The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1880-01-22
ALMOST TOO LATE.

Charles Archer stood at the door of
the one room high up in noisy tene-
ment house in New York, which he
called home" 1t ,gas not the welded
home lie had dreamed of twelve years
before, when he uttered the Valedic-
tory" ut Yale. when Helen Gordon
blushed and smiled at the applause that
greeted his appearance on the stage.
Nor was that crouching figure beside the
window, in the untidy print dress, with
the pretty sullen face, and the uncoml cd
ofwliosc company he had been SO proud,
50 happy to monopolize, upon that
golden day.
His wife looked up and caught the ex-
preston of pitying regret upon his dark
and handsome face. Her heart was full
of angry rebellion against her fate,
against herself, against him - almost
against God!
why do you look at me like that"
she said peevishly. Il know that the
room has not been swept, and that l
have not made my toilet for the day.
My toilet" she laug ghed bitterly. when
shall make a toilet again, wonderP
/ once set the fashion in New Haven !
Who would believe it now! And, oh,
to think-only to think what my life
might have been, if had been wise"
Her husbands face darkened all over
81 understandW he exclaimed.
"You mean if you had married Paul
Hayden instead of me-"
"How can l help such thoughts? I
saw his wife early yesterday morning
when / was out. She was driving to
the railway station on her way to their
country house for the summer. Iheard
the footman say so to some one when he
went to buy the tickets for her. And,
oh, what a difference there was be-
tween us two! No wonder she has kept
her beauty. No wonder | have lost
mine! Beauty and health, and youth
and happiness, they are all going away
from me, because we are so poor!"
"Better days may be coming, love-"
said the husband, after pause. -
have heard of a good situation this
time, you know. If l get it, it will be
a stepping stone to other things of more
consequence. And when l am rich,
you know well, my darling, that shall
refuse you nothing"
"You have thought so many times
that better days were close at hand.
And every time you have been disap-
pointed, and WE have lived on the same
horrible life," was the discouraging re-
ply, -.
really good news, | trust ar d hope. If
you will only kiss me and wish me
good luck, | have faith that it will
come"
He bent down, his dark eyes wistfully
searching hers for one glance OF love,
such as he had so often seen there in the
happy days of courtship. But love, so
cd ho oti nc
feared, had flown out of the window of
this home when poverty entered. The
heat, the dust, the discordant street.
cries without, the shabby, disordered
room within, the general sense of her
own untidineSs, and the CALLING memory
of the freshly beautiful summer costume
worn by the wife of Paul HAYDEN, as
she lounged in her carriage on the pre-
vious day-all these things Combined 10
Danish the atfectionate glance for which
the husbands heart so vainly hungered.
and to make the wife's parting kiss so
cold and formal that it fingered like ice
upon the young mans lips as he turned
away,
He said nothing. But the deep sigh,
that seemed to come from the very
depths OF tried and overladen heart,
silently reproached her.
She caught last glimpse of his face
as he closed the door. 1t wore look
of repressei sorrow that would haunt
her to her dying day. What evil spirit
had tempted her to try him SO?
Was it his fault that, by the sudden
failure of bank in the great "panic. v
the savings of years of steady toll had
been lost in 3 momentp Had he not
labored faithfully ever since for her
supportP For her ungrateful sake, had
he NOT stopped even to menial toll, when
no other employment could b.procured
And now she had sent him from her
uncheered by a look or word of fondness