Litchfield enquirer., 1877-12-27
WHOLE NO. 269l

! 4 E H fore you came to this neighborhoOd- You nev- ! CT saw her mother. She was dead before you came Her father, when he was dying, last year, married to you though Alice then was. made me promise that would always De a friend to her"
 John Maine, my boy, mind what you are sayingi"
 q am saying what is true. He knew your violent temper. He knew your suspicious na- ture He knew she and you were not living as happily together as youmight. He told me he dreaded something like what has happened, for he knew her quick temper, too. He knew her firery, ungovernable outbursts, and he told me, George Henslow, thatshe would run away from you, and his prophecy has come true"
 '.And did he prophecy she would run away
 to yosT' ~-,s- t,....
 HShe has not run away to me- The night
 she left your house, or rather the morning she came to Daisy Farm, think she was Q little disturbed in her reason. She spoke wildly and acted wildly; Iimplored her togo back, tput
 horse in the gig to bring her back but ahe went down on her knees and begged of me by
 all that is sacred to let her stay, or, if would
 not let her stay to let her go free, but not con- 1 pei her to go home. think she was mad. F ] think she is not quite responsible Tor her acts | Poor Aiicei let her stay. I called up old 1 Nellie, gave Alice in charge to her and from | l not mine. For left it then, and have not en- | tered it since, or seen your wife since, except | for few minutes this evening. Take your hand off my arm. am not accustomed to be held.'' '..
 ''You're a liar '"
 ''Take your hand off; don't like being l held."
 You're liarI say" f. 1 With a sudden backward spring the young Al., .og l then, throwing downward all the weight of
 his own body he succeeded in bending almost
 to the ground Seizing an ankle of Henslow's l in each hand, with supreme effort of the muscles in the back he raised the man bodily
 in the air, two feet of the ground, sprang pace back, so as to swing the man clear of him
 and held the ankles until the head had swept
 halfway round in the arc, let go, and as the other fell heavily on his back with a sound
 half -gelatinous, half-metallic Maine leaped
 upon him, and, before recovery front the shock was possible, secured his hands behind his
 back with his braces.
 Henslow washalf-stunned, and did not strug gle. When he recovered he sat up. Maine assisted him to his feet, and and for long
 time neither spoke.
 "Henslow," at length began the younger
 man, ''don't allow yourtemper to lead you in- to any mere trouble. Surely owe you no grudge personally. She is one of the best wo-
 men in all the world know her failing It
 was the terror of her parents. When heard you and she were to be married, Ifelt inclined ! to come between you"
 s'But waited until after we had been mar | ried, youcowardly scoundrel. Unite my hands! Loose my hands, 1 say l or shall throw my 1 self upon you and grind you to death on the
 road"
 He struggled wildly to no purpose. II did not come between you and, her. Your
 own shameful violence caused all the evil. Do
 you know what she raved of that night she
 came? Do you know the bar you have plac- ed between her and you? Do you know what | made her fly from your house that night? Or
 were you s6carried away by your fatal temper
 as to be unconscious of what you did, unable | to recall what you have done| | The bound man shuddered slightly, but
 made no reply.
 "She was a sweet girl, HenslOw, when she
 married you, and if you had not an infirmity
 such as hers, if you had been more gentle man. you might have stolen the dangerous fire out of her nature. But you two were fire and
 tow. You famed one another into violence, and in the end, on that dreadful night, you 90
 far forgot your manhood as to raise your hand | and str"
 'sNo, no not thGt! did not. Don't say that. Maine, you know my curse. Forget what have said. Forget and forgive am sorry, deeply sorry, for all that has happened
 here tonight. will do anything you wish, l
 will make any apology you like. ! swear to l be better, kinder husband to Alice, 1T she will only come and live with me. I'm not | ard-hearted, but when my temper is aroused see nothing, hear nothing, count no chances,
 remember nothing. Do what you will with
 me, Maine, but don't tell me did that. Don't unman me forever. Say you wanted only to | frighten me into better behavior" Maine was mute.
 ''Oh, this is the worst of all Maine, if the
 suspicious which were in my mind when l lay | in wait for you here had proved true l should
 have killed you, andthenmyself. But would
 not harm her. Now, if what you hint is true there is no cure. Nothing can undo blow. am everlastingly inthe wrong. could easi- 1 ly bear the thought of dying, but dying will not undo this. Dying will not undo this!" The younger man united the hands, and the two turned back towards the village. 'I cen l go to the Moor House in the morning, Thought l Maine. 'I can explain all and get rid of my hideous burden" As they walked on at differ ent sides of the road, he said aloud when they ! had gone some distance, 'I wrote letter to you tonight before leaving Barrowleigh. For
 tunately it is in the right pocket of my coat. | Will you have it now?"
 'Yes. Maine you are a good man. Win you shake hands with me.
 ''Most gladly"
 Each crossed halfway, they met and shook
 hands, Henslow held the others hand long while. You were going to see her tonight
 Lisette" they both turned round. | "YeS."
 'sYou are a noble-hearted fellow, Maine, and | I am pitiful wretch, heartless scoundrel" l 'tHush don't say such things. All may be l we'll yet I will tell you the contents of that letter. When learned from Alice that you had discovered her hiding g-place, made up | my mind to two things-to send her away to
 some distant place in the morning, and tO see
 you in the course of the day." 'sWhat did you want tos me about? Don't
 spare me-. Tell me all"
 | q would not then have thought 1t wise for her to go home, after being SO long away from home, until something like an explanation had
 been made, something like reconciliation ef- | fected Henslow, if you could only make up | your mind to see her and treat her tenderly at | the meeting, think all might be forgiven. | ! know, after the horrible lesson you have been
 taught, you will give way less than of old
 ''Maine, you do not know how love her | still. We have quarreled, and when l lose my
 temper nothing that is good remains with me;
 but if this could only be made up. If slle | would only forgive, and come home :"
 oas1 think she will"
 l He pressed the others hand passionalely,
 and sobbed. Then they separated, and keep l ing different sides of the road, walked hack
 with few more words to Barrowleigh. sa 4ra s4 . loTk lee- f.. V.ma