River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-09-01

/ nef accom- DaDylDg 0er! Dut perhaps
at the last moment she had refused &c
start alone.
/ strained my eyes to see the loved
form following. She was not there
What did it mean?
Miss Towards eyes roved up and
down. At last she caught sight of my
pale, troubled face. A smile like sun
shine broke over her own. She came
quickly toward me, her hand out
stretched.
Harry" she whispered, "did you
fear had not Gomez"
A deadly faintness came over me.
"Your sister," ! murmured. "She
is not hereY
"My sister" she repeated. "She is
not here ?" showing her amaze. "My
sister, You said nothing of her accom-
panying me-"
Then l saw it all. Fool-fool that |
had BEEN By a more powerful effort
than / believe myself capable of, |
threw of the despair which was crowd
ing on heart and brain. Already the
clergyman was awaiting me and my
bride. My bride How differently
now l repeat those wrods.
"What is the matter, Harry ?" asked
Adele. "Can it be that you have no
welcome for me?"
There was such reproachful sadness
in her tone that it compelled me to be
strong and meet the fate my idle care
lessness had brought upon myself.
| hurried her into the carriage, and
then folded her in my arms. l strove
to reassure, to convince her of my
love; but saw her glance wondering
ly into my face, even while my lips
pressed hers.
Once, as the ceremony was being per-
formed which made our lives forever
one, she paused, as though tempted
even then to withdraw; but with reas-
surfing pressure of my hand, she gained
courage and went on to the end.
To the end For me, when would
come the end? | had arranged to be
away from my home some few days,
and had planned out their every delicious
hour. Now pleaded urgent business
! for an immediate Ieturn-to which
Adele gladly acquiesced.
| She said she was anxious to see her
home. Once there, | felt could grow
calmer. Each hour that | could spend
away from her | passed in almost
| frenzy. My terrible misery, and the
necessity for its concealment, racked
me night and day.
Our home reached, it grew worse
rather than better. 1t was pitiful to
see Adele's efforts to brighten it with
| the pretty things she had brought from
home What a wonderful difference
womans tact will make
One night, as we sat together, |
thought | had grown strong enough to
ask the question which for three wretch
ed weeks had been trembling on my
lips.
adele" l said, "tell me of May.
Was she sorry to give you up?'
''She was less sorry than she would
have been, because she was so engross-
married, you know, next month. Dear
little May! 1t was so hard that had
to leave before the ceremony took
place"
The room swan before me. Married.
May married. strove to answer, but
my tongue Glove to the roof of my
mouth. | was capable of but one
thought-married married! and to an
other. Was | repeating the words
aloud? was | mad? was | dreaming? |
knew not, as, with low cry of anguish,
| fell forward in what seemed to me
gulf of blackness.
When | awakened from what seemed
to me a long swoon, Adele's eyes met
mine. But | forgot myself in the
change in her.
She was very thin and deadly pale,
her eyes seeming too large for her face.
| learned all too seon that she had not
left my bedside for fourteen days and
nights, during which time | had been
tossing in delirium of brain fever.
"What did | talk about?' / inquired.
Nothing, DEAR" she replied, sooth-
ingly. "Most of your words were inco-
herent."
And fool fool believed her.
My recovery was very slow one, and
due to the nursing of my devoted wife.
Strange to say, the old agony her pres
ence had brought me, fled. She now
soothed me- The storm had reached
its height and burst. A quiet calm now
succeeded-a calm when | began to see
with clearer eyes, and resolved to take
up my burden and bear it more
| bravely.
But in Adele there was an indescrib-
able change. She talked, she laughed,
she sang; but so might an automaton.
Her soul had gone from her face, and
gone from every action.
Why did it trouble me? She never
offered me demonstration. She ac-
copied in quiet passiveness those L
gave her.
When had grown quite strong again,
there came crisis in my affairs. In
a moment she was at the wheel, ready
to help steer my barque out of the
troubled current
In that hour, the contrast flashed upon
me of how May would have acted, and
the double burden | should have borne
of her helplessness. Through Adele,
with her help, by her judgment, | came
out safely; but looked at her with
new admiration.
At the end of the year we received a
letter sealed in black. 1t announced
the death of Mays husband. He had
been instantly killed by fall from his
| horse.
Adele smiled even while she wept;
I but felt neither pleasure or pain. Why
was it that the widowhood of the wo-
man | had so passionately loved moved
me so little? and why had Adele smiled?
/ longed to ask her, hut dared not.
Singularly enough, in the month of
May, our little girl was born. Some
thing like happiness stole into my
heart as | took the tiny thing into my
arms, and bent to kiss the white face
| on the pillow Life now held new zest
for me. Day by day l watched my lit
| tie daughters growth, while peace and
content took up their abiding-place
within me.
| don't know just when they fled,
nor when The discovery was made
which sent them from me-the discov-
cry that my wife was diving. White
and van, she lay on her pillows letting
| life slip from her aim st as though she
were glad To let it go-almost as though
! she would not stretch out her hand to
! hold it back.
She had insisted we should call the
baby May, and | had consented.
''You must rouse her to take an in
terest in living" the doctor said. "She
is beyond my skill.
This, when / had gone to him for
the truth.
That evening, sat down close be-
/ s;Jo bar o,J Las my, hand O,, berS