Daily Republican., 1878-12-06

lGusly.
Ralph it can't be yon p
at Is - cried, and-well, don
know AS am ashamed OF i'll embrac
Ell him lik" school girl, and wept
And so did he, poor fellow, though Ia,
conld hardly believe the wrecked ole
man was his brother. Bnt what strucl
me, even then, rs strange, he did no
shrink from me nor act as though h,
had injured me.
"Robert," said, when we were
alone and calmrr, 'I've forgiven yor
long ago. VIZ won't speak OF the pas
let me only be happy in the bliss o
seeing you onc" more. I'll never COM
round to trouble you"
Forgive me ?" he said inquiringly
II don't understand. You'll neve,
trouble ine-and We will not speak o
the past Why didn't you write to ME
Ralph ~
"Now, Robert" said, il there is
any mistake here, let US understand il
At once. left you twenty years ago, in
charge of my wife IL san Francisco
"You did, and l."
"And you," interrupted, "took
good care of her, and you did not hear
from me- and she grew tired Of waiting,
and loving a shadow, and you-and
you-loved her"
"Holdl ., h- shouted, and his eyes
blazing, who told you that Infamous
lirf"
"And she" went on not needing him
- she grew faint and tired; and she
saw your love, and she--re 'urned it,"
Robert seized my arm as though he
would murder m-;but wont on cooly
"Hnsh, till have done. When you
received the money sent, you were too
far gone to 90 back She got divorce;
you married her and left the city.
don't blame you."
"And youp-you've believed this thing
for twenty vears'" he said calmly now,
though il was the calmness of smoth-
cred volcano.
~ have"
'It's a most Infamous falseh oOd and
your wife is as true to you to-day As
she was the day you left her, twenty
years agor'
"What do you mean ?" cried fran
tirally. overwhelmed by his manner
aud his words.
I" hat shall say, Ralph Oh there
has been some damnable mistake Hear
my story After you left us, struggled
ON with business, though not succeed
Ing very well Susy drooprd at first,
hut soon grew cheerful and began tC
plan for your return. As the weeks and
months and years passed by, her cheeks
grew thin and pale, anl hungry looh,
came into her eyes. saw tina she was
pining, and wrote letter after letter to
you, but no word could We hear. There
came to me in simple envelope, d.
recting to both of ms, draft for five
thousand dollars, with not word to
tell how or from whom it came. OF
course We knew il was from you, but
whether gift or legccy, who could tell ?"
"W- instituted new inquiries. Moth
ing that love could suggest was left mn
done. At last We were forced to con.
clude tha' you were dead. By my ad-
vice the money was invested in a farm
some distanc- from San Francisco, aud
Susy went to live on it, while started
out on sort OF vagabond life in hopes
at least to find yonr gravs-!or We n-v.
rr believed you-
"Let her still believe IN. dead"
said gloomily.
MAY, brother, let me rather restore
you to her. Ralph, go home, and let us
b- 50 happy together as u partly make
up these years mistake and error and
grief"
Well, he persuaded me, and soon
was eager myself. Now the gold had
despised was valuable. as it could add
to Snsy's comfort. | gathered it up,
and started for home.
As we approached the blessed spot
where my darling lived, could scaIc--
ly breathe, and dreaded to fright-n
her to death. In sight Of the house !
sent Robert ahead t" tell her, and |
bas-ly hid in the shrubbery, where |
could look into the window.
There she was! the same dainty fig
ur"--the same lovely face: but dressed
oh, my God! in widows weeds, and
her bonny brown hair thickly sprinkled
with silver.
And saw her rapid eager conversa-
ton. saw the color come quickly to
t,rr iace, then leave it pale as death. l
saw her turn to the door and fly. And
| sprang to meet her and-and-
Wei! | can't tell all abou. that.
n
On hearing her story found that
Robert lett out the tale Of his own grief.
That he had warmly loved a gentle
girl, but never let, her know it; had
sacrificed his owe life seeking Inc and
caring for my WIFI; that she had mar
ri-d another, and Robert was forced to
see her the very unhappy wife OF a
poor, miserable wretch
And what said the little woman,
when she knew that had staid away
all these years, had blasted her life,
disappointed my brothers life love,
made deep misery for four, by my be-
lief in a stupid piece of gossip that,
rven to hear repeated, she shrunk from
As though it would witlIer her al
ways knew she was all angel. She
said, though with quivering lips and
fearful eyes:
"Drar Ralph, never let us speak of
It again. 1t wa. dreadful mistake.
let us b" happy in the years VIZ have
vet to live, and leave it to another life
70 adjust the errors OF this"
-.~s~.-----
Going 10 Law.