The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1877-03-29

carriage wheel touched the curbstone,
and rushed up to my husbands room.
The door was locked; butI could see::a
light shining family under the thresh-
old. l knocked wildly and persist
emily.
"GeraldI 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 lit
tie way. had never seen him look go
pale before, or so rigid, yet so deter
mined.
"Who are you ?'' he demanded wildly.
"Why can not you leave me alone in
peace P'
cit is /, Gerald-your Madeline-your
own little wife"
And caught from his hand the pistol
he was striving 20 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?"
"I would have escapedP' he cried, still
half delirious, to all appearance. "Debt
disgrace - misery-her reproaches
All should have escaped p
His head fell like that of weary child
on my shoulder. l drew him gently to a
sofa, and soothed him with thousand
murmured words, a thousand mute ca.
ressesl For had it not been altogethe,
my fault?
And through all the long weeks that
followed, / nursed him with unwaverine
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 thei,
fragrant pillows of pinky bloom in the
deep blue air of latter May.
Where were we now?
1t was a picturesque little villa, not
far out of London, furnished very like a
magnifed playhouse. Gerald sat in q
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 like it! lisa great
deal better than those sonatas on the
pianop
"Who would ever have thought that
you would make so notable little house
keeper?''
/ laughed gleefully I had all a child's
delight in being praised.
care you not going to Miss Delaney
croquet party?" he asked.
"No; what do 1 care for croque
parties? I am going to finish your shirts
and you'll read aloud to me-"
Madeline, want you to answer mt
one question"
"What is it?''
"What have you done with your dia
monds?"
"I 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"
al was once now they would be tn
bitterest reproach my eyes could meet
Oh, Gerald, had been less vain. an
thoughtless, and extravagant -"
/ checked myself, and a robin, sing
ing in the perfumed depths of apple
blossoms, took the dropped current 9
sound.
"That's right, little red-breast," sal
my husband, half-jokingly, talk he
down. she has forgotten that our past
dead and gone, aud that we have turne
over a new page in the Book Of Exis
encel Madeline, do you know how I fe'
sometimes, when look at you ?"
"Now
"Well, feel like widower who hs
married again!"
Like widower who has marie
again, GeraldP
eyes; can remember my first wife
brilliant, thoughtless child, withor
, any idea beyond the qualification (
, present whims spoiled plaything
! Well, that little Madeline has vanishe
! away into the past somewhere; she hi
' gone away to return no more; and in h
! stead / behold my second wife -
thoughtful, tender woman, whose watcl
full love surrounds me like an atmo
phere, whose character grows more nobl
and developes itself into new depth al
beauty every dayW
/ was kneeling at his side, now, wi
:. my cheek upon his arm, and my ey
! looking into his.
a "And which do you love best, Gera
the first or second wifeT
81 think the trials and vicissitud
through which we have passed are w
~ ~ come. indeed, since they have broug
90 me, as their harvest fruits, the pricele
treasure of my second wifew
. This was what Gerald answered me
10 the sweetest words that ever fell upon Il
ear.
We "G0ne."
t.