The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1883-07-18
DON.lLD'S WIFE,

awe of the quiet, stern man, who had
leen 4 frequent visitor at her fathers
house during his lifetime.
But she was quite unprovided for,
and Donald Mckeon was wealthy; and
when he asked her to he his wife in a
matter-of. fact way, very much us he
might have asked her to be his house
keeper, it seemed the easiest way to
solve the troublesome problem Of her
life; and beside this, she knew her
father to have been under obligations
to him, and more than suspected that
the three years she had spent at a fash
ionable school since her fathers death
had been at his expense.
And so they were married. and he
took her to the old home that his family
had owned and occupied for genera
ions.
1t was quite a stately house, sur
rounded by handsome, o.d-fashioned
grounds. But Il little time ago it had
been quite on the suburbs, but the city
had reached out ever-cncroaching arms
until now it was surrounded by stately
rows of brown stone and glazing new
bricks.
But in spite of its great, handsomely
furnished rooms. its stores OF plate and
fine linen. and the bright, Old-fas!ioned
garden at the back, it seemed a dreary
prison to the laughterloving girl
wife.
Mr.. McKeon had done what he
could to brighten the old rooms, and
had built a large conservatory, know
ing that Jessie Wis fond Of flowers,
and she might have been quite happy
had lie known more Of the ways and
needs of women.
But he had always been devoted to
business, caring little for the society
of women, and knowing little ofthem,
except the grim, old spinster aunt who
had presided over his house since his
mothers death, until he brought his
young wife home.
1t never occurred to him that it WAS
a dreary sort of life for a girl like jos
sic, alone in the gloomy old house all
day, with only the servants and the
ghosts of bygone generations for COM
pany. ,,.
And when she grew rale and ~listless,
and lost her old elasticity of spirits, a
fear that had haunted him since his
wedding day took possession OF him
and poisoned his life-a fear that she
had married him for home and position
and already regretted her choice.
Gladly would he have given her
back her liberty had that been possible.
But Icing a sensitive, undemonstra
tive man, he let her see nothing OF
this, but rather shrank from her be-
cause of the wrong he felt he had done
her, and came and went and made no
sign.
And then people Logan to discover
that Mrs. MckeOn was a very charm
ing woman, and her husband a wealthy
and influential man, and invitations
began to pour in upon her.
And Jessie plunged into CHS new
life of fashionable dissipation with a
zest that was the natural reaction from
the gloom and loneliness of the past
year. -,
At first her husband accompanied
her wherever she went, for he had
somewhat old-faShioned notions as to
what was right and fitting for women
to do.
But it was a life he utterly detested.
1t interfered with his business, and
he looked below the surface and saw
the hollow falsehoOd it was after all,
and it grated on his fine ideas of truth
and sincerity.
Perhaps he was somewhat dicta-
torial in Lis manner of telling her
this; perhaps she imagined SC. But
when he urged the point she rebelled
against his assumption of authority.
1t was their first quarrel and their
last, but it was a very bitter one.
She spoke cruel, singing words, that
ranked and hurt him the more that he
had learned to love her so dearly, as
only reserved, self-contained men such
as he can love, and then only when
they hoard all the treasures of their
nature to lavish it in middle life on
the one woman who is their fate.
After that he opposed her in nothing,
but it was as though a great wall Of
ice had risen between them.
He devoted himself to business, and
she became the acknowledged leader Of
the most exclusive circle in the city.
She was madly cXtravagant. She
~,.l, H., ,ll l,n.n a ,r.ryn1 rf
aesthetic beauty, and entertained like Il
princess.
Mrs. McKeon's toilets, jewels and
dinners became the models for her
set.
Men worshiped her beauty but for
all their batteries she had the same
smile of cold contempt, and no man
was bold enough to venture beyond
the merest commonplace.
And so the years passed, and each
n drifted them farther apart, until
they seldom met, except at their own
grand entertainments. Each year she
become more the slave of fashion, and
he of his Office. But through it all
he loved her with an undying love,
and his one thought was to crafty
her every within.
And when the dark days came
when ships that were sent out
freighted with costly wares went
down and were heard no more-when
houses that seemed stable as granite
failed, and his wealth seemed melting
away like a snow-wreath, his only
thought was for her ~anlthough each
day his hair grew whittier. and his form
grew stopped with bending over the
long columns of figures in which the
balance was always on the wrong side,
he whispered, "For her sake" and
struggled on and denied her nothing.
And even on the day when he came
home, knowing that all his efforts had
availed him nothing and he was a poor
man, his only regret was for her, that
he would never mor he able to give
her the things for which she had bar
tered SO much.
He went into the grand, old library,
which was almost the only room in
the house that remained unchanged,
and tried to collect his thoughts. How
would he tell her? was the question
that reiterated itself through his brain,
and for the first time in his life Don
aid McKeon was a coward.
The thought came to him OF how
she who had chafed at her bonds When
they were gilded would bear the closer
relations a straitened income would
entail.
And he resolved that this at least
he would spare her. After all his OBJ
legations were met there would be
something left, not more than she had
often lavishedon n dinner, perhaps,
but still enough to keep her from alb
solute want. Jessie should have this,
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