The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-06-08


The night of the Goth came. dark
stormy December night, the air flied
with snowtlakes, and the SKY gray and
overcast with heavy clouds
sit is going to be a terrible night, Marx \
Mrs, Shelton said to her husband. who sat
before the library fire, evidently absorbed
in the contents of the evening paper. II
have thought once or twice since com
menced dressing that would not 90 ont
tonight"
60. by all means, Alice; the carriage
| is close" her husband replied, glaucing
up at the trim little figure arrayed in a
! dark silk, retrimmed, with pale blush
roses, in her purplish-bla hair. and at
the white throat, halfveiled with flmy
lace. He smiled bitterly as he saw her go
ing out in her happy, childike innocence,
AS she might never 90 again, among peo-
pie who had no sympathy for failing mer-
chants, and who would not give his wife a
thought if she were not rich in this worlds
goods"
II wish you would go,n sho said, be-
secchlngiy, lingering at the door to adjust
her cloak, Mr.. Austin will be expecting
you"
Mr.. Shelton smiled. thinking, perhaps.
of the forbiddng face of Ii man Of whom
he had begged a loan Of that afternoon,
whose curt cannot spare dollar, SIR
rang in his ears yet. He arose from
his seat by the fire, and going over to
his wit.'s side fastened the warm wraps
closer bout her throat.
BE careful of yourself, little woman"
he said, with forced attempt at gayety;
land enjoy yourself, for it is utterly i'm
possible for me to go,'
He accompanied her to the carriage and
as he closed the door on the placid little
face he inwardiy mathematical the weak
ness that prompted him to withhold the
story OF his difficulties from her, when she
daily ran the risk of hearing it from lips
less liable soften its details Yet he still
hoped that the morrow would bring some
chance of redee ming his lost credit; al
though his efforts to raise the $1,000 due
on the 2lst were still unsuccessful He
WAS almost worn out with physical and
mental labor, yet he put on his hat and
overcoat, and dragged wearily down town
through the tast-tilling snow and murky
darkness. to spend the ireary hours Of his
Wltes absence, poring over ledgers in his
counting room.
Meanwhile, Mrs Mark Shelton not
quite satisfied with Marks strange freak"
as she called her husbands refusal to at
tend the party, was zealously trying to
feel at ease among Mrs. Austin's stylish
guests. For somehow, she felt depressed
and Ill at ease among the fashionables who
had hitherto welcomed her as the wife of
prominent young merchant who was
steadily rising to emlnence in the COM
mercial world. There was an undercur-
rent of GOODNESS in their greetings that her
sensitive nature detected instantly, and an
angry flush rose to her cheek when she
overheard a remark relating to Mrs Shell
toms old silk"
Il suppose my dress is not up to their
standard in point of elegance" she NUT
tered, bitterly; "but I'll never ruin Mark
with my extravaganza in dress-never !"
She slipped out of the gay, overcrowd-
cd parlors into the library, where she
found refuge behind the heavy hangings
OF bay window. She dropped into :; low
seat, and sat watching the streams OF gas
light tllckerlng across the street now an
klc deep with snow, wishing that Mark
would remember her orders and send the
carriage early. The heavy, sensuous odors
OF tropical plants filled the room with fra
ana snaanff m e nat dahest hs trek Rek aaa haE 9ff 81
waltz rose and fell the soft, voluptuous
cadences soothing her disturbed mind in
to Il calmness that was broken by the en-
trance Of two ladies, whose first words
chained Mrs. Shelton to her seat, aud held
her in the questionable light of an caves
dropper.
II was astoni5heI to see Mrs Mark Shell
ton out tonight" exclaimed the elder of
the two ladies, whose diamonds flashed in
the gas-light,
.NWhy ?'
"lIave you not heard? Why Mrs La
mar. Shelton is on the Verge Of bank
ruptcy"
"Mark Shelton? Impossible Why, he
chants in the city
"And was But he had lost credit some
how. lie had been on the streets for days,
trying to raise money to cancel most Of his
urgent debts; and wouldn't be surprised
if his wife did have to give up her stylish
home before the winter is over"
',She is nobody anyway. Her father was
only a soap chandler, and [ have often
wondered at Mark Shelton's taste in choos-
ing her for Il wife, "remarked Mrs Lamar,
who had once u decided fancy for Mark
herself
Soap chambers are rs good as other
men, provided they are sober and respect
able returned the lady with the dia-
monds, whose father had once been Il pea
nut vender, while Mrs. Lamar's ancestors
were famous for blue blood and reckless
dissipation,
II don't pity Mrs Shelton, thought
went on Mrs. Lamar, politely ignoring
the elder lady's home-thrust; ''lor | ex
pect she is Just like other women in the
same situation; Mark made oceans Of
money, and she spent it."
" Doubtless. just give any woman
that never had anything some money to
splurge on, and see how fast she'll 90
through it," laughed the elder lady, as
she gided out of the library, her rich
silks sweeping after her like purple bill
lows, while Mrs Lamer followed her like
a shadow. in her pale colorcd tarleton
robes.
Poor Alice Shelton had heard every
word, and sat perfectly still, with her
slim, white fingers clasped tightly to-
gether Every faculty Of her nature
seemed paralyzed by the intensity of
her emotions. Her honest, conscientious
heart was shocked at the hypocrisy Of
| two of her most intimate society friends,
and with the bitterness was mingled a
feeling of intense pity for Mark. who had
kept all this from her ears that she might
hear it from such uncharitable lips. Yer
lily, she thought, the world is vain show
and those who love it but moths tluttering
about its dazzling pleasures, only to have
their wings singed by the cruel tongues
of flame that leap up from envy, malice
and deceit.
Mark shall not fail" she said rising
up, with white. determined face II
will show them his wife is worthy of
him.
Needless of the gayety and warmth
around her. of The binding SHOWS stern
that was raging without Or the long snow
bound walk that lay between the Austin
mansion and her husbands warehouse,
she hurried up to the dressing room and,