The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1877-10-18

L
in the words, but 1 fell upon the floor,
fainting dead away, and 1 never saw
him again. Nothing made any differ
ence to me then. Mark was very ten
der to me in those days. felt as if he
ought to hate the sight of me. It was
five years before married him. Inever
loved him; but he was nearer than any
one else. l should never have married
him but for messages of something lit
tie short of hatred which he brought
me from the prison. Why do tell you
all this, my dears?'' she said, suddenly
stopping. "And Mr.. Stephen, too?
Only, perhaps, because you are part
of my life now-you and he-and this
life is as real to me now as that. That?
No, that is a dream; as the dying do not
weep, SO the old do not suffer
in RELIEVING the past. 1t is no
longer my story; there is no sacred
secrecy about it; it is the story
of that young girl of whom I spoke to
you. Nell-to go on. Perhaps it was
because he knew did not love him;
perhaps he wearied of me; perhaps to
see me only recalled to him his crime.
We've were not happy together. We
lived a long life of wretchedness. Yet,
being his wife, l tried-yes, l tried
never to fail in my duty. l bore with
him. .nursed him faithfully in those
final years of nervous illness that wore
him to his death and nearly ruined me.
1t was the last day that, pillowed in
his bed, his CHASTITY face like death re-
animated, he told me his secret. All
his life he had lived in luxury; his table
had been sumptuous with meats and
wines; his horses had been fleet; his bed
had been of down; he had married the
woman he loved; he had wealth, free
dom, all mems honor. His brother, :"
she said, again with that dry sob, chad
prison cot, prison fare, solitude, la
Dor, chains, all mems contumely and
contempt; yet, of the two, his brother
lot had been the best; he had lain ON
roses where Mark had lain on red-hot
Goals. Though grief and loss and want
have been his-he had had the proud
inward consciousness of innocence.
For it was Mark who was the felOn,
who was the murderer. 1t was my
husband who had killed Ralph. His
elder brother, in that great love of his,
had taken all the burden, and Mark had
let him do it." Mrs. Dalrymple was
silent again, and we did not disturb
her. "Oh, it was hard to forgive him!'
she cried. "Have 1 forgiven him? 1
do not know But with what mad haste
wrote out the statement, called for
witnesses, read it to him before them,
made him sign it with his dying
hand! Was it cruel? Oh, he
had been doubly cruel! The pen
dropped from his fingers with
the last faint stroke. l bent and kissed
him then, and took his head on my
breast He looked up in my face with
such relief in his tortured eyes-and
then he was dead. I published that
statement up and down. I went TO the
prison to tell his brother, and to make
preparation for his freedom; for al
though we were both so old-sixty sad
years had we seen at least-there was
time yet for q little happiness in the
better world. He had been pardOned
two. years before, and,had gone no one
knew whittier. When hope is dead,
you live dull, colorless life; but when
hope has been uplifted only to be de-
stroyed-ah. that is ruin! But one is
old. one outlives everything. So I
came over here among my mothers
people, a thousand miles from the
places had known all my days. l
left all his fortune untouched; l brought
only my own. The house goes to
pieces, the gardens are overgrown, the
place is haunted, by its sorrows. But
here found happiness; here I found
you, my children; here found pleas
ant neighbors, and you. Mr., Stephen.
NV heart is satisfied. have no wants.
These last years are full of peace. u 81 /
"Are full Of peace" said Mr.. Steph-
en-. The wind blew q shutter open; a
broad full moopbeaim- came in and over
laid him as he sat bolt-upright in his
chair, his face as white as cere-cloth.
!" You look like ghost, MIR. Steph-
en-" said + +
IL am . ghost" he cried the
ghost Of dead happiness = Margaret
he cried, half rising, has it never
crossed your mind that I am kefe?''-
Hnrnefs2 AuE0Fss-as - xxs,