The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1880-02-18

cumstances it will be- best for me {,
, return TO my fathers house and re
| main there until you are able to pro
, vide for me aud yourself Also Fol
! the present you have as much as yor
. can DO to take care of yourself
and my brother has promised to
! see that | am comfortably provided
for"
Mr.. Bondurant regarded bis wife
Tor few moments in be wildered
; emszement He was carefully hold
ing the $40 bill which be had accept
, ed from ner, but wIthou. knowing
wny sne mad hsaded it back to him.
He nov dropped the bill on the table,
and cla-ping MS bands, as he was in
the habit of doing sometimes when
trying TO get a clear view of some
question that bothered him, he looke d
al his wife for few moments in q
solemn aud earnest way, and then
SAID
"lt our dear child had lived
suppose you would not have left
int "
NO, l presume not; she, no doubt
would have kept Us together. l
would not have taken her from you,
and know you would not have
gone u 1--we with me at my father 4
house. l have no thought, Alfred,
vi really leaving you, but shall be
true TO my marriage vows, aDd snail
oe ready 10 return TO you as soon rs
you are able to provide tor 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, AID 1t is not likely you ever
viii be-"
Aud, if that is so, it would then
seem that you are leaving me with
The expectation of returning no
more"
That must depend, Mr.. Bondu-
rant SAID The wife, steeling herself
To cold aud firm look, ION the pos
slele contingency of your being able,
at some future ume, 10 provide for
lne la comfortable way, which, l
am sorry to say, d0es not appear
very probable"
Then good-by forever !" said the
husband, rIsing aud wlth1 1rawing
from the Room, without taking any
further notice of Ills wife nor did be
even look DaeS.
Tne marriage, as legal relation,
remained uaulsturbed the husband
and wife, w0en meeting occasionally
GA the street or elsew here, bestowed
upon each other bow Ut civil rec
ognIIun, 0ut without exchanging a
word.
In Ibis wsy eight years had pass
ed. AT the end of five years Mrs.
Bondurant's family, Including that
devuted brother, naG been Doth un-
able aud unwilling 10 do anything
more Tor her, and Tor the last three
years she lad been supporting her.
sell oy performing the duties OF sec
retary for au insurance compa0y.
Why that situation mad bsen given
u ner, just Ut u llme when sDe had
no other means of support, and at u
salary much larger Iaaa she bad ex-
pec.ed ~ receive, was mystery
about which she had her own private
suspicious.
IL Was cold morning In mid-wiD-
ter, u the sldewalk were covered
with Ice. Mrs. Bonduraut, on her
way to ber ufiice had just passed the
manly form Uf vne whom she had
never Ceased TO admire-yes. love,
tor nis Image bad always remained
in her heart. Every photograph,
piece OF jswelry, or other memeoto
that he had LETT with her had been
locked ut and handed again and
again, and some Of these a-ticles she
had often bathed with her tears.
% passing him this ume she bad
received the usual look and bow, and
notning more Tae poor woman
could not, however, refrain from cast
ing look back for an instsn: TO
catch a glimpse of his recediog form,
and while she was doing 80 the
treacherous ice. as il intending some
mischief, permitted her to fall sudden
ly aud III full length.
Are you hurt, my dear z" were
the first words she heard, and her
quick, spontaneous answer was:
"NoJ much, hope, darling hus-
band !" And as be lifted her into
the carriage he had hailed and took
seat by her side, ~itb one arm
around her, she added, How glad
am that you were there to assist
me"
"Yes, dear, that was slippery
path" he said softly.
(Which | hope l may never pass
over sgaiu ~ murmured the wife,
earnestly.
II gained that suit" said the hus
baud, as the carriage was taking
them to bis home, which could now
be hers also.
"Yes, dear, knew you gained it.
and | was so gladl | have saved
more than half nv salary the last
three years You know, and 30 do i,
that most of that salary has come
from you.
The long embrace and fond kiss
which each received and returned
was q mutual assurance that through
their long separation their hearts bad
become unitedly more firmly than
ever.
at was all my-all my fault" was
wha, the repentant and now happy
wife wanted aud endeavored to cay,
but she was stopped every time.
"No, 20, my DEAR" ner husband
would answer. "These self-reprosch-
es, coming from you, are painful to
me. The past has done It's work ia
its own way, and now let US remem-
Der the lessons IL has taught us, and
forget the sorrows through which
rhuse lessons have been learned.
Earthquake In Cuba-