Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1881-02-24

the lounge and the fire, that the light might |
not disturb him, she drew her chair close
within the warmth Of the blaze, and fell to
bordering. One would scarce suspect that
the wolf was at the door of this apartment,
SO exquisite were its appointments: The
rich carpets and hangings, the leather fur
niture, the we'll filled book leases, fine paint
ings, and choice brio brac were all indi-
cative of wealth and refinement.
1t was the old story. A year ago Mr..
Conway was wealthy man-to- day, through
unfortunate speculation, ruined one.
The death grip was on his home; either he
must sell it, or submit to the alternative, |
viz: foreclosure of mortgage. And this was
not the worst. Six months ago stralning !
every nerve to recover himself, he had in
jured his eyesight. This had gradually |
failed him till finally he was condemned to
darkened chambers, or what was infinitely
worse, to inactivity. He dared not resist
this treatment for-it was his only chance
against total blindness.
This was the skeleton which Helen Con-
way boldly faced that dark December night
That same night she stole from her hus-
bands side, and the gray dawn was break
ing when she returned to the room. he
had not missed her. For four consecutive
nights she did the same.
Helen, what is the meaning of this?"
These were the words with which he
greeted her ON the fourth morning. His
voice was imperatively stern. She did not
reply. Mr.. Conway changed the form OF
his question:
How am to account for your mysteri-
GUS disappearance from my side, by day or
by night, whenever you suppose that am
| waltpd
thinking you would volunteer some explana-
ton, but since you have evidently deter
mined not to do this, shall have to be I'M
der the painful necessity of demanding one.
Herbert, can not you trust your wife!
| Of course, if you request it, will enlighten
you, but prefer not to be questioned for
few days"
AS you please"
His tone implied cold indifference. There
was nothing more said upon the subject.
Pride had set its seal upon these loving
hearts.
| What so sensitive in nature as proud
man, whose strength has been laid low?
His wife had recognized his helplessness
and thrown off her dependence upon him
she was learning to walk alone. This was
the secret of her reticence. Thus did Mr.
Conway argue within himself. Could his
gentle wife have suspected the nature of his
thoughts, how many hours of pain might
have been spared them both.
| And she-.she too, nursed her pride.
| What right had her husband to assume this
manner toward her. Why should he treat
her as child, simply because she had seen
tit to take step alone-for once in her life
to act without first consulting him? Well,
he must learn to trust her-that was all!
But it was not all. There were in store days
of Indebtedness, which she had not reckon
ed upon, misery born Of that deadly pride,
whose work is to destroy earthly happiness.
Her health and spirits visibly failed and
she awaited Developments. She could not
yield now; but what if after all her project
failed? Then she would confess all But
she grew heart sick at the thought.
week went by-a week Of miserable
suspense to one, of utter wretchedness to
both. And then-it was Christmas Eve.
Helen returned to the library, after an
hours absence from the room. eff Her
bert would only ask me where I have been,
she said to herself with a sigh But no,
since that night he had taken no note of
her coming or going; he had never question
| ed her absence from him, was it extended
or brief. Now she advanced to his chair.
Hold fast what give you, Herbert. He
looked up in surprise, as her playful tone
| fell upon his ear. As he raised his head,
he felt something cold and hard fall into
his hand. ''What is this, Helen?" he ex-
claimed in half startled voice.
Five hundred dollars" Her voice was
choaked with emotion as she thus answer
| ed him.
Another secret!' There was world of
them.
ooh, Herbert, don't speak that way to
me-you will break my heart"
| Have done with mysteries" he said,
impatiently. Il ask you once more, what
means this?"
With an effort she controlled her voice
sufficiently to reply.
do you remember the night we read Pets
letter." look of pain fitted across her
husbands face as he nodded assent. That
night resolved that, come what might,
the childs sweet faith should not be de-
stroyed. This resolution strengthened my
own. A dozen plans for filling the ex-
chequer came into my mind, but we've each
in turn abandoned as impractcable. I was
almost desperate, when my eye Glanced to
fall upon the newspaper which had been
that evening reading aloud to you. My at
tention was now attracted by paragraph
which somehow had previously escaped my
observation list of prizes offered for the
best Christmas stories-the first prize, five
hundred dollars.
"Once you told me, Herbert, that you
enumerated among your choicest blessings a
wife who was not endowed with any special
talent. You said, moreover, that, in
your opinion no woman who aspired to
fame could be q true wife and mother.
These words of yours flashed through my
mind, but they only served to strengthen
resolution. Precisely because I was true
wife and mother, determined to resurrect
a talent which had long since buried.
But to do this, was forced to turn night
into day: to insure success, it was necessary
that I should thus guard against Interrupt
ton.
Partly because feared opposition from
you, partly because wished to give you
pleasant surprise if success crowned my eff
forts, to save you from disappointment in
the event of failure, kept the matter Sc
cret. never dreamed, Herbert of you
resenting this as personal injury. Your
want of confidence aroused both pride and
anger in my heart. forgot that you were
sick and suffering forgot everything save
you distrusted me-" Here Helen lifted her
head from her husbands shoulder, and
kissed his pale lips. "Oh, my husband, 1
have been so unutterably wretched. Won't
you forgive me? knew all the time that I
was wrong, but sometimes pride is stronger
even than love"
He stretched out his arms to her in the
darkness-the next moment she was
clasped to his heart. No word did he speak.
None was needed. She knew better than
he could tell her, that his joy was not min
gled with pain, that his proud heart rebelled
against that fate which had constituted his
wife the bread winner, while it doomed
him, the strong man, to hopeless inactivity.
Pets letter was the open Sesame" to a
mine Of wealth, but its riches were not de-
veloped in day, or month, or year.
The wife's pen could not save to her children
their home, nor restore to her husband his
sight; but it kept the wolf at bay, and that
was much in those first dark hours. And in
after years, as she learned to WELD more
skilfully this weapon of defense, it served
to hew down mighty obstacles, which her
loved ones must else have stumbled over,