Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-12-21
GaIfs ano Skftfbts.
fWe LIVES WICKED.
(Contlnuco from Yesterday

NV II u ~ xvAIoS Ot0y WIZ 0ss~s 1870
her 10 the supper-room. On leaving this
room. half an hour afterward, Margaret
Claire was on my arm
...It is so hot here she said, leaning
heavily on me a. we entered the half-de-
serted parlors ] drew her into the con-
servatory, where the air was cooler, and
seating her in chair, stood and looked
down into her dark, weird eyes, that were
upturned to nv face. / shall never forget
how beautiful she looked nor the strange
fascination there was about her. As for
me, was like one in a bewildering dream.
/ saw nothing, felt nothing. cared for
nothing outside of this region Of enchant-
ment. And 50, in a mad. blind impulse,
spoke a few hasty words that wrecked
two lives.
when I went back to the parlors. with
Margaret leaning on my arm. the first
eyes that met mine were the clear, tender.
halt-sfartled eyes Of Annie Clayton. Ny
own dropped away from hers instantly.
On lifting them again. and looking at her.
! saw that swift pallor had swept over
her face, and that her eyes had a wild
look Of pain. NY bewildering dream was
over! was no longer in dream Of en-
chantnent. My pulses lost their fever
heat. n cntli pdsseu over me.
II arm a man Of honor and so there was
no escape had offered myself in mar
rage. and been accepted. and nothing was
left for me but TO consummate that mar
rage.
II never called again upon Annie Clay
ton. All the pure. tender. heavenly states
Of the soul she had awakened were buried
out OF sight, and the nobler aims she had
inspired put far from me. I was To be Of
the earth, earthly, and the service had to
give must be for the god of this world.
All me what service. And what re-
ward.'
He shivered rs he said this-sat Tor
few moments like one stunned into 81
lence by the shock Of some great emotion.
and then went on:
my next meeting with Annie was me
morable. II occurred after my engage
ment with Margaret was known. had
gone TO summer boarding house. in a
lovely region Of country fifty miles from
the city. to spend week or two. On
the morning after my arrival. ! strolled
into neighboring wood and soon found
myself in charming valley, through
which ran charming paths. crossing and
recrossing n stream that made the scene
beautiful with tiny lakes and waterfalls.
The hushed quiet of the woods, and the
strange, breathless sense of isolation we
sometimes feel when alone with nature.
softened my feelings. while it strained
every sensitive nerve to unwont-
ed tension. Turning n sharp angle of the
path in which was walking. came upon
rustic bench. on which a lady sat alone.
was only few yards distant. My step
startled her. ard she looked up. II was
Annie Clayton!
1.-The meeting was too sudden. We
were both of guard. For an instant
stood rs fixed as statue. and she. half
rising. startled. and pale as death, held
me with look that betrayed her pas
siopate, hopeless love.
There was only one right thing to do.
and she did it, | would have been too
weak. She drew herself up with sudden
strength. bowed slightly, and then. with
quick but steady steps. moved past me in
the direction from which had come. My
strength was gone. and went unsteadily
TO the seat from which she had arisen, and
did not leave il Tor an hour. On the next
morning went away. and spent my va
cation in another region of country. An
ME, learned. was taken home week af
terward, very i'll.
I'm the winter was married to Mar
garet Claire. think she loved me as well
~ women of her nature. education. and
false views of life. usually love their hus-
bands. Perhaps she would have loved me
in q deeper. truer way-been more a wife
to me-if had felt any love for her and
so we might have been indfferently happy
together. instead of wretched. through
many. many miserable years.
Every now and then met Annie Clay
ton. II seemed ~ il some malignant
spirit. that took delight in torturing us
both. would bring us suddenly together in
ways that made it almost impossible to
prevent mutual betrayal of our feelings.
Bot was honorable. and she WAS pure
and good; and so we stood far apart from
each other. cold in exterior as ice.
"For ten years Annie remained single.
and then became the wife of MIR Akrrs.
man as well fitted to become her husband
as Margaret Clare was to become my wife.
I know something of his mean. hard ma
ture and irascible temper. II reports are
true. the union has been far from Il happy
one. When heard of this marriage. it
filled me with bitterness of spirit; cursed
myself and my own wife. and the evil
hour in which. not being myself. had
steered the life-bark in which God had
placed two human souls and given me
the helm. right among the seething break
era.
"'Not being myself" He repeated
the little sentence in tone Of mingled
bitterness and scorn. Then. speaking
slowly. and with hard dcliberstinn of
utterance. he said. THAT is. after firing
my blood. and confusing my brain with
wine q see it all now as never saw it be-
fore.) | laid my head in the lap OF another
Delilah. and was betrayed"'
AS thousands OF others have be n. and
are daily being BETRAYED to one Kind of
ruin or another through the confusion of
wine and strong drink taken socially. and,
as the phrase goes. temperately." | re-
piled.
mo truer words were ever uttered.'
he said. with strong excitement Of man.
ner. And yet. strange to tell, until now
the truth never flashed across my mind
The thought startles and appalls me ,
What sorrow and Indebtedness. what
wrongs and crimes what lite-long expert
ences OF misery! what hopeless anguish