Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-06-28

wife.
Only month! only month! my pulls
es seemed to beat; and as it happened we
were all busy upon large wedding order,
and l was stitching away at the white
satin skirt intended for the bride.
tried so hard to bear it, but / could
not; the rush of feeling was too great.
Another month and he was to have
fetched me to be his wife, and l had not
had an answer to my last two fond and
loving letters.
AS | said, l tried hard to bear it, but
could not, and sitting sob l hurried out
OF the work-room to reach my attic, throw
myself upon my knees by the bed, and
burylng my face IN my hands sobbed as
if my heart would break.
For terrible thought would come now,
fight against it as l would" Jack has
grown tired OF waiting, and has married
another
l fought so hard with the disloyal
thought, but it would come, and was
sobbing passionately, when l felt soft
arm steal round my neck, tender cheek
laid to mine, and found my poor tear
dewed face drawn down upon the bosom
of Mary Sanders, who had stolen out OF
the work room, and come up to try and
comfort me.
" Pray, pray, don't fret, my darling"
she whispered. Madame will be so
cross. Those wedding things must be in
by tonight, and they want you TO help
try them ON
/ don't know how / got through that
day and night, but believe | did such
duties as were expected from me mechan-
ically, or as if had been in dream, and
at night | lay wakeful and weary, with
aching eyes and heart, thinking of that
dreadful idea tina was trying to force it.
self upon ne.
| waited till the three years bad ex-
pirsd, and then, with what anguish of
heart no words could tell, | wrote to Jack
agaln-my fourth letter-begging him
imploring him, to answer me, if but to
tell me he was weary of his promise and
wished to be set free and then, making a
super human effort over myself, waited,
waited, month by month, for an answer
though | knew that ii must be at least
six months before one could come.
l had given up expecting one in the
interim, and was too proud to send to
his relatives-distant ones, whom | had
never seen, and who had probably never
heard OF me. The thought had taken
root now and grown to a feeling of Ger.
tainty but waited for my answer
Three months--siX months--nine
months passed away, and hope was dead
within my heart. They said Ihad grown
much older and more careworn. Madame
said worked too hard, and the sharp
business woman became quite mOtherly in
her attentions to me. But | would not
take any change, for work was like balm
to me; it blunted my thoughts; and Know.
ing that | was daily growing pale and
thin, still waited
| knew the girls used to whisper to.
gether about me and think me strange,
but no one knew my secret-not even
Madame, who had NOR, than once sought
my confidence; and so twelve months
passed away-four years since Jack had
left me.
1t was not to day, but very nearly to
the time when he had parted from me,
and 1t was almost two years since | had
heard from him. | was trying hard to
grow patiert and contented with my lot,
for Nine. Granger had gradually taken
to me, and trusted me, making me more
and more her right hand, when one glo-
rlous spring morning, as | was coming
out of the breakfast room to go upstairs
to work, she called me in her little snug
gerry, where she sat as rule and at
tended to her customers letters, for she
had an extensive clientele, and carried on
business in a large private mansion in
Welbeck street
"Grace, my dear" she said, taking
me in her arms and kissing me, it wor-
ries me to see you look so ILL., Now what
do you say to a fortnight in the coun.
tryy"
A fortnight in the country. and at her
busiest time, with the London season
coming on.
| thought of that, and then, as glanced
round at the flowers and inhaled their
scents, the bright fields near Templemore
Grange tloated before my dimming eyes,
feeling OF suiiocation came upon me,
and the room seemed to swing round.
believe that for the first time in my life
should have tainted, so painful were the
memories evoked by her words, when a
sharp knock and ring at the door echoed
through the house, following instantly upon
the dull fall of letter and the sharp click
OF the letter box.
1t was like an electric shock to me, and
without word | darted into the hall
painting with excitement, aud nay hand at
my throat to tear away the sitting SEN
sation.
But il was a letter. | could see il
through the glass in the letter-box, and
| seized it with trembling hands, inspired
as It were by some strange power.
Jack, dear Jack, at last" | gasped rs
turned it over and saw il was strange.
blue, ofiicisliooking letter, formally di-
rected to me.
Even that did not surprise me- 1t was
from Jack, knew, and | tore open the
blue envelope
Yes, knew IT, The inner envelope
was covered with Austrian postmarks,
and, ignorant as might be OF its con-
-.