The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1882-09-16

without which cannot lay claim to
my husbands estate in France. It is
not the money L WANT she added
with proud spirit-"I cannot bear to
that /; but my children shall not be
robbed of the right to their father's
name ~
She paused to look at me. l felt as
If a severe tension upon her nerves
had given way at last, and crushed by
the fear of her cabinet being lost to
her, her silence and reserve had
broken down, and that she appealed
to nae unconsciously in her need.
The shadowy pageant passed to and
fro across the mirror, and as she went
on with her story 1t seemed to me I
saw the whole sad episode pass in re-
view on the dim surface.
Fifteen years ago my husband de-
serted me. Evil influences led him
astray, and while for my children's
sake 1 would have pardoned him, I
never saw him again or heard one
word of him, until 1 learned through
the paper that he was dead, and had
left an estate to his wife and children.
II could not grieve, except that he
had died in his sin, untorgiven by me.
L vas poor, for he left me with only the
household furniture, and have toiled
all these years to n aintain my chill
dren. So, for their sakes, I applied to
lawyer to obtain possession of the
estate. a| Eue s..sl1a. g-
"Oh, the shame, the despair, of find
ing another claimant in France to
my children's name and honor!
81 must prove our claim as wife and
children, said the careful French law
yer, by the production of the marriage
and baptismal certificate!
"And [ knew not where they were.
"The minister was dead, the wit.
nesses gone knew not where.
II felt then as if my carelessness had
dishonored my children, and for days
could get no relief from my horrible
anxiety, until by fash as if from
heaven, I remembered that / had
placed the certificates with other
papers in the old cabinet had parted
with to Clutchem & Keep. I went to
them; they had sent it here for sale,
and now you" trtra
She broke down with moan of
despair. IL was more than 4 could
stand. That cry and the pitifuI story
forced me into action at once.
"You shall have back the cabinet,
madam !" I said solemnly, as if de-
voting my life to its search.
ooh, sir, you will do noble deed
if you but find it for me ]" she cried,
gratefully, looking at me with beam
ing eyes. a.f. .g-.s1.a5 .rs.H.
Her face looked to me as if halo
came over it, and dimly felt why I
had stood barehead before her.
Truly had I stood in Deaths pres
ence-the death of hope and love in
this poor woman's life-the requiem of
gladness and i'm pulse. 5..t rf.
She left me with hopeful smile,
taking my hand with a pretty grace
and L watched her, in the mirror, go
down the shadowy room into the sun
light of the street, and the shadows
seemed to fall from her fors yer.
l telegrapned the Western firm
They had the cabinet, and returned it
at once; so that before many days the
little, nervous fingers were searching
in presence of the lawyer and myself,
for the precious papers.
She found them! / shall never for
get her face when she held them up.
The balo was there as she said, so
softly: 81. ..l..d lrH
THANK God ~ ..tf
And it seems to cling to me yet, and
to make me think how much misery
our evil passions can work through
selfishness and thoughtlessness. n