The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1877-03-29


carriage wheel touched the curbstone
and rushed up to my husbands room
The door was locked butt could sees
light shining family under the thresh-
old. 1 knocked wildly and persist
emily.
"Geraldl dear Gerald for heavens
sake, let me imp
Something fell on the marble hearth.
stone within, making a metallic clink
and my husband opened the door a lit.
tie way. had never seen him look SC
pale before, or SO rigid, yet SO deter,
mined.
"Who are you ?" he demanded wildly.
"Why can not you leave me alone in
peace f'
sit is l, Gerald-yeur Madelins-your
own little WIFE"
And caught from his hand the pistol
he was striving to conceal in his breast
its mate lay on the marble hearth, under
the mantel-and flung it out of the win.
dow.
"Gerald, would you have left me?"
al would have escapedp he cried, still
half delirious, to all appearance. debt
disgrace - misery-her reproaches
ALI l should have escapedr'
His head fell like that of weary child
on my shoulder. 1 drew him gently to a
sofa, and soothed him with thousand
murmured words, a thousand mute Ca
ressesl For had it not been altogether
my fault?
And through all the long weeks that
followed, 1 nursed him with unwavering
care and devotion. Ihad but one thought
-one desire-to redeem myself in his es-
timation; to prove to him that 1 was
something more and higher than the
mere butterfly of fashion had hitherto
showed myself.
Well, the March winds had howled
themselves away into their mountain
fastnesses; the brilliant April rain-drops
were dried on bough and spray; and now
the apple-blossoms were tossing their
fragrant billows of pinky bloom in the
deep blue air of latter May.
Where were we now?
1t was aapicturesque little villa, not
far out of London, furnished very like a
magnifed playhouse. Gerald sat in a
cushioned easy chair in the garden, just
where he could glance through the open
window at me, working busily with my
needle.
"What an industrious fairy it isl" he
said, smiling sadly.
"Well, you see I like it! It's a great
deal better than those sonatas on the
pianop
"Who would ever have thought that
you would make so notable little house
keeperp
laughed gleefully; 1 had all child's
delight in being praised.
care you not going to Miss Delancey's
croquet party?' he asked.
"No; what do care for croquet
parties? / am going to finish your shirts
and you'll read aloud to me"
Madeline, want you to answer me
one question"
"What is 7'
"What have you done with your dia
monds?"
81 sold them long ago they paid sew
eral heavy bills, besides settling half {
years rent here"
"But, Madeline, you were SO proud o
your diamonds"
az was once; now they would be th'
bitterest reproach my eyes could meet
Oh, Gerald, had l been less vain. ant
thoughtless, and extravagant-"
1 checked myself, and a robin, sing
ing in the perfumed depths of apple
blossoms, took the dropped current o
sound.
"That's right, little red-breast," salt
my husband, halfjokingly, "talk he
down. she has forgotten that our past
dead and gone, and that we have turne,
over a new page in the Book of Exist
ence! Madeline, do you know how Ifee
sometimes, when l look at you ?"
"No"
"Well, feel like widower who hs
married againW
"Like widower who has marie
again, Geraldp
eyes; 1 can remember my first wife
brilliant, thoughtless child, withou
any idea beyond the qualification c
present whims-a spoiled plaything
Well, that little Madeline has vanishe
away into the past somewhere; she ha
gone away to return no more; and in he
stead l behold my second wife -
thoughtful, tender woman, whose watcf
full love surrounds me like an atmo
phere, whose character grows more nobl,
and developes itself into new depth an
beauty every dayP
1 was kneeling at his side, now, wit
my cheek upon his arm, and my ey'
looking into his,
"And which do you love best, Geral
the first or second wife,"
"I think the trials and vicissitud,
through which we have passed are we
come. indeed, since they have brougl
me, as their harvest fruits, the pricele
treasure of my second wifew
This was what Gerald answered me-
the sweetest words that ever fell upon N
ear.
"Gone.''
A man calling himself Abel Storr