Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1882-07-22

he knew aught Of her poor, sad life,
he should see how sacrediy she re
memdered and observed his simplest
wishes.
Stealing up to her chamber, she
took out her mauve silk, aud dainty
laces, growing yellow and worn by
time, and the pretty jet and gold
ornaments, and arrayed herself as
in days gone by; aud the old bloom
came back to her cheek and the old
brightness into her eyes, and she
seemed to drop her years and widow
hood, and to spring out afresh into
the rare beauty Of her maidenhood.
Thus arrayed, she went down softly
and seated herself before the blazing
fire, her face fearful and expectant.
Ii his soul was near, and she chung
to the hope that it was, as she clung
to life, he should see how tenderly
| she remembered him.
The anniversary night wore on,
wild and dark, with the storm, and
still the poor wife, dazed by her ter
rible sorrow sat by her lonely hearth
stone ,robed liz her festive garments.
AT last there came a step without,
a sharp impatient step on the gravel,
but she did not hear it. a weary,
travel-worn man, bronzed by expos
ure and pale from long grief, came
up to the front entrance and paused
beneath the low window. Through
the parted curtains shone the ruddy
light of the fire, revealing the warm,
attractive room; the old familiar
room, with his hat upon the wall,
and his books and meerschaum on
the mantle, unmoved, as he had left
them; revealing the kitten purring
on the rug, the little curtain d bed
in the distance and the dear, sweet
face, wet with tears and the dress he
loved in the happy days that seemed
too far back to the poor traveller to
be real. Was it all dream Was
that the wife from whom he had so
long been parted whose face had been
present with him through all his
lonely hours of peril and imprison-
ment ? Was she waiting and watch
| ing and keeping his home bright for
his return ?
He left the window, stole softly to
the porch and approaching the side
door, he raised the latch; it opened |
and he stood upon the threshold.
Intent upon her own musings,he |
own sweet memories and sad reAec-
tions, Maud heard no sound. Her |
heart was far back with the husband |
she had loved so we'll The old dress |
had revived old associations, and his |
very presence seemed around and |
about her. She looked up with her |
streaming eyes and clasped hands.
"Oh, Harry my husband !" size |
murmured, "if you knew how l love |
you, how l mourn your loss, surely |
your soul might speak to mine, and |
tell nae that you are near me !"
MAUD, my wife, my darling !"
She started to her feet with a daz-
ed, startled face, There he stood, |
worn and weary, changed from the |
man he had been; but the wife rec
ognized him in an instant. For a |
moment a solemn awe filed her and |
| her love hesitated and trembled in
the presence Of a spirit from some |
other world, but the next instant
she held him IN her arms with aglad |
son, Harry, my husband, YOU are |
not dead; you have come back to
me ~
His passionate kisses on her face, |
bis strong arm and throbbing heart, |
answered her as no words could have |
done. He had come back TO her
from Imprisonment amid the wild |
western mountains, from danger,
peril and death itself
For little while after she had |
heard bis story, and had fully assur-
ca herself that he was flesh and blood |
and not a spirit, as she had first be
| lieved, she lay quietly weeping ON |
his bosom; then she arose with a soil
emu tenderness in her eyes, and |
leading him TO the little bed, drew |
aside the curtain, revealing a little |
face flushed and dimpled in slumber |
aud the small chubby fists clinched |