The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1880-05-12

possible, and take good care not to re-
peat il until such time as Mrs. viii
Thornley, had learned to temper her
wifely affection with some small share
of common sense.
But the prudent middle course had its
drawback, for Will fancied his wiie's
guest treated him with marked cold
ness, and as was very natural, wanted
10 know the meaning of it.
He did not understand it at all, and
CHANGING to meet Rose alone one morn
ing in the drawing-room, he said:
fear have in some way offended
you, Miss Woodward; you seem so bent
upon keeping me at a distance"
mot at al, !" she smiled. Pray don't
think me so ungracious. 1t would i'll
become me to treat the husband of my
friend and hostess with Indifference; !;
and if my manner so impressed you, it
was unintentionally done on my part, l
assure you"
"a man married is not a man ban
ished forevermore from the good graces
of all womankind, is hep" laughed
Will. "If so, take it as being very
hard lines fallen in the hardest sort OF
places"
"And would reasonably wish your
self bachelor again." reioined Rose.
| i
ing, with something of a serious look in
his dark gray eyes.
Neither saw Grace standing pale nd
still, in the doorway. She Lad only
heard Rose say, in hel lowest and musi-
cal tones, "wish yourself a bachelor
again!" and his evasive reply, yes and
mol" but it was enough.
Grace was quite satisfied now that she
was an unloved wife. Will should be
free. Rose was better suited to him.
II were folly for her to suppose that he
ever really loved her. Men were so
tickle and false hearted! She had seen
how it would be from the first, and all
that was left her to do was to die as
soon as she could, aud find rest and for
getfulness in the grave.
Having come to this wise conclusion,
Grace went up to her room, locked her
self in, and cried comfortably for whole
hour.
Will came whistling upstairs, and was
surprised to find the door locked. Still
more was he surprised when Grace, in a
smotheredvoice,d denied him admittance,
saying she had a headache and did not
wish to be disturbed.
Puzzled and somewhat angry withal,
AS he had reason to be, Will went away
to his Office, feeling as If the angel was
fast disappearing, and his wife, al er all,
vas but pretty, perverse, provoking
lid, whom time and experience alone
coud ever teach to he woman.
An hour alter her husbands depart
ure, Grace, in a plain gray travelling
dress, and with thick veil tie1 closely
over her tear-stain ed face, stealthily left
the house; and befoi e Rose, who, from
her window, saw her hurrying along
the road TO the railway station, could
clearly divine her purpose, she was
gone.
This was nice predicament for one
to he placed in, truly! M So Wood
wards Indignation, for the moment. got
the better of her pity, and she cou id have
shaken Grace well for her senseless alb
surdity.
There was but one thing for her to do
and that was to pack her trunks with
all possible dispatch and leave on the
next train, which she did, to the Infinite
amazement OF Bddy, who did not know
what in the world to make of her sudden
departure, not dreaming that her mis-
tress had also taken fight, and was al
ready many miles from home
When Will came home to dinner at
six o'clock, and learned the true state
of things, he grew as pale as death and
stagge' ed to a chair as quickly as if q
shot had struck him in the heart.
Grace had left a note on the bureau in
her room, in which she stated, in a
kind of hysterical Enoch Arden-like
manner, that she was goi ng back to her
mother, and he might be assured that
neither himself nor Rose would ever be
troubled by seeing or even hearing from
her again. 1t was her earnest wish tC
die, and over her early grave, perhaps
some gentle thought of her might stiI
his cold, forgetful heart into a passing
throb of tenderness.
With the note crumpled convulsively
in his hand, VIII Thornley, seized his
hat and rushed from the house. II
mattered not where he went, or what
he did now, and ere the next days sun
had set, he made one of the many thou
sands of soldiers marching bravely tC
the front, to fall maybe in the battle
with face turned unflinchlngly toward
the foe, or die miserably in some prison
like Gagged beast, his heart broken, anC
death welcome release from pain, anC
grief, and hopeless wretchedness.
The setting sun was rapidly sinking
. to his crimsoned-c couch in the
west. when Grace walked up the grassy
path to the little white gate, where she
and Will had often stood in the old
happy days of their courting, anC
watched the fading light steal duskily
down among the softly-whisperinl
leaves of the NAPLES.
A letter For you, Mrs. Thornley,,
said Mr.. Parkhurst, near neighbor
"I happened to be passing this way, anC
/ thought you might like to have it,"
"Oh, yes, thank youl" she replied, in
a trembling voice. "You are very
kind"
Mr.. Parkhurst gave her the letter, and
went on.
Grace recognized the handwriting in
moment, and with a glad "Oh, it's
from viii, and he has forgiven mel
she tore open the envelope, and hastily
| ran her eyes over its contents. The
smile faded; the glad look left her eyes
| and with low, piteous cry, she fell on
t, ! hor. m tho xvo,aJ earth