Connecticut western news., 1882-03-08

new parliament, which was Oonserva-
 tive, had destroyed all hopes that the
 law would be altered within any meas
 urable time. Hugh dined out more
 and more often, and fell into the way of
 talking and being spoken to as if he
 were not 8 married man. Ladies made
 point of never alluding to Mrs. Fol
 let. If they asked how his children
 were, they always meant the elder two;
 and assumed chilly expressions if he
 inadvertently said that the last baby
 was doing we'll. He had the meanness
 at length to invent excuses on Sundays 1 for not going to church with his wife. |
 He was ashamed to show himself with |
 her in the streets. She, poor woman,
 this. In her simple trustfulness she
 imagined that her husband was more
 sedulous to shield her from annoyance
 than to avoid any on his own account.
 Even when HugL's manners changed
 when he became irritable, quick to find
 fault and generally unkind-she still
 thought that he was vexed at the pub ic
 injustice against herself, and as 1t was
 for her sake that he was suffering all
 this, she felt for him with the grateful,
 wholly unselfsh sympathy of women
 who love.
 One evening, when Hugh had gone
 out to dinner, Mir. Swain, the rector
 of the parish, called on Mrs. Follet. He
 was young man, but lately bene6ced-
 one of the good sort of clergymen
 gentlemanlike, earnest and yet pleasant
 to talk with. He knew Maude's story,
 and entertained the sincerest respect for
 her. He had called on her several times
 before, and had always sought to give
 her consolation for the injustice she was
 enduring by assuring her that he looked
 upon her as being beyond all doubtlaw- fully welded. On the particular even-
 ing in question, he took one of her children on his knee, and seeing her sad,
 said few kind words to exhort her to bear her persecution with fortitude. Some tears escaped her eyes, and she had not wiped away all traces of them when her husband suddenly returned. He had come away early from his din- ner party, as he did not feel we'll, and he was in bad, nervous temper. The sight of MT. Swain evidently did not ? soothe him.
 "It's strange hour for that man to pay you 8 visit," he remarked, sulkily, when the rector had gone. "This is the third time he has called within ten days"
 "H He came tonight to bring me 8
 book, !" said Maude. '. |, "It was quite family picture, I Q declare" continued Hugh, with spite f full sheer. "You in tears, he sitting in ,, my chair with sentimental look, and Q holding baby on his knees. Did he # make you an offer of marriage?" Q "Hugh!''
 "Oh, he might, you know. You're g Q free woman in law; only if you mean te e play that game, you had better tell me n for can play it, too."
 e "Hugh Hugh What have I don' V that you should treat me in this way ?
 exclaimed the poor woman but he o husband had left the room, telling he ,t not to make scene, as his head ached ,v He did not mean what he had just said +o He was sorry for it the next day, an, 7s did not refer again to the subject bu if the last remnant of dignity had beel is swept away from his relations with hi Q wife by the insult he had thrown a r. her, and nothing he could ever sa, re thenceforth would have the power t. ,v restore that confidence which Maud '; had felt in him, and which he ha ao broken. The consciousness of this ren a dered him morose. Seeking sell ,o justification, he accused the iniquitou o+ law which left him uncertain as t oo whether he had wife or not; but O. .o Maude there fell heavier blight tha # mere moroseness. The contempt of tn ,s' world had been very hard to bear, bu ;. the slight from her own husband wa :. unendurable. She dared no longer re ,lo ceive visitors, lest Hugh should b ,;r jealous, and she became ashamed befor IT, her own servants. Hugh, seeing he yS co much change in her; but after som aa months the doctor, who had come t
 see one of the children, was alarmed { as her wan appearance. He went at ono ,ot in quest of her husband, and told hil +o the truth. "You must be very caref, ,es MT. Follett. Your wife is in decline. id- "What makes you think that ,ld asked Hugh, turning pale. In an il it. stant there rose before his imaginatio as the picture of what his life would | ed without Maude. He hurried home. E ice the light of what the doctor had sai ,re one glance at Maude's face was enoug sct he read coming death in it.
 let He sat down beside her and took h ln- hand. It was long, long time no us. since he had done her kindness of spoken her 8 truly kind word. Sl es- looked surprised, and that half shrin CT ing look cut him to the soul. "Maud dy the doctor says you are not very we'll ble he faltered; "you want a change be air."
 of She forgave him then all at once, lid women do. Hugh, dear, think m- shall not be here long, she said, gentl in- CT would try to get we'll if could th- the children's sake. ""
 he "Oh! and for my sake, Maude P cry "Yes, and for your sake," she sai lse with faint smile, as she stroked