The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-01-07

| started her into different view of the case.
Was her husbands heart really turned from
! her? She was frightened at the remote sug-
! gesiion-for in his love lay all her world
You are not really in earnest. May,
| about seeing Harry riding out with lady
| this afternOOn? she said. in a voice and
| with a look that revealed fully her state of
mind. The color had left her face, and her
heart shook in her voice.
Probably l was mistaken, Bella" replied
the friend, Though had not doubted the
fact moment until saw youatthe window
a little while ago"
did you notice the lady very par
ticularIyr
mo; but let the matter pass, dear. No
doubt l was mistaken. 1t is worrying you
more than | could have imagined"
Bella looked at her friend for some mo-
ments in strange way hen giving low.
suppressed waiiing cry, bent forward and
land her face upon her bosom, sobbing and
shuddering in such wild turbulence of
feeling that her friend became actually
alarmed.
You have frightened mel" said the young
wife, lifting her head at last, as her excite
ment died away. All Mary, if | should
lose my husbands love. il would kill mei'
Then, Bella" answered her friend, ''see
to il that you neglect none of the means re-
9uired for keeping It, If you would con-
tinue to be loved. you must not grow I'M
lovely. The charms that won your husband
must not be folded up and kept for holiday
occasions, and then put on for other eyes
than his. Youmust keep them ever displayed
before him; nay, put on new attractions.
Is not the husband even dearer than the
lover, and his heart better worth the hold
ing? Look back, my dear friend, over the
brief moons that have waxed and waned
since you were bride. Put yourself on
trial and take impartial testimony. Have
n nleaSQ as them
careful of his feelings? As regardful of his
tasses? Do you adorn yourself for his eyes
now as you dressed for his coming them AS
a wife are you as loyable as when maiden2
Bella. Bella look to the little foxes that
spoil the tender grapes, If you would have
loves ripe fruitage. Love is not a cham
eleon to be fed on air, and change in every
hue of condition. 1t must have substantial
food. Deprive it of this and it languishes
and dies And, now, dear, | have warned |
you. Meet your husband, when he returns |
home this evening. as sweetly as when he |
came to you in your fathers house. attracted |
as the bee is to the flower, and note the |
manner in which his face will tighten up. |
Did he kiss you when he came home yes |
terday?'
The face of Bella flushed little
Husbands soon lose their taste for kiss |
ing" she answered at the same time rafting |
her small foot nervously on the Brussels car
pet
If the wife's lips remain as sweet as the
maiden's-never."
''Oh. you don't know anything about it"
said Bella. wait until you are married."
After the friend said good-afternoon, the |
young wife went TO her room and cried for a |
good quarter OF an hour Then she COM
menced doing as her friend suggested. Re- |
freshed by bath, she a tired herself in |
delicate blue belt binding her waist A |
Iaaa wi ba her
pure neck, edged and tied with narrow |
azure ribbon Was turned away from her
swan-like throat; and Just below was an ex- |
quisitely cut oval pin. Her hair, rich |
golden brown, had been made glossy us the |
wing of bird, and was folded just enough |
away from the temples to show their delicate |
cutting Two open rosebuds-red and white |
nestled in her hair. She did look lovely |
and lOvable, as her mirror told her.
Harry was halt an hour later than usual |
in coming home. Bella was sitting in the |
parlor when he came in, waiting for bis re-
turn, with new feeling at her heart-a
feeling of blended fear and hope fear lest
he was actually becoming estranged from
her, and trembling hope TO win him back
again His step was not very light. She
noticed that, for her had become newly
sensitive. He had caught a glimpse of her
through the window. and knowing, there
fore, that she was in the parlor, came to the
door and stood there.
BLESS mep' he exclaimed after a mo-
ment, 'hOw charming you look!
And he came forward with a pleased
smile on his face, and, taking her hand,
bent down and kissed her.
Sweet as a rosel" he added holding her
away from him and gazing at her admiring-
ly How her heart did beat with new de-
light,
dressed for company?
There was just little shade of GOODNESS in
Harry's voice, Us he suggested the probable
reason for her sinsularly improved appear
ance.
Yes" replied Bella.
"WhO?"
s.My husband, ;" in a trembling voice.
Harry was little puzzled but greatly
pleased. 1t was true that he had been rid
ing out that afternoon with lady-a hand
some attractive woman, who was throwing
around his weak, almost bOyish spirit, a
SIRENS fascination. She nut on every charm
in her power TO summon, while the foolish
wife was hiding hers away and taking no
pains to mold dominion in the heart she had
won and was now in danger of losing. Five
minutes before, the companion of his ride
appeared to his fancy charming in COM
parison with his wife that he felt no pleas
ure at the thought of meeting one who,
since their marriage, had seemed to grow
every day less attractive; but now Bella was
his queen of hearts again.
And are You really dressed to receive
me, darIing?" he said, as he kissed her
again, and then drew his arm lovingly about
her waist.
"Yes, for you. Could true wife wish to
be lOvller to others eyes than to her hus-
band's?''
81 should think not" he answered.
She understood in the words more than he
wished to convey.
There was a r0se-tint on everything in
Bella's home that evening From the cold,
half-inGifferenr husband, Harry was trans
formed to the warm, attentive lover. How
many times. as she turned her eyes upon
| him. did she catch look of tender admira-
ton or loving pridei
What has made you so charming to-
night?" he said as he kissed her for the tenth
| time You look pure and sweet as
| lily"
Love for my husband" she answered,
and then tear, in which joys sunlight
made rainbow, stole out from the droop-
ing lashes, and lay, crystal drop, on her
| cheek.
| She made no confession of her thought
| less neglect of the means by which hearts are
| held i'm thrall to love, III )ugh her husband
| half guessed at the fact that something had
| awakened her TO the truth.
| On the next afternoon Harry rode out
| with a lady again, but that lady was his
| wife. He was never afterward in danger OF
| being won away from faithful love, for
| Bella grew in his eyes more attractive, more
charming, more lOvable every day. And
thus she saved him in his younger and less
stable years. from being drawn aside from
the right way. and both herself and him
from years OF wretchedness.