Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1880-11-18
brother has promised to see that I am
comfortably provided for"

| brother has promised to see that I am
comfortably provided for"
Mr.. Bondurant regarded his wife for
| few moments in bewildered amaze
ment. He was carefully kclding the
| $40 bill which he had accepted from
her, but without knowing why she had
handed it back to him. He now dropped
the bill on the table, and clasping his
hands, as he was in the habit of doing
sometimes when trying to get clear
view of some question that bothered
him, he looked at his wife for few mo-
ments in solemn and earnest way, and
then said:
eff our dear child had lived suppose
you would not have left me-"
"No, presume not; she, no doubt,
would have kept us together. I would
not have taken her from you, and /
know you would not have gone to live
with me at my fathers house. I have
no thought, Alfred, of really leaving you,
but shall be true to my marriage vows,
and shall be ready to return to you as
soon as you are able to provide for me.
But for the present we must part. My
brother tells me that the claim you are
prosecuting will end in nothing, and
that you are not worth dollar to-day,
and it is not likely you ever will be-.
"And if that is so, it would seem that
you are leaving me with the expectation
of returning no more"
@That must depend, Mr.. Bondurant, !"
said the wife, steeling herself to cold
and firm look, "on the possible contin-
gency of your being able, at some future
time, to provide for me in comfortable
way, which, am sorry to say, does not
now appear very probable"
Then good-by foreverp said the
husband, rising and Withdrawing from
the room, without taking any further
notice of his wife; nor did he even look
back.
The marriage, as legal relation, re-
NAMED undisturbed. Thehusband and
vile, when meeting occasionally on the
street or elsewhere, bestowed upon
each other bow of civil recognition,
but without exchanging a word.
In this way eight years had passed.
At the end of five years Mrs. Bon
durant's family, including that devoted
brother, had been both unable and un-
willing to do anything more for her,
and Or the last three years she had
been supporting herself by performing
the duties of secretary for an insurance
company. Why that situation had been
given to her just at time when she
had no other means Of support, and at a
salary much larger than she had ex-
pected to receive, was a mystery about
which she had her own private suspi-
cions.
1t was cold morning in mid-winter,
and the sidewalks were covered with
ice. Mrs. Bondurant, on her way to
her Office, had just passed the manly
form Of one whom she had never ceased
to admire yes, love, for his image had
always remained in her heart. Every
photograph, piece of iewelry, or other
memento that he had left with her had
been looked at and handled again and
again, and some of these articles she
had often bathed with her tears.
On passing him this time she had
received the usual look and bow, and
nothing more. The poor woman could
not, however, refrain from casting
look back for an instant to catch
glimpse of his receding form, and while
she was doing SO the treacherous ice,
as if intending some mischief, per-
mitted her to fall suddenly and at full
length.
" Are you hurt, my dear?" were the
first words she heard, and her quick,
spontaneous answer was:
Not much, I hope, darling hus-
bandl" And as he lifted her into the
carriage he had hailed and took seat
by her side, with his arm around her,
she added, @How glad L am that you
were there to assist me-"
Yes, dear, that was slippery path,"
he said softly.
Which 1 hope may never pass over
again /" murmured the wife, earnestly.
Il gained that suit" said the hus-
band. as the carriage was taking them
to his home, which could now be hers
ALSO
eyes, dear, I knew you gained it,
and was so glad! I have saved more
than half my salary the last three years.
You know, and SO do I, that most of
that salary has come form you"
The long embrace and fond kiss
which each received ana returned was
a mutual assurance that through their
long separation their hearts had become
united more firmly than ever.
1T was all my-aH my fault" was
what the repentant and now happy wife
wanted and endeavored to say, but she
was stopped every time.
mo, no, my dearp her husband would
answer, "These self-reproaches, coming
from you, are painful to me. The past
has done its work in its own way, and
now let us remember the lessons it has
taught us, and forget the sorrows
through which those lessons have been
learnedP