Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1881-06-17

and not think too badly of her and must
forgive her if they could. and that was all.
II don't know but used to be a little
hard with her sometimes" said Mrs. Den
mis-, 'perhaps if 1 had been little differ.
emit she might have told me her trouble.
My sister Mary's girl disgraced like this!
Mr.. Gray, if you ever see or bear from her
again, tell her I am sorry, and that will
gladly take her back no matter what her
! reasons we're for going"
That day David's worst fears were con-
frmed by hearing that Walter Tredegar,
the night before, had gone away, no one
knew whittier. He had always been sort
of Bohemian, this Walter Tredegar. With
plenty of money to indulge bis every within
he had fitted hither and thither, and it
had been matter Of wonder to many that
he had cared to stay as long with his uncle
as he had, and to interest himself so much
in the business of Tredegar Mills. Now
he was gone, and with him had gone Ben
edicta Keith, leaving behind her a black
ened name and seeing before her-what?
Nothing was heard of Bonnie nor Wal
ter until nearly four years had pass
ed, and then a paragraph in newspaper
announced the death of Walter Tredegar
in France, killed in duel. The paper
also stated that his wife was not with him
at the time, but in Amiens, and would
undoubtedly be overwhelmed by the terri
BILE affection.
ellis wife, thought David, bitterly,
''and poor Bonnie, where is she?''
The fourth anniversary of Bennie's
flight came, and David, to whom that day
was always the most wretched one of the
year, went slowly home through the rain
which was falling drearily.
Mrs. Dennis met him at the door with a
face bearing the trace of tears, yet looking
strangely bright.
MRS. Walter Tredegar is here,'' she
said; ''she came to tell US some news of
Bennie.''
News of Benniel" and David leaned
against the doorway for an instant to re-
cover himself, and then he entered the
parlor.
The room was not yet lighted, but be
saw slender figure standing in the dark
1t came towards him lightly and swiftly.
Was he going mad, or was it a ghost?-
No ghost-but having flesh and blood, pa
Ter, thinner, but lovelier than ever. and as
he put out his hands, down at his feet it
sank.
"David, forgive me, and welcome me
home,'' said a voice that he had never
thought to hear again in this world, and
he bent over her with great sob which
did not shame his manhood. "Thank God,
my prayers are answered, Bonnie has come
back!'
Poor Bonnie! if she had made others
suffer she had suffered too. Married to an
utterly selfish man, as cruel and domineer-
ing as he was unprinclpled, her life had
been one of misery until death set her free.
He had married her while under the infiu-
ence of passion as brief as it was strange:
but selfish even then he had bound her
never to divulge her marriage until he
babe her. and had commanded her to hold
no communication with these she had left
behind to follow him.
For the first few months he had been
kind-more lover than husband-then
the letters began to gall him. he craved
his liberty, he cursed himself for fool,
and from that moment life of torment
began for poor Bonnie.
She rarely spoke of it, she seemed to try
to forget it, but it was evident that she
had suffered much-even his death was
dlsgraceful-another woman had been the
cause of it.
But Bennie had come back, and by de-
grees-she took her old place in the house.
hold. The Tredegars were kind and pat
ronizing. but Bonnie shrank from them
and found her happiness in the old way and
the old life. After year had passed David
found courage to show her the little ring
which he had kept so long, and asked her
if she would wear it again, and she, blush.
ing but earnest, answered softly:
Eyes, for love you.''
And so David Gray's happiness came to
him after long years.