The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-10-02

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have left me alone, unless she had put
him up to it'll replied, rather GROSSLY.
"The truth is, Nelly, You are so
much in love with your husband that
you are jealous even of his mother; and
are making yourself miserable about
nothing. Why, Mr.. Cartwright will be
back in a fortnight, and I dare say you
will get q letter from him every day; so
cheer up, and let us 60 for a drive"
said Maud.
agreed to this plan, and giving Maud
the reins, 1 lay back and thought Of her
words. Was she right after all? Was l
jealous? Was ] really, Is Maud said, in
love with my husband? Had I only
found it out now I was deprived of his
company? Was this the reason that l
could do nothing but inwardly reproach
myself for my conduct to him? And the
longer I thoush hit, the more convinced l
became that Maud was right, that [ was
jealous and that I was in love, as she
called it.
This knowledge did not make me hap
pier, for I no sooner knew [ loved him
than I longed to tell him so, and make
up, as far as I could, for all my former
cruelty, for I could call my conduct by
no milder word. I passed n sleepless
night, and as I lay awake 1 composed
various letters of confession, which | re-
solved to send the following day; hut
when morning came, my pride stepped
in, and I began to feel it would be I'M
possible to write, and I settled I must
wait till my husband came homo and
then tell him how his absencs had
altered Inc.
I got up early and walked out to meet
the postman, so anxious was [ to get a
letter from him; it was the first 1 had
ever received from him since Jul mar
rage, and no girl was YER so anxious
for or so pleased with he: first love-letter
as I was over this.
It was a long letter, full of loving
messages and terms of endearment, all
of which cut me to the heart, for they
sounded like so many r~eproaches; IN
reality, I think there was q tone of gen.
tie re troach throughout the letter. He
gave me an account of his journey and
Of his mothers health, begged me to
write to him a few lines every day, but
he said not q word about returning.
I spent the morning in answering it.,
much to Maud's amusement, who, OF
course, thought I was pouring out VOL
umes of love and complaints. of my tenn
porary widowhood; after tearing up
about a dozen sheets of paper, / at last
sent a short note, cool and with no allu-
sions to my misery. The more 1 tried,
the more impossible I found it to write
any expressions of love or penitence,
though I was ~hungering to do SO.
For a whole week I went Oh this way,
suffering more actutely every day, and
every day receiving long, loving letters
from Mr.. Cartwright, and writing short,
cold answers.
I lost my appetite, I could not sleep
at night, and the torture I was enduring
made me look SO i'll that Maud became
frightened, and declared she would
write and summon my husband home,
and tell him I was piuing away for him.
I forbade her doing this so sternly that
she dared not disobey me, for l was de-
termined he should never hear from any
lips but mine that at last his hearts de-
sire was attained, for I loved him.
At last, when he had been away ten
days, I could bear it no longer, for 1
felt I should have brain fever if I went
on in this way, SO I determined to 60 to
Melton, where Mrs. Cartwright lived,
and see my husband. I came to this
decision one night, and went into Maud's
room early in the morning to tell her OF
my intention. I expected she would
laugh at mo, but I think she guessed
something was wrong. for she seemed
glad to.hear it and helped me to pack a
few things and set off in time to catch
the morning train.
1t was three hours Journey. They
seemed three years to ME, for the nearer
I got to my husband the more impatient
I was to see him. At last we got to
Melton, q largish town. Ofcourse, as I
was not expected, there was 10 n to
meet me, SO T took q fly to Mrs. Cart
wright's house, where I arrived about
three o'clock.
I learned afterwards that Andrew was
with his mother in the drawing-room
when I drove up, but thinking I was
only a visitor, he escaped into another
room, go I found my mother-in-law
alone.
By her side was some OF my husbands
socks which she was darning, socks
which I had handed over to servants to
mend, and which I now longed to snatch
away from his mother. His desk stood
open, a letter to me which he was writ.
ing lying on it.
The servant announced me as Mrs.
Andrews, my voice failing as 1 gave my
name, so that Mrs. Cartwright held up
her hands in establishment when she
saw who it was.
"My dearl Nelly! Has anything
How i'll you look! What
is it?" she exclaimed.
81 want my husband" 7 gasped, sink
ing on to the chair, for I thought I
have fallen. Without another
word Mrs. Cartwright left the room; I
feel sure now she guessed all about it,
and T can never thank her enough for
.forbearing Ito worry me with questions
as to what I had come for.
In another minute I heard his step
outside the door, and then he came in.
"Nelly, my love-my darling! what is
it5" he cried as I rushed into his ont.
stretched arm, and hid my face on his
sobbing bitterly. For some
moments + could not speak; at last I re-
covered myself enough to sob out:
ooh, Andrew, my love! my dear love!
you over forgive me? [ came to ask
you, and to tell you I can't live without
would have said more, but his
kisses stopped my mouth, and when at
he let me go there were other
tears upon my cheeks beside my own.
That was the happiest hour of my life,
in spite Of my tears: and before my
mother-in-law again joined us. which
she discreetly avoided doing till dinner.
time, l had poured out all / had to tell
into my husbands ear: and I had learn
ed from him that he had left me to try
what effect his absence would have on
me; for he had felt for some time that
my pride was the great barrier he hadto
to win my love.
He had judged right. He was too
generous to tell how much he bad suffer-
ed from MY indifference, bnt know it
must have grieved him terribly. He is
a different man now, he looks 50 happy,
and I know he would not change places
with any one on earth. We went back
to the r%ectory the next day, but we could
not persuade Mrs, CARTWRIGHT TO come