Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1883-05-25
NO. 81.

That fully accounts" continued Lydia.
for his low spirits. His rightarm-"
Yes, torn out at the socket Mrs. Bilbury,
lie has learned to write with his left hand
All dreadful! And his left eye destroy
ed ~
Yes he wears glass eye, poor fellow"
1T must be agony. And the calf of his
leg deeply scored by the cruel claws of the
ferocious monster-terrible misfortune! And
when you left him. Mr.. Tilbury, how was hep
viii he survve"
new light seemed to break upon Mr.. Bill
bury. Did his wife want him to survive? He
felt by no means sure of it.
1T il impossible to tell with certainty. he
replied but you must hope for the best.
Let me beg of you, my dear Mrs. Bilbury. to
keep up your spirits"
"Of course, Mr. Tilbury don't see why
l should be miserable. There is very pleas
ant society down here at Richmond; and you
know there are as good fish in the sea as ever
came out Of it,"
Toms worst suspicious were by this time
more than confirmed. 1.-THE heartless wom-
an" he thought This is how she receives
the news Of my being mangled and disfpured. "
But still, unwilling to give up hope he con
tInued aloud Poor fellow 1 assure YOU
that in his dclirium your namo was very often
on his lips"
Indeed Then he had not quite forgot
ten me?"
Forgotten you !" repeated Tom. his feel
ings for moment getting the better of him.
"Oh, no! think it is the lot of but few
women to have husband so utterly devoted
10 her
And Of but few men to have wife"
SO charming said Mr.. Tilbury, finishing
the sentence.
"Oh, Mr.. Tilbury! Excuse me- or course
you will stay to luncheon? Do-to please
me You knowa woman hates solitude little
less than small pox. Ore moment-I will
just go and give the necessary orders" And
Mrs. Bilbury left the room.
''Well, this is awful" reflected her husband
as soon as be was left alone. 'She doesn't
recognize me, and apparently she doesn't care
FOR me particularly. She reminds me that
there are as good fish in the sea as ever came
out OF (which means, l suppose, that if l
would only die and liberate her, she would
promptly marry somebody else A nice in.
stance Of the faithlessness of women. Per-
haps it would be well to leave her at once.
and never let her know the truth but l can.
not do it-I love her still Indeed, l fear 1
love her more than ever. No; 1 will see this
affair to the end If she is unfaithful will
find her out, and then"
His meditations were interrupted by Mrs.
| B!lbury's return, who informed him that she
had ordered luncheon, and that meantime he
must do his best to entertain her, as there was
no one else in the house except the servants
This style of conversation made Tom more
and more reckless, and he at once launched
out into an account of purely imaginary pic
mic at Alden, where-so he let it appear-he
had broken the hearts of several charming
girls, and upon the whole had behaved in a
most reprchensible manner.
1t must have been very delightful" said
Mrs Bllburyi Il wish 1 had been there.
Sometimes We have very pleasant evenings
here OF course I know everybody in the
noighborhood, and. being a married woman,
can ask whom like to my house. You
must come fome evening, Mr.. Tilbury, and
sup with US afterward."
By this time Tom was furious.
I'm afraid 1 shan't be here long" he said,
bitterly. 81 am going abroad cannot rest
anywhere"
You are worried, 1 see, said Mrs. Bill
bury. Il can sympathze with YOU"
Yes; family matters and dsappointments,
you know"
'Disappontments But you are young
and, If you will excuse me, not bad looking.
Perhaps you have merely lost your heart to
one of the young ladies at Alden"
oh, no. he replied. "And to tell the
truth am doubtful whether any woman is
worth worrying about"
Don't be cynical, said Mrs. Bilbury with
! ;
! women"
Il expect sympathy, fidelity and considera-
! ton, answered Mr.. Bilbury gravely.
! But let me ask you, do you yourself in
| dulge in those virtues? Men are so apt 10 be
inconsistent However, hope you do not
! believe that women are bad as a rule?"
We'll l know to my cost that some are
bad. Yes some even betray their husbands"
And IN such cases 1 fear the husbands are
also TO blame"
Il don't think so," said Tom, curtly.
But you are worrying yourself, l see, al
though you try to affect indifference. What
| is it?'
Worrying myself? Not bit!" cried Mr..
| Blbury.
Il am glad to hear you say so," returned
his wife. Il don't worry myself. Cosy sup
| pers and"
But the probable death of your husband"
| put in Mr.. Bilbury.
"Oh, I am philosophical We only lived
| together two days, and had known each other
but Il few weeks. What am to him? What
is he to me Life is still before me-"
That is rather plain speaking" thought
| Tom Il wonder whether she would like to
| get up filtration with me. | will draw her
on little"
"Ah!' he said aloud, ''you have happiness
within your grasp, and you can make another
happy. 1t is not every man who is SO fortu-
nate as to meet with a woman like you. Now,
| | confess that have been unfortunate in my
experiences but if thought that 1 might
hope for your sympathy"
Surely Mr.. Tilbury, it would be unwom-
auly in me to refuse it,"
Tom drew his chair nearer to that of his
| wife, and continued
'Ob, if might look for your sympathy
and hope for your regard and pity my dear
Mrs. Bilbury, life, assure you, would soon
assume new complexion to my eyes Let
us be plain. Can you not make me happy,
and bestow your sympathy, your love and
| your pity upon one who will value such gifts
at their true worth p
Mrs. Bilbury, evidently agitated, arose.
Really, said she, II was not prepared for
all this. feel the need of love-love such as
| yours; but" Aud she buried her face in
her hands.
This" said Mr.. Bilbury to himself, sis my
faithful and devoted wife" Yet he was una
bls TO refrain from seating himself beside
Lydia and putting his arm around her waist
Dear Mrs. BilbuTy," he said, Il love you!
| Do you, can you, love me?"
She gave a scarcely peroeptible gesture of
assent, and Tom, now completely convinced
of his wife's untrustworthiness, sprang up and
confronted her.
"Mrs Bilbury, he said, "what would your
husband say to thisI You have disgraced
him"
She looked up and held out her hands i'm
| plorngly.
you are a vicious woman !" he continued
unreleutngly
Then why, just now, did you ask for my
| love - she demanded.
because l wanted to assure myself that
you were as heartless and vicious as l now
know you to be- As for loving yOu-I de-
spse you But oh if you were only good
woman :" and he approached and took her
hand. For an instant he stood thus then he
raised the hand and kissed it, and inally kiss
! ed his wife on the cheek.
Are you going Mr.. Tilbury p she asked.
"Yes, had better go; it is for the best We
could not be happy. Goodbye"
He kissed her again, and then moved slow
! ly away to the door, where he stood sorrow
fully regarding her.
Good bye !" she repeated, and then added,
| IN another yoice-"TOm I"
Tom !" repeated Mr.. TilburY, starting and
coloring "Who told you my name was
Tom p
you did, you foolish fellow, about two
years ago"
And you know me, Lydia r he cried, re-