplus left. And then, together,
we will begin again. DO you think | fear
ANYTHING now, when for the first time have
! truly won my wife ~
Early in November the Arehibalds were
| settled in their new home--a little apartment
of three rooms, made pretty with the pret-
| tiest adouments Of their old residence
! Here bird sang IN the window above
| fernery, which, no doubt, he thought would
prove to be the land of his nativity, il only
he could get down to its bright verdure. Here
pictures hung upon the walls and books
/ filed the many bookcases, aud dainty china
attested the dainty tastes of Mistress Bertha.
/ Here she gave her husband his morning eggs
and coffee, which her own hands prepared.
Here she read, or sewed, or dreamed like
happy girl the day through, aud then waited
eager with welcome, for him to come home
at night and take her out 10 dine. And what
gay, bright little dinners they had, trying
| different restaurants, and going to one place
when they felt rich, and another when they
felt poor They were like two happy chill
dren together,
Perhaps the love which lightened Archi-
bad's tolls made hard tasks easy for him;
and then energy and probity have always
their own market value. AT any rate he
succeeded beyond his best expectations, and
a few weeks ago he told Bertha he could
make a home again for her now, not one so
l u & II Int al. t,1aa