Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-07-31
Elne's two Husbands.

kine's Two HusDanus'
One morning Mr.. Harold Gleim found
himself in the position of the man who
discovers that what for many years he
has most dreaded has at last come upon
him. The circumstances were briefly
these
Five years ago he had married, and
the first few months fhis welded life
promised well for his future. He was
certainly happier man than he had
ever been before. But prensently the
shadow that might with considerable
confidence have been expected by all
who intimately knew him, fell upon his
threshold. That shadow was drink.
For five years his wife Elhe Glenn
had seen him drifting down IN the
slough Of intemperance until she could
endure no more!
Over and over again, m9nth after
month, year after year, she endured all,
forgaye all, took and retook him back
to her love with charity and fidelity
which seemed incapable wearing out.
All was suffered between them that
two such natures could suffer.
At last, in one wild moment, mad
dened with despair Of the future, enerya-
te ! by long and lonely watch over
her husband in one Of his attacks OF
mania a pOtu, she applied for divorce.
But when the divorce was finally
granted, and she looked for the last
time upon the face Of the miserable
being for whom she had uncOmplaingly
endured-so much, her strength broke
down at once, and there ensued a scene
between them, the marks OF which both
bore in their spirits down to the end OF
life. The love between them remained.
There could be no doubt about that.
Torn with an agony for which lam
guage had no words, Ellie finally tainted
in her husbands arms, from which, in
mercy to her, her friends forcibly re-
moved her while she was still un-
conscious, ,,leaving him prey to re-
morse profound enough to turn 4
stronger brain.
With the last sound of the carriage
wheels that were bearing away the
woman who might have been his savior
ifhe would have allowed her, Mr..
Gleiml arose, rushed to the nearest
tavern and there drank himself to
brutal insensibility. 1t was, in fact,
his only resource. But he had mis-
calculated, If he imagined Ellie had
done her work so badly as 10 leave him
TO his fate. She loved him as deeply as
ever. though she could not liye with him.
When Glenn recovered consciousness.
he found himself under strict bat kindly
espionage in private asylum for the
insane. There he remained for many
months, slowly being cultured up to
the highest point Of health. In the
course ola few days he learned that his
wife had taken proper lega! means to
ceulne him until such time as he be
pronounced physically fit for self con-
troll; but he never learned till near the
close of his life, that it had taken every
cent of money that wife had painfully
saved during the years she had borne
with HIM, and that after leaving him she
was prepared to work her fingers to the
bone, if need be, so that shelter and
refuge might be found for him.
We must pass ever a period Of eight
years.
In one of the golden days of a particu
larly rich, warm June, a crowded
steamer was plying three days out be-
tween this country and Europe. Every
berth was taken, but conspicuous among
the passengers were gentleman and
his wife, who were evidently making
their first trip abroad. They were APP
parently happy couple, about the
same age-not more than two and
thirty-mated in disposition and
temperament, and obviously enjoying
one another's society.
These two stood on the deck one
evening at sunset, when the attention
J of the gentleman directed itself to one
of the passengers, surveying them from
the other side of the vessel. So rap
was his observation that the gentleman
remarked it to his wife, who at once
bent her glance in that direction. A
this the stranger turned and wen
away, and change, slight but per-
ceptible, and well restrained, seemed tC
come over the lady. Her companion
however, made no remark thereon, bu
continued conversation on different
topics.
The man. meanwhile, who had at
tracted their attention went down stair
and entering his stateroom. closed th'
door. Then, fumbling in his breast, h
drew forth a miniature upon which, b,
the light of the dying sunset streaming
through the open portfolio, he gaze(
long and earnestly.
His eyes grew moist, his moutl
tender, and his hands trembled.
To think that we should have me
? thus he said, in a voice that shool
with emotion, thus, after eight loni
years-years of happiness, perchance
= to her-of wretcheduess to me. An