The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-01

which she had been accustomed-and
the life she had dreamed. Early next
morning she heard a tap at her door
then her husbands voice: "Good
morning! / must hurry down to the
store. but the coffee is ready for you.
Good-by !" and when she had dressed
and gone out into the tiny kitchen
she found the little oil Stoye alight,
and the fragrant coffee smoking, and
in their dining and drawing-room
the table neatly spread-for one.
II was curious life to live. They
were together only such a little while
every evening strangers under the
same roof and linked in tine same life.
A courtier would not have been more
assiduOus and ,leferential toward
queen. Left alone all day long. with
slanght hut. her thOughts to occupy
TIER, sue cahie little ~ little t0 taKe
an interest into find something en-
j"yable in her life. Its independence
pleased her and the study of her
neighb0rs was like readings a whole
library of novels. She became in.
tereSted in their domestic affairs and
could not but blush and feel a pang
at her heart to hear them sound her
husbands praises-hOw brave and
helpful he had always been toward
them and how he wOrshipped the
ground on W ich she walked. and all
were so proud and grateful that he
had won such Il wife. And the blush
and pang were renewed when he
came home in the evening, speaking
little and dropping his eyes when he
found hers fixed upon him, but evi.
IDENTITY w0r,hipping her afar off AS
frrvently as at first. But ever rose
up her pride and wounded ambition,
an impenetrable wall between them |!
1t was Christmas Eve, and Walter
was to he out late. Eleven had
struck, when. on looking over the
array of little presents she had pre-
pared for the children of their neigh
bOrs, she found that one had been
overlooked. 1t was a wild night, but
the toy store was near at hand, and
the streets would be lighted and
thronged, and SO throwing on her
hood and shawl she hurried out. On
her return. at street corner, she was
accosted hy fashily dressed man :
"Where do you live. my dear? Give
me kiss. just one. for the sake OF
Christmas" he said, following her
trembling steps along the streets
with drunken persistency.
"Oh, go away. Do leave me, sir,
or I'll call the police" she tal tered.
"Ca!l the police? WHY. certain
ly. It's all right. Only one kiss
and then I'll let you CO." and the
wretch approached her.
A scream, a laugh of drunken tri-
umph, a rush of hurrying footsteps,
then she saw her prosecutor fall like
an OK struck down by the butchers
ak and felt 4 strong arm thrown
round her and hurrying her home
ward. Between terror and thank
fullness she could not stand or speak
and could only sob hysterically as
her husband laid her Oh the sofa, GOV.
cred her with her shawl, turned up
the lamp and shook the fire into q
ruddy glow.
"Can 1 do nothing more for you ?''
he said, at last. when she was mis-.
iress of herself "nothing? You are
sure? Then shall 1 ask Mrs. Viii
liams to come and stay with you ?''
"Walter," she said, after pause
and then stopped, startled at her own
voice.
"Well. Marion?" he replied, al
he stM ped to give her his arm and
support her to her room.
II have always respected you,'
she went on, in an almost inaudible
whisper, land love you !" she add
ell, drawing down his face to hers
that he might not see her happy
bushes,
What happy life theirs was, ever
before their Erst. born boy came with
the flowers of May! Walter vowet
that she was not only the pretties
woman, but the best housekeeper il
New York. and she was surprised
herself at the way in which thei
money lasted-she could not under
stand bow, after the weekly expen
ses were paid and the weekly dOlla
had been deposited in the saving
bank, her husband could find means
to obtain the little delicacIes anC
knick-knacks he was perpetually
offering at her shrine. That he say
ed his car-fare by walking, and a
times took lunch with friend sh,