Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-07-28

Mr.. feyton acquaintance IN tne read
ing.room, and together they travelled
over Elrope-where Mr.. Warner once
spent many years of his lIfe-Mr. Pey,
toms great descriptive powers painting,
as with a pencil, every subject he
touched upon.
One day Etsy said, half scornfully,
half earnestly:
What do you think of my husband,
Mr.. WarnerP
His answer surprised her.
i admire him more than any man ]
ever knew, Etsy. i wish l could un-
derstand what is keeping you apart.
That night he sent for the ladies to
join him in the parlor. To Etsy's sur
prise he introduced them to Mr.. Pey-
ton, who threw the charm of his con-
versation over them, as he had over
Mr. Warner, and the evening passed
ere they had begun,
Time passed on and the other even
ings were spent together, and it soon
required but careless eye to see that
the beautiful face of Etsy Peyton was
the only face on earth to their new
| friend
'Essie, your husband is falling in
1--we again, Agnes said, but the sad
'Essie' made no reply.
One night Mr.. Peyton said to her:
Mrs. Willis, your face haunts me; it
reminds me of some one l have seen
before; perhaps it was in my dreams.
And Etsy only answered Perhaps
She sat on the veranda one night,
waiting for Agnes and her father. They
were to leave for New York the next
day, and there was a great ache at
Etsy's heart
Mr.. Peyton stepped through the
window and stood beside her. He
merely bowed his stately head, and she
never spoke-she dared not. You are
sad tonight, Mrs. Willis. Are you
sorry to leave Niagara
For the life of her she could not have
answered him, but without waiting for
one he sat down by her side.
4, too, am sad tonight, but my sad
ness has deeper meaning than yours.
At my heart are tugging love, remorse,
regret and wretched quarreling with
fate, | wish l dare lay bare my heart
to you, for my soul IS famishing for
human sympathy
You may.
FAnd you will not think less of me
because have sinned and suffered ?
Il will not.
Five years ago-nay, l must begin
further back. Ten years ago. knew
and loved young girl. She was
loving child, tender hearted and win
ming She won my heart ere 1 knew
it, and I asked her to be my wife. She
consented ;iand when, we parted, ,Shung
round my neck and wept so bitterly
that found it very hard to leave her.
| went back to Germany. and after
ward carried with me all over the con
tinent the memory of that beautiful
face, and more than it, this memory of
the gentle, loving heart. l returned
five years later to find cold. hearted,
naughty woman, who repelled my ten
derness and threw back upon my ach-
ing heart the love would have felt for
her if she had but been tender and pa
tient. But | must be just found the
lady so changed in her personal appear
ance that l did not know her at first,
and doubtless my manners seemed
cold to her, for was mourning for my
beautiful little Etsy, and could not be.
lieve this cold, pale woman was she.
We were married within the hour Of
my arrival and though at first my soul
sickened, l did strive, before God, to
give her my love, but verify believe
she hated me, for she grew more and
more cold and disdainful every day,
till, mad with sorrow and regret, | left
my home to wonder, disconsolate and
sad, all over the earth. Twice, remem-
berjng she was my wife, wrote, beg
ging her to join me, for | could not
bear to return to the grange, where all
knew my sad history; but she naughty
refused, saying in her last letter that
she fancied our paths would be happi-
est far apart You, too, have known
sorrow, Mrs. Willis, but it is better to
mourn for the dead than the living
Lionel Peyton loved Mrs. Willis, and
it required all his honor and manhood,
all his self.control to keep from taking
her in his arms and telling her so. He
did not. but continued:
Later, l met with one who, before I
was aware of it, crept into my heart
a beautiful regal woman, with a pas
sionate tropical nature, entirely suited
to mine. l loved that woman, but l
dared not tell her SO; my honor for
bade it, and yet I love her | Oh, my
God thou knowest it all
AS the white lips grew calmer he
said: Tonight for all my battling,
this wild love is clamoring to be heard;
all the anguish and regret, all the hard
err to bear because unspoken. | thought
l must speak or die, but when the
storm was at its height a. great calm
came over my spirit and something'like
Gods great pity fell upon my tempted
soul, and once more it was able to over
come. I have come to say goodbye,
Essie. There is only one course for me
to pursue l must rejoin my poor wife,