Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1878-09-06
VOL. XXIV.--NO. 7.

| IL
A word to the wise is sufficient. Law
renee Earl goes to your house deal too
much. People talk"
Mr.. Ponsonby was silent. Nobody
likes to have the privacy of his own
domestic affairs invaded in this uncere-
monious sort Of way. And to Ponsonby,
who worshipped his beautiful young wife
as Parsee worships the orb of day, this
obtrudcd:advice was neutrality-suspicious..
He went home bordering to himself:
was he, then, imprudent in allowing
Dolly to surround herself with society Of
her own age and standing? Not that he
for single moment doubted her; but
she was nothing more than a child, after
all and this world was full of tempta-
tions and troubles. These thoughts were
yet in his troubled mind when he reached
his own door. The servant let him in,
obsequiously eager.
Where is Mrs. Ponsonby ?" said he.
she's in her boudoir, sir; Mr.. Earl
is with her."
Mr.. Ponsonby started little--this
was rather sudden confirmation Of his
friends innuendo.
"Do not disturb her." he said, II
will 60 to my study.
The study was a handsome secluded
room, separated by pair of folding doors
drapod with Huted silk, from the back
drawing room beyond; and as Mr., Pom
sonby sat down in the bay window no
heard tho sound of voices.
The servant had been mistaken, it
seemed. Dolly and her visitor were in
the drawing room after all.
Harkl they were talking. He was
just about to enter when his footsteps
were arrested by the sound of strange
words
''Dolly!" cried out young Earl, "J
love you | have always loved you %
Stop retorted Dolly's low, clear
voice. How dare you address such Ian
guage to me, the wife of another man 2"
Because love you! Because you
loved before"
THAT is utterly false said Mrs. Pom
sonby quietly. may have entertained
an idle fancy for you once, when we were
children together but is dissiputod long
ago. All the love have to give is be-
slowed upon my dear aud noble hus-
band p
Half minute before Ponsonby's heart
had sunk like lead within his bosom.
Now it sprung up, jubilant and light
as floating thstlc-down.
"Pshaw uttered Lawrence Earl. -
"You are trying to deceive me. You
are dcceiving yourself. AS if it were pos
sible to love an old man like that"
but | do love him p persisted Dolly.
che has been more than good to me. l
love him, and respect him moro than
any other living man. And as for you,
Lawrence Earl, you are not a gentle
man, to try to win away the heart of q
married woman. Leave this house, and
do not presume ever to enter it again
Just an instant afterwards, old Charles
Ponsonby entered the presence of his
wife, with eyes shining full Of love, and
outstretchod hands Dolly stood in the
middle of the room, with downcast gaze
and cheeks slightly flushed with car
mine. She started a little at the I'M
expected apparition of her husband.
dolly he uttered in voice half
choke3 with emotion. "My wife may
no not look so terrified l have heard
it all p
"Oh Charles And you do not blame
me ?"
Blame you, my precious treasure,
my gift Of heaven !"
And he folded her tcnderly to his
heart
"For l must have been giddy and
foolish, or tho man would never have
dared TO presume thus ~ faltcred Dolly,
hiding her flushed face on her husbands
shoulder
Nothing Of the sort, my dear, said
the old gentleman. You are very young,
and he's very foolish +! Butyou acted
nobly. and ] am proud Of my wife p
Mr.. Earl did not call again at the
house in Castleton Square, nor did Mrs.
Ponsonby regret the cessation of his
visits. Dolly and her husband were
happy together, to the infinite chagrin of
Mr.. Trappcr.
One year afterwards Charles Ponson-
by died, leaving the whole of his great
fortune to bis eighteen-year old widow.
She'll marry again before the twelve
month is out, snarled old Trappcr. "a
lucky radiance for her. | always said
old Ponsonby was an IDIOT
But Mrs. Ponsonby never married
again. Strange as it seemed to Trapper,
and men Of that stamp, she loved and
revercnccd the memory of her deceased
husband too dearly TO give herself in
marriage again.
And the "Old Mans Darling" re-
manned true and loyal to him to the end
Of her DAYS.