The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-11
r her evasion of my question disquieted


She looked me steadily in the face for
minute, then dropping her eyes, and
clasping her hands tightly together, she
exclaimed:
! 81 see now the drift Of your question.
The money was lost at the same time that !
sent some to Frank. Harold, you sus-
: pect me-your own wife-of being the
thief, and you have sent that man i saw
he was detective directly to track me
out and prove this against me. Do you
intend to send me to prisonY'
marian" answered excitedly. "when
| sent that man here no such suspicion
had ever occurred to me, and now that |
must confess it has, one word from you
) will dispel it; or, if it should be other
wise (here extended my hand to her, but
she flung it from herr you have only to
acknowledge it to obtain my free forgive
ness"
"Your forgiveness" she added, haught-
lily, 81 do not need it," and without an
other word she left me.
For some minutes remained stumped
by this new aspect of affairs. Could it be
possible that Marian was guilty? Iwould
never believe it, And yet she had not
attempted to deny it. Again, the anxious
face she had lately worn, together with
the other circumstances of the case, served
only to confirm the idea Would that ii
had not been so, or even being so, that
she would come to me for the reconcilia-
ton was longing for, and the forgive
ness | was on y too anxious to bestow!
A day or two after this found note
awaiting me when | returned home to
dinner. The handwriting was Marian's,
and my delight at seeing it WAS 50 great
that | kissed it again and again. Eagerly
opened and read it. 1t ran as follows:
"The society of thief can not be con-
genial. For that reason | have kept out
of your way till had made up my mind
what to do. | shall not trouble you any
more. Baby and | have gone to my
father know you can claim baby if
you like to do 50, but | think you will
see that it is better for him to be with
me. DO not ask me to come back. |
never can. The miserable life | have
been leading lately would soon have
killed me, and my life is precious to my
child. Your unhappy wife,
"MARIAN."
This was all, except few words at the
end that had been hastily scratched out,
of which I could distinguish only, ooh,
Harold"
Strange as it may seem, this note did
not shock me as the discovery of Marian's
guilt had done. | felt so angry with her
for her unreasonable conduct that my
tenderer feelings remained most un-
touched. My love for Marian of former
years had not decreased one whit, but my
anger with the present Marian was for
the moment paramount. The child was
better with her, and for the present she
should keep him, for I had no idea Of
fetching her back. She had. left me
through no unkindness of my own, and
no wife could be justified in leaving her
husband in the way Marian had left me.
| was beginning to get a little accus-
toned to my renewed batchelorhood,
when one night very late, a telegram was
brought me, worded thus:
"Come at once to baby"
The night-train would leave in about an
hours time. packed few things and
started to catch it. In about three hours
more I was conducted into the room
where Marian WAS sitting with our little
one lying in her lap, struggling hard for
life. Some medical man was already
there, bending over the child and anx-
iously gazing at its contorted and livid
features, but, as far as | could see, doing
but little to a sist in the battle against
death. He left at once, and Marian
looked up into my face and said:
"Thank God, you have comel He
was doing no good. Oh, Harold! save
Wv baby; save my child"
o'I will do what | can to save our
child" | answered.
called a servant and gave my in
structons. In few minutes the room
was filled with vapor, every vent being
carefully guarded, The cloud of vapor
kept on steadily increasing, till drops of
water began to trickIe down the walls.
Still the child on Marians lap lay almost
choked, its struggles growing fainter and
fainter each succeeding tins. The cloud
was still pouring out into the room, and
nothing more could be done, so | stood
at Marian's knee watching for the ap-
proach of some favorable symptom.
Only once Marian spoke, and then it was
to ask me, with blanched face and faIter-
ing lips, if there was any hope.
"To the last moment, yes, | answered;
and she was relieved at once, hardly
comprehending from my words how
faint that hope was.
Presently the struggles grew more fire.
quently; gradually the almost lifeless
limbs became imbued with fresh vigor,
the heavy lids relaxed, the gasps for
breath became more effectual, and with a
mighty effort nature asserted her sway.
In short time baby was nesting peace
fully in Marian's arms, wrapped in
sweet life-giving slumber.
When he was laid in his cot, his
mother turned to me and said patheti-
cally, "Oh, Harold when baby was so
near death, and you far away, could
not help seeing how wicked | had been to
leave you as did. Will you forgive me,
I I I >.