Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-06-10
Mary stared Mt me aghast.

Mrs. TREMAYNE,
GranHey LOdgc,
Grantify.
Mary stared at me aghast.
'Her husband, who hates her, and
would have killed her baby! . John,
you would not be so cruel She seems
SO frightened of him, poor little thing !
| You may be sure he is some horrld wicked
tyrant And if she really killed her baby
oh, dear. how sad it is! Whatever Will
become of her =
..But, my dear, if she has husband or
friends we must restore her to them.
Why, she is little more than child It's
very strange, very, and sad but the mys-
terv must be cleared, and the baby
buried
Mary still pronounced me cruel and
unfeeling beyend anything she could have
conceived.
.Of course her husband is a i:iadman,
who will murder her as soon as he gets
her into his hands. You know, John,
that husbands are always numbering their
wives"
..Middlc-agcd wives, dear, or elderly.
whose lives are heavily insured. shall
telegraph at once.
"Thcu her death will he Mt your door,
sir-mind that = and too indignant to
waste upon me more words, away went
Mary to take last peep Mt ourown sleep
ing babes, ut the dead baby about which
there was so much mystery, and the poor
Young mother whom she had doomed to
violent death.
She was still bending over her, and had
called me up to the bedside to notice the
extraordinary length of the lashes, and
the beauty Of the face in repose, when we
were startled by n knock at the front
door.
"It's the husband. l know it is. o,
John, don't betray her, don't give he. up
you wouldn't be so cruel =
Nonsense, child watch by her till |
return. If she awakes say nothing
about"
Her husband As if l should y
Our household having long since re-
tired, long indeed before my return, l
myself opened the door.
The street lamp lighted dimly two
figures one tall, stout, and mutfled.
'Mr. Merton?'
answered in the affirmative.
"You have kindly given shelter to n
lady?"
'Just so"
The speaker nodded to his companion,
who touched his hat and vanished.
The other stranger had now entered the
hall, and grasped my hand.
"Mr. Tremnyne q l asked hesitatlng-
ly.
Capt. Trcmayne How is she? p
"Asieep, under my wife's care sleep
ing as peacefully as child.
"Thank Godl So young such an
hour-in such state"
| saw a long shuddcr run through the
tall, powerful frame.
And the child ?" he added, after a
pause, in horror stricken whisper. 'Shr
had it with her?
| hardly knew what to answer; but he
had thrown off his heavy ulster and trnv-
Cling cap and now stood before me as
handsome and pleasant and henest-look-
ing young fellow as l ever saw, and my
heart warmed to him. He was no assas-
sin, or ruflian, or cowarlly bully, what
ever Mary might say. The shadow OF II
great horror that lay in the blue mellow
eyes had been laid there by terror, not
crime.
1.-The child is dead, ;" said softly.
at died two days ago, died suddenly
in commissions i'll her arms, and the
shock turned her brain. She was dong
so well, poor little thing but afterward
she grew delirious, and i'll her rawlings she
accused herself and me. l could do
nothing she would not have me near
her. but beat me off with her hands, as
though she couldn't bear the sight of me.
And l was SO fond of her and she of me y
Here the man broke down. He walked
to the window, then turned and asked ab-
ruptly: May so to her?'
i thought of Mary and hesitated.
''She is sleeping so peacefully Just now ;
and if she awoke suddenly and saw
you-"
'.She shall not see me, he broke III
eagerly. Il will be so quiet but / must
see her. l nursed her through long Ill
ness Il year ago, and she would have no
one near her but me and now
Under the heavy military moustache l
saw his lip quiver he paused, then add
ed Il must go to her - not i'll command.
but yearning appeal both i'll Voice and
eyes.
..Will YOU wait here Il minute? will
sec whether she still sleeps
She still slept. the heavy peaceful sleep
| ol IL urea cilll' Nai h''PihS ." ''NA
watch and guard over her. | bcckoned
her out of the room.
"Well y with fretful impatient eager
ness. you have seen him What is he
| like Is he horrid?'
Judge for yourself he is i'll the DIM
inc-room. He SAYS he must see hor-he
must come III.
That he shan't the cruel wretch or 1t
shall bo over my prostratc body !! trnSi-
cally.
well, go and tell him so.
81 will y And away, nothing daunted.
went Mary
smiled "Shc will no more resist the
pleading of those blue handsome eyes
than did her husband. He will VIII heI
over with look was right; she soon
returned, and not alone.
"IIe will be very quiet, and she need
not see him. thought it would be bet
ter :" all this apolosetically.
lie crossed the room as noisciessly as q
woman stopped over the bed i'll silence,
then sal down beside it. Mary shaded
the lamp SO that the room was i'll twi
light. and SO we all three sat down tt
wait.
For more than an hour We waited, then
Mary stole out. Captain Iremayne look
ed mp as the door opened and closed
then, with quick sigh, laid the brown
curly head down upon the pillow as clos.
ns possible to that Of the poor young wife
without touching it, and his hand move,
up toward hers where it lay on the cover
let, but without touching that either To-
fear of awaking or disturbing her
1t was not until the first gray streaks o
daylight were struggling i'll through thu
window, beside which l sat, that ther'
was slight stir she WAS awakins II
last
"Hugh = she breathed -drcamily n
first, then urgently "Hugh =
'Ycs, dear
She turned her face toward his where /
lay beside her She was only PARTIAL.
awake as yet, her eyes were still closed
but the hand on the coverlct crept VI
softly toward him, iluttered over his face
rested one moment caressingly on tn
brown curls, then, with long contentc,
sigh, her arm stole round his neck.
"Uusbaud. kiss met