Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1878-11-23
LOVE WINS LOVE BACK AGAIN.
By DORA RUSSELL.

Nttl GTilOIls SlDOO lHc DuQlcN
comfortable red brick
mansion, square and old fashioned,
overlooking some three hundred
acres of excellent land, all of which
belonged to the present representa-
tive of the old family, Thornton
Dudley, and would descend at his
death to his daughter only child,
Alison Dudley, the belle par eCceI-
fence of the Plymouth hills.
From the end window of the par
Tor in the homestead shone a steady
red glow, the blended light of fire
and candle, shining out a heartfelt
welcome TO the traveller, who was
even then making his way along
valley road below the farm, with
his eyes fixed eagerly upon the bea-
con light.
For this was Sunday evening, the
time sacred for the meeting of all
faithful lovers; and yOnder beside
that bright and heartsOme fire the
kindIed Imagination of Robert Jor-
dan pictured the graceful form of
his future bride.
He saw her sitting there gazing
pensively down into the leaping
flames. her ear strained to catch the
first sound of his footstep, her heart
filled with tender thoughts of him,
and of the happy home which they
should one day share together.
And If between the lovely vision
and himself rose another face, quite
az fair, perhaps, but far more pale,
and wan, and worn with sorrOw-
if a voice, once dear, seemed saying,
forever, lover my grave you must
clasp hands with her"-if the cry of
a helpless infant, and the low, des-
perate moan of deserted wife and
mother followed and haunted him,
il was but for a moment.
With an effort he shook off disa-
greeable memories, and turned to
the hill again. 1.-The divorce court
will settle all this next week. 1t
was terrible mistake for us both.
She suffers most, suppose, at least
now. But | mean to do well by
her, and by the child, when once
the bother of this court is over.
Then we can both begin life afreSh,
for Cathy is a pretty girl still, in
spite of the twO-year-Old boy. No
doubt she will make a good match
before another year has gone by.
While | shall certainly be happy
"happy as the day is long," as the
saving is-with a rich father-in-law
in the background, and sweet Ali
son Dudley for my second wife,"
He was indeed young to be talk
ing of a ''seccnd wife"
Married at nineteen, he had tired
Of and deserted his pretty, giddy,
siVteen-year-Old wife, a few weeks
after their first child was born.
BY limited suspicious of distrust,
ne had so irritated his wife that she
had applied for a divorce, in a mo-
meut of anger, on the ground of his
desertiOn.
Two years had passed by. Neither
had looked upon the others face
again. But the divorce was not yet
procured. One legal delay after an
other had hindered its progress, and
until this autumn he had scarcely
dared consider himself free TO WOO
or win sweet Alison Dudley.
i;ut now, i'm a few weeks, he
would be free.
lie had been married i'll the State
OfNew York, where Cathy, his wife,
still resided.
Ills present place of residence was
unknown to Cathy, as he supposed,
Alison Dudley had never heard of
her, and did not known, even yet,
that he had been a husband and a
father before he met her among the
Green Mountain hills. So best !
Only let him call Alison his wife,
and then the long and carefully
kept secret might leak out as soon
a. it pleased. But if she should
chance to hear of it now, before our
wedding-day, no one knew better
than Robert Jordan, that such a
day, with him for bridegroom,
would never dawn on earth!
Up i'm the square parlOr, and be-
fore the fire, just as he had pictured
her when he hurried along, sat Ali
son Dudley, on that brisk, chill
autumn evening.
And yet not just as he had pic
tured her.
For 4 rosy, sturdy il FAINT lay on
her lap, chuCkling gOOd-humOredly,
and holding its pink toes out to the
blaze.
And beside Alison sat a slender,
graceful woman, whose pretty face
was very sad, whose low, sweet
voice, as she talked, seemed full OF
tears.
"Say no more" exclaimed Ali
son, suddenly rising to her feet,
with hot blush spreading over her
whole face. "Of course, / have no
longer any claim upon him, and he
is here"
Swiftly she led the woman to a
small bedroom behind the parlOr,
and placed the infant I'm her arms.
As she closed the door upon them
her lover was in the room.
II saw your light the moment |
turned into the valley road, my
darling, drawing near TO salute her
with q kiss.
TO his great establishment, Alison
drew back hastily from the proffered
embrace.
His guilty conscience upbraided
him at once. Had she heard any
thing?
He tried to take her hand. 1t was
instantly snatched away.
"What IS wrong, Alison ~ he
asked, gravely.
Ever y t4iltlSs 9ltS AioA III Nj
Historically. go, Robert, how
could you deceive me 500" and she
ran cut of the room, bursting into
tears and sObS as she went.
While the young man stared after
her, perpleXed and afraid, his hand
was taken and kissed by some one
who YVES now kneeIing at his side.
Robert - said low, sweet voice
that he remembered only TOO well,
"RObert. what have | done? What
did | do that made you doubt me
50 at the first? l was too young to
marry, and | was too giddy after l
became yourwile But never, even
i'm thought, have / wrOnged you.
Never was ! anything but your own
true wife. Aud ] loved you, Rob
crt-oh, ! loved You even when |
WIS SO angry that ] applied for
the divorce. They told me that you
regretted our marriage; that you
lOnged to be free; and | was too
proud to stay with you if you did
NOT love me. ! have really meant
TO ieaye you all this time, Robert.
But when 1 heard about Miss Dud-
Iey-oh, ! could not bear that |
thAN / GhnTNIh