, 1880-03-25
NV Two Husbands
ny MAY BRENTWOOD.

| was called strange girl, with quix-
otic notions Of morality. L had high
ideal of manhood that seemed almost i'm
possible to be realized in the weak, frail
mortals of the sterner sex.
I was nineteen when / first met Har-
vey Murch my eyes found in him their
ideal Of manly beauty, while my inno-
cent, girlish heart clothed him with all
the virtues had vowed that the man [
welded must possess l think it would
have been hard to fiud man of nobler
bearing, or Of more high-bred, courte-
GUS manner.
He drew me out little by little, until
he held the key to my heart. He pro-
fessed the deepest veneration for pure
and virtuous life; he may have meant
what he said would rather believe
Ghat he did than that he stained his soul
with q lie in those first halcyon days of
our love; for even now, looking back
through the mists Of Ibygone years, with
all their sorrow and shame, / believe
there was time when he loved me.
I was not handsome was tall and
slender, with brown eyes and hair J.
had pretty chin and thin red lips.
Peop,c called me interesting, but never
handsome.
In due time Harvey and l were mar
ried, and moved away from the city,
with its noisy din and perpetual excite
ment, to lovely place in the country,
ten miles from B. enjoyed the
change, and, with perfect trust in the
man Of my choice, for three short years
was as happy as the birds that carolled
to their mates in the soft, talmy days of
Spring.
When we bad been married one short
year little stranger, with large, Won
dering brown eyes and tiny form, came
knocking at the door of our hearts for
admittance and no baby could ask for
warmer welcome than we gave to our
darling baby boy. 1t seemed as though
there was nothing more that my heart
could desire; a husband who was still
kind and true, baby who grew in
beauty and in grace, every day taking
: one more step in the mysteries Of life
watched and guided by our loving
hands,
Our little Chester-for such we had
named our boy--was two years ole
when the cloud arose on the horizon ot
our domestic happiness that was so soor
to burst over our heads.
l had heard my husband speak of Ma
bel Mace as Of an old friend. | had nj
thought of jealousy. I trusted him too
much for that What sent her to my
home, to enter, like the serpent, ON
Eden2
One day Harvey told mo she wa;
coming to board with US through tn,
Summer, if we could accommodate her
l dreaded stranger in our household
but, as he seemed to wish it, took al
due pride in making everything ready
for my guest
One beautiful June morning, the ole
stage deposited wondrously beautiful
woman at our door No description
could do justice to Mabel Mace. Sh,
was small, with childlike blue eyes, &
fair complexion, with dimples in hel
cheek and chin, and mouth that looked
as though 1t were made to be kissed sht
did not look over seventeen, although
twenty four Summers had passed oveI
her head. She was just the woman fo
most men to love; nothing of tht
dreaded ''woman's rights style abou
her. She was one to float with the cur
rent, but not the one to stem the tide
A woman to be petted and cared for a
tenderly as baby, but not the woman
to struggle ON alone. wondered in
vague way, even then, why Harvey ha,
not loved her when he knew her first.
My husband greeted her with smil