The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-10-06
THE LAWYERS SECRET.
sNehanse.

l. was in a luxa.iously furnished room where glo~ing grate thres genial light and warmth upon the occupants ,ha, General Lang gton. lawyer and millionaire listened with ba;ei breath and paihd cheeks to low and meloiious soiee iha: ,old a story of l.ie.
 The speaker. a beautiful woman oi about so yet ten years younger than NIT. Lang;oa. reclned in low eushi oncsi char. her attitude both speaking oi the ease wealth gives. but her face was full Of the deepest anguish as her lips re- counted the story.
 You love me" she sad gently. yet sadly. and love you as never loved anyone before, although ain a widow husbands name. Ky my uncle's las, re ques, l dropped t and took h.s with the property he had Jeff me. To not look a, me ienderly. G.rald. do no, shake my voice er my heart. for when you kno~ who am you will no, repeat, the offer you made me. and which heaven is my wit ness ,fIed 10 divert.
 Let your conscience be a, res, there. said her listener in grave yc, tender voice, you have never given me one hope, Mauie By wha, instinct 1 knew that yon loved me can never tell. Something m your eyes some tone oi your voice betrayed you. If as you say. something in your pas, life does separate us you have been no eoquet,e to totmen, me ~i:h false hopes: Blt. Mauie. tell me aga,n. wh a,ever stands between us. you love me
 love you. she sad gravely and II IS because love you tha, 1 will no, le, you link your honorable name wi,h tha, of the wretch who was my husband. l was very young sixteen when he came to n ike yislt ,o some friends lv- ins Al GTassbank. ncle Richard has a l country seat near the village hrs, me, Alexander al a picgie. where he vas the very life of the party, eveybodys sava- l lIeT; courteous to all full of VI; and animation and service ,o all. believe every glrl on the grounds thought, she i had capiiva;ed hum. his attentions were so well divided and ye, 50 impressive to each one. He claimed 10 be no more than a salesman Tn large wholesale house with good salary. bat he h ad the manners of a gentleman of educatio and the mos, perfect beauty of face and form that l ever saw in man. 1, was no; long before Il vas evident he wished To win my love. and he had an easy task Such love as child of sixteen can give gave hlm. He was the lnpersonatIon oi every hero Of poetry and fiction with whom my limited reading had m ade me familiar. S hoo-gir Ike l had made an ideal hero. and hued this. my firs, admres. wi,h d.! hss imaginary per tections
 '' From the IFS, neic Richard d. sliked him. pronolnClng h.m false and shallow and assuring me tha, my personal attrac- tons had not won h4s hear bu; Inc ftc, oi my being an hclrcss ,o a large prop eriy had gained me the pro,es;a,iens ID which 1 D hrmiy believed
 ' II IS painful story ,o me now Ger ald. Le, |, suiti e ,ha, l have lived in A world of pleasan, dreams while Aiexan- der remained q, Grassbank When he lei, me he carried my promise to be his wife a; Christmas.
 Il think f my money had depended on Cn ncle Richard. my marriage might have been prevented by hls threatening ;o disinheri; me, bu, both fron my father and mother had inherited money that made me independec, m q pecuniary sense of hts control or con- sent.
 Most grr3 3slagly. hoxever. un1ie dld consent. after searching inquiry about Alexander, rcsgiung la no worse rrpor, than that hls employers though, him fast. idle. and us, the man 10 be a fortune hcnier. kven then my dear uncle wolld have protected my fof,aae by segiiiag II upon myself; b.: wih the rc-sless gen erosi,y of extreme youth refuse to have this done. Never l was itmiy conviac esi. would my adored Alexander wrong me IT any ".y.
 [" os year after the splendid wedding that made me Aiexanders wsie WAS very happy. was too ignorant ofvalue to undesstAnd that VIC were lislpg far beyond our income-enjoyed to the utInos, the luxarics around me the constant gaiety tha, vas in such strong con,ras, 10 the school routine from which l h ld been re- leased
 Then began life of neglect. often of quarreiinz, when 1 objected to my hus- bands course of conduct-his drinking, his exirayagance and his late hours Siill found my o~n pleasures in sociesy, and a renewal of some of my fzvoriie stG1scs, especiziiy language and music 1 was fond-too fond waser-color painting and made presents to my friends of specimens of my skill in that isne
 l, was four years after my marriage. when was .aundersrruck by Alexander asking me 10 request loan of money from Uncle Richard, ~.,h the informA- uon added that every penny of my prop erty vas gone
 Since then have known that large portion of i, was lost ai the gaming table.
 Long before this had lost all love for my husband Respect had died out when l knew the dissipated life he vas leading, and foolish as l was, could not continue to iovs man whom despissd. l refused the errznd, and brought down torrent of such grea; abuse that really expected that Alexander would end by Sfriirin0 me