The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1880-10-21
The Hidden Sorrow

7 OF New I Orz were alive with dense
mass Of erowding humanity, over
coated, mufied and yelled, as became
those who joyouslY braved the pene-
trating wind aud sharp atmosphere,
III the merry-making time between
the death Of the old and the birth of
the New Year
Notwithstanding the frosty weather,
the Empire City was never in gayer
mood, and up and down and across
the thronged thoroughfares, stylish
turnouts dashed swiftly by to the
Ftwinlling music Of silver-tongued bells
and low, happy laughter speeding
away to the open roads and snow-clad
country, lying white and still beyond
the hurry and turmoil Of the great
city.
Though SO cold without, It was
warm enough in the elegant room
where we were sitting my cousin
Althea, her half-sister, Mrs. Irene
Chester, and I My cousin Althea
wasnot young-past thirty, IN fact;
but she was the most beautiful woman
I ever saw, and as she sat in the
large crimson damask chair by the
window, dreamily looking out at the
hurrying passers-by, I thought 1 had
never seen any one so charmingly,
irresistibly lovely. Her lustrous
black eyes, clear olive complexion and
glossy wealth Of purple-black hair
were so perfectly perfect that one
did not know which to admire the
most, and her voice and smile were
as sweet and winning as her form was
graceful and her. face matchlessly
beautiful.
Howard Tremaine loved her as few
men loved their wives; and Althca,
as everybody knew, idolized her
husband, and yet somewhere there
was hidden sorrow, the nature Of
which I could not for my life divine.
! I had seen its shadow more than once,
but the substance kept itself well out
Of view, and, but for the sad, anx-
ious, restless look that often of late
crept into Althea's great, soleful eyes,
I'd not have thought sorrow could
exist in her luxurious home, much
less fix itself permanently there.
We were going 10 the opera in the
evening. Blr. Chester was to attend
US in the absence of Howard, who had
gone away two or three hours before
with three or four friends, who had,
very much to his wife's regret, called
for him to accompany them on a lit
tie half-hour or so sleigh ride out on
the Bloomingdale road.
As the short winter afternoon wore
! on, Althea grew every moment more
and more uneasy; her faith in thc
''little halfhour or SO" never having
. been very strong, died utterly, Ions
before the suns last cold, golden ray.
faded in the west, and when Mrs
3 Chester rang for lights, and earelessly
n remarked that it was time to dress
she was noticeably i'll at ease, anc
5 would do nothing but walk to and fr
2 between the window and the warm
rosy fireIight III that nervous, listen
ing, expectant way, which Is painful.
Z suggestive Of secret dread and anXi
, ETY., too deep and wretched fer words
Z Whatever Howard Tremain
touched turned to gold, aud all tina
money could buy his wife possessed
Her wardrobe, jewels, house and caI
riage were among the most superb i
=, New York, yet her closet evidentl
had its skeleton, and tonight, mon
than ever before, it seemed deter
- mined to rattle its dry bones in oU
n very ears, and make itself felt an
seen in every nook and corner Of III
u milljonanc's sumptuous homo,
: spite of all Althea could do to kee
( the unpleasant thing out Of sight
Z For the twentieth time, she wake
to the window, and, with a hal
suppressed sigh on her lips, stoo
=, watching the sIeighs fly past, 50 lor
- that Mrs. Chester exclaimed, rath
70, petulantly:
in ''Nonsense, Althea! Why is it til
you always will be worrying abo
rs Howard? He is not a baby, and
oa- no doubt quite as capable of fndil
"s- his way home alone as most men al
H3e ine Mr.. Tremaine knows that we a
and going to the opera this evening, and
will be sure to drop IN before the e.
tn t, of the first act, you may depend. A
ihis now we must dress, if we wish to he
eSs the opening air in Faust which
- certainly do, however it may be vi
YES you"
YES Mrs. Chester was one Of those pc
,us- tive characters who Immediately
noe upon what they say, and in less til
we an hour 1e were on our way to /
opera.
The house, when We entered, y
po- literally racEed with a most brill