Sacramento daily record-union., 1883-10-20
Els SECOND WIFE
lCOncLAled.l !

What should she do? She was helpless
in the grasp of an IMPLYING power. One
last appeal, however, she must make, and
with white lips she pleaded
"Not Nora Oh, not her Let it be
some one else-some one do not know =
{" 1t is too late to make such condition, "
her husband answered. "It must be Nora
and no one else.
His face showed that there was no ap.
peal from this decision, and for the next
half-hour the wife sat in apathetic silence,
while he talked of Nora and of the changes
he wished made in the household arrange.
ments on her account as calmly as though
they were discussing the most ordinary
business transaction but when he rose to
60 she found voice to say
George, will you answer one question +!
Was this not all settled month ago, and
did you not ask Nora to be your wife that
night when | sat up waiting for you until
after midnight" ?"
If you must know-yes, he answered
brusquely, and left the room without an.
other word.
How she lived through the week that
followed she never knew. She moved
about mechanically, like person walking
IN sleep, conscious only of wish to avoid
the sight of Nora but when the day came
which had been appointed for the consum-
nation of her sacrifice, and she stood at
the altar with her husband and his bride,
her benumbed faculties awoke to life.
An eternity of agony was concentrated
in the single moment in which she faced
the High Priest and heard him ask:
"Do you give this woman to your hus.
band to be his welded wife,"
Twice she essayed to reply, but no sound
came from her lips. The question was re.
peated, and, in voice scarcely audible,
she answered
"Yes and no I"
"What do you mean?" the High Priest
demanded sternly.
81 mean," looking above and around, as
though invoking help from an unseen pow
er, eff God requires it, yes-I will not
stand between him and his God-but if l
consult my own heart, no, Thousand times
RoP'
The High Priest, as pitiless as the creed
he represented, turned away with frown,
and joining the hands of the pair before
him, proceeded with the ceremony. With
senses sharpened by anguish, she listened
to the formula that declared the two united
for time and eternity. Then the final
blessing was pronounced
" "Forasmuch as you have entered into
the holy covenant of celestial marriage, all
your sins shall be remitted, and you shall
inherit everlasting life"
As the husband bent his head to salute
his new.made bride, the wife sank to the
floor and lay as one dead at the feet of the
man who had promised that, forsaking all
Others, he would cleave only to her. When
she came to herself she was in another
room, and an attendant was bathing her
face. Her husband and his bride sat
little apart, still dressed in their endow-
ment robes. As her eyes fell on them the
whole scene through which she had Just
passed rushed back upon her, but she did
not faint the second time. Throwing her
whole soul into one prayer for strength,
she rose, and, leaning on the arm of the
attendant, left the room. By the time
that they were ready to return to their own
house she had attained complete mastery
over herself and decided upon her course,
When they reached home she paused out
side the door, on the very spot where she
had stood on that never to. BEL forgotten
night, and, taking the brides hand said
Nora, your rights here are the same as
mine, and, God helping me, will treat
yon as q sister"
"Oh, I've no doubt we shall get on we'll
enough" Nora said airly. 1--WE have
already lived year in one house without
quarreling."
Susy, who had come out to meet them,
flushed angrily, and was about to speak,
but look from her mother checked the
hasty words upon her lips.
"Nora won't live much longer in this
house without quarreling with me-" she
said few hours later "Im not going to
see my own mother imposed upon"
"And I'll pitch Nora out of the winder
pretty soon-see if don't, " said Charley.
This outburst was caused by a little
scene at supper, when Nora coolly appro.
priated the seat at the head of the table,
leaving her former mistress to find another
place.
1t did not take many days for every
member of the family to discover that Nora
meant to carry things with a high hand.
The best room in the house had been set
apart for her, but this did not satisfy her,
and she planned alterations and improve
ments on an extensive scale. All the ar.
rangements of the household must be |
altered to conform to her ideas. The chill. |
dren were vigorously excluded from her
part of the establishment. She "hated
young ones" she said, and the children on
their part repaid the sentiment with inter-
est. Susy's feelings toward her were
especially bitter. She was old enough to
understand something of her mothers suf. |
ferings. and the wish to avenge her wrongs
in some way never left her.
'I hate Nora" she said one day in her |
mothers hearing; "and l shall hate faith
er, too, if this thing goes on much longer"
Hush, my daughter !' the mother said. |
1--WE must bear this CROSS in silence, since
the Lord has laid it upon US.
"a don't believe the Lord has anything
to do with it. Susy answered; "and as
for Nora, she don't believe there is any
Lord. She used to say so sometimes, and
she acts that way always"
"Is the child right :" the mother asked |
herself. About Nora she might be in the
right. The girl had never seemed to be
influenced by any higher motives than those
she had avowed SO frankly when she first
came to the valley yet how could she as
sumo the relation she now held unless she !
believed God required her to do So:
will ask her, was her final resolve !; |
and on one of the rare occasions when they |
were alone together she carried this reso.
luton into effect.
" Nora, she said, fixing her eyes on the |
girls face, "will You tell me why you
wished to marry my husband -
/" Because he is the only man I ever
loved, was the candid answer,