Woodstown register. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 187?-1892, 1883-10-02
THE SECRET.

anu warmth upon the occupants that zen
Langton, lawyer and millionaire, listened
with bated breath and pallid cheeks to 6
low and melodius voice that told the stor,
of a life,
The speaker, abeautlful woman of aboui
80, yet ten years younger than Mr.. Lang.
ton, reclined In a low, cushioned chair
her attitude both speaking of the ease
winch wealth gives. but her face was full
OF the deepest anguish as her lips recount
ed the story.
"You love me-" she said gently, yet
sadly, sand | love you as | never loved
anyone before, although / am a widow.
sIhat you knew, but did not know my
husbands name. By my uncle's last re-
quest dropped it and took his with the
property he left me. Do not look at me
tenderly, Gerald, do not shake my voice
and my heart, for when you know who 1
am you will not repeat the offer you made
me, and which, as heaven is my witness,
| tried to avert"
"Let your conscience be at rest there,o
said her listener in a grave vet tender
voice; "you have never given me one
nope, Maude. By what instinct | knew
that you loved me l can never tell. Some
thing IN your eyes-some tone of your
voice betrayed you. If, as you say, some
thing in your past life does seperate us
you have been no coquette to torment me
with false hopes; But, Maude, tell me
again. what ever stands between us. YOU
love me I"
u love you," she said, gravely; "and
1t is because love you that l will not let
You link your honorable name with that
OF the. wretch who was my husband. I
was very young-not sixteen--when he
came to make a visit to some friends at
Grassbank. Uncle Richard had a country
seat near the village. | first met Alexan.
der at a picnic, where he was the very life
OF the party; e~verybody's cavalier; cour
teous to all /; full of wit and animation and
service to all. | believe every girl on the
grounds thought she had captivated him,
his attentions were SO divided and yet SO
impressive to each one. He claimed to be
no more than a salesman in a large whole
sale house with a good salary, but he had
the manners of a gentleman of education,
and the most perfect beauty of face and
form that I ever saw in a man. 1t was
not long before it was evident that he
wished to win my love, and he had an
easy task. Such love as a child of six
teen can give | gave HIM. He was the
approximation Of every hero, of poetry
and fiction with whom my limited reading
had made me familiar. Schoolgirl like,
il rzaurSrn MrarsaeTs, anu 1rled i1Is,
my first admirer, with all his imaginary
Projections"
"From the first Uncle Richard disliked
him, pronoun cling him false and shallow,
and assuring me that my personal attract
ions had not won his heart; but the fact
OF my being an heiress to a large property
had gained me the protestatlons in which
| SO firmly believed.
1T is a painful story to me now, Ger
aid. Let 1t suffice that l lived in a world
of pleasant dreams while Alexander re-
manned at Grassbank. When he left me
he carried my promise to be his wife at
Christmas.
81 think if my money had depended on
Uncle Richard, my marriage might have
been prevented by his threatening to dis
inherit me, but both from my father and
mother | had inherited money that made
me independent in a pecuniary sense of
his control or Consent.
"Most grudgingly, however, uncle did
consent, after a searching inquiry about
Alexander, resulting In no worse report
than that his employers thought hun fast,
idle, and just the man to be a fortune hun.
ter. Even then nay dear uncle would
have protected my fortune by settling it
upon myself; but with the reckless gener-
oslty of extreme youth l refused to have
this done. Never, / was firmly convinced,
would my adored Alexander wrong me in
any way.
"For a year after the splendid wedding
that made me Alexander's wife I was very
happy. l was too ignorant of value to
understand that we were living far beyond
our income-enjoyed to the. utmost the
Injuries around me-the constant gayety
that was in such strong contrast to the
school routine from which | had been re-
leased.
"Then began a life of neglect, often Of
quarreling, when l objected to my hus-
bands course of conduct-hiS drinking,
his extravaganza, and his late hours.
Still l found my own pleasures in society,
and a renewal of some of my ~favorite stud
les, especially language and music. l was
fond-too fond of water-color painting,
made and presents to my friends of speci
mems Of my skill in that line.
sit was four years after my marriage.
when I was thunderstruck by Alexander
asking me to request a loan Of money from
Uncle Richard, with the information add
ed that every penny of my property was
goue.
"Since then I have known that a large
portion of 1t was lost at the gaming table.
"Long before this l had lost all love
for my husband. Respect had died out
when I knew the dissipated life he was
leading, and foolish as I was, 1 could not
continue to love a man whom l despised.
l refused the GRAND, and brought down a
torrent of such great abuse that I really !
expected that Alexander would end by
striking me.
ebay after day the request was renew
ed, but | would not yield. Upon nay mar
rage, Uncle Richard had sold the city
residence and took a j permanent abode at
Grassbank, where, knowing my husband
to be an unwelcome guest, | never visited
him. I wrote occasionally, but the love
of years, like that of father and child, had
.H.-.AAl L.. l