Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1877-04-18

which seems to have fallen upon your
life, crushing out it's Joy and hope? +
love you, Madeline; my love gives me
the right to know. Or, if you will not
tell me, give me the right to WOO back
the sunshine to your heart and life. Be
my wife, Madeline"
In the dim twilight that had fallen
upon the earth, while they stood there,
he could see the pallor that stole over
her face, the startled, terrified look in
her eyes.
ooh, hush You do not know what
you are saying. can not, must not
listen to you. If you only Knew Mr..
Kingsley, I have no right to listen to
you. L already am a wife,"
She did not heed his start of sur
prise, she did not once raise her eyes
to the face whose pallor eoualled that
of her own; but keeping them fixed on
the dark shadow that hickered on the
greensward, she went on calmly and
gravely like one who relates narrative
of common place incidents in which he
has no personal interest.
eyes, I have deceived you all. Your
sister engaged me as governess for her
children without recommendation she
is kind and tender hearted, and she
pitied my homeless and friendless con-
dition. did not tell her of my mar
rage, because it was SO painful for me
to speak it. I wished to forgot it all,
and go back to my girlhood days if I
could. Twas married when was only
sixteen, against my fathers will; I was
scarcely more than child, and willful
and foolish. There was some excuse
for me; | had never known mothers
care, and my father was a stern, grave
man, who, if he loved me never showed
his affection by the fond words and
tender care that win child's love and
confidence, and it was so new and de-
lightful to me to be loved, as I thought
he-Arthur Nelson-loved me; I think
still that he loved me as much as he
was capable of loving. We were mar
ried privately, and [ left my fathers
house. He was very kind to me at
first but before We had been married
a year I discovered his true character.
He was drunkard and gambler.
Sometimes for weeks together did
not see him, and when he did come
home it would be with harsh words and
terrible oaths on mis- lips. I think the
agony [ felt in those two terrible years
crushed all feeling in my heart; even
the terrible shock that came afterward
did not move me. He was carousing
one night with some of his drunken
companions, when they got into a quar-
rel about some trife, and he, my hus-
band, mad with liquor, stabbed one of
the men and killed him. I never saw
him after that night. I don't know
how he escaped from them then, but
he came home to me thoroughly
sobered by his terror, and told me what
he had done, and that officers were al
ready on his track; but that he had
friends, his own family, who, for the
sake Of their own honor, if for no other
reason, would conceal him from detc-
ton. And so he went, leaving me utterly
penniless and alone. The woman with
whom we had boarded was very kind,
and stayed with her long time; I
got some sewing from the shops, and
| paid her little something for my
| board. [ was not unhappy while [
stayed there. had no feeling, as /
told you, but all energy and hope were
dead. But she-the woman with whom
I had boarded-died, and I was obliged
to seek some refuge from starvation;
my father was dead, and I had no
friends; | saw your sisters advertise
ment for gOverness, and answered it.
I have been content here; I have been
awakening from the sort of dream into
which had fallen; do not allow N.Y.
self to think of the past, nor of what
my life might have been but for that
| terrible mistake of my girlhood, but
| for the suffering that crushed youth,
and hope, and Joy in my heart. You
| know now why [ have do heart to dress
myself in gay bright robes, and that I
wear this dark gray dress as a sort of
emblem of my life, not like black, as q
token of deep sorrow and mourning
that may pass away, but of a sadness
that is calm and peaceful, but utterly
hopeless"
The face into which she looked as
she ceased speaking was pale and
rigid, and the lips were tightly COM
pressed, but he said, quietly, in a voice
that was calm and unfaltering:
You said that his-your husbands
name was Nelson p
"Arthur Nelson %
"You are sure that that was his real
name? Might he not have given you
an assumed one"
"I don't know. Possibly; I never
thought of that" she said, in the same
tone of careless indif erence.
81 have had some sorrow in my own
life," he continued, in the same quiet,
grave tone, ga trouble strangely like
your own. Perhaps you did not know
that had g. brother. There were four
of us, and we were left orphans when
we were very young; Alice, Mrs. Ruth
erford, was only ten years old, and
Nina was an infant of a few months.
My brother was three years younger
than I, bright, roguish fellow, who
had always been the pet Of the family,
but he grew up to be wild and dissipat-
ed. He left his home when he was six
teen years old, and for years we heard
nothing from him; but at last, about
two years ago, he came to us, seeking
refuge and protection; we could gath
or nothing from his wild story eYco,,t