The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-04-13

child.
Once, a few months after their MAJ
rage. letter reached him at the breal
fast-table. He broke the seal, to find
communication from his bushes
manager. with detailed account of til
failure of large firm, and their ow
heavy loss thereby. 1t would be neces
sary for him to give the matter at one
his own personal attention. 1t looked
too the letter said, as though PAM
was imminent
unconciouslv he sighed deeply In
moment May had sprung from her chat
and WAS by his side
What is il. Dick?'. she asked.
Nothing, darling!" he answered
cheerily
The lovely lips pouted
''Show me the letter. sire said, and
outstretched her hand.
He shook his head
Its business, dear he explained.
But it troubles you, Dick?''
Your imagination. May"
! All day the young wife was left al
most alone and at night, when Dick re-
turned from town, a worn, tired look,
| quite new to it, was on his face; but May
asked him no more concerning it.
The next morning the single letter
which the post-ba9 had was addressed
| to her. She glanced up from its perusal
with flushed cheeks
'Will Crosby has a six weeks fur
loughn' she said, eagerly; He writes
| that he is coming to spend part of it with
us. You remember we invited him when
we were married. "
''Ah, l remember" assented her hus-
band-he had almost forgotten his old
| suspicion during these happy months
| Il am glad, dear. that his visit is timed
just now, for though | had intended to
take a long summer holiday, business,
| find, will demand my attention in the
city"
rs anything wrong. Dick?"
Wrong? Nonsense, child! Don't get
such ideas in your pretty little head
What could be wrongP"
And rising, and kissing her as he
passed, he went out of the room
few days later, the expected guest
arrived. When Arnold returned from
London one evening, the two were
standing together upon the lawn, and,
as in a flash of lightning, his memory
recalled to him the first time he had
looked upon similar picture.
A new brightness, a new gladness,
was in Mays face, too, as she came Gag
erly forward to greet him. A sudden
sense of pain and loneliness crept about
his heart. The day in town had been
an unusually perplexing one. A crisis
was pending in the near business future
"a crisis which babe fair to be a COM
mercial whirlwind-but he could dis
close his anXieties to none, and least
Of all must his child-wife suspect
them.
Yet. the effort to conceal them caused
q strange constraint in all that he said OF.
lid. He no longer sought to be alone
with May, until one day it came upon
MIN like an inspiration that she, too, no
longer sought him.
Lieutenant Crosby had been three
weeks their guest when the threatening
storm burst. Around about him, on
very side Mr. Arnold saw the houses
which he had deemed solid as his own,
totter and fall. Each fall bore with it
portion of his own fair edifice.
How long might he hope to withstand
such shocks? 1t needed but one more
blow, and on one August day the blow
fell. Unless by the next morning, be-
fore noon. he could command certain
sum, he too, would be swept away with
the tide-a bankrupt.
just the amount needed represented
his wife's private fortune, but to touch
that never entered his mind.
At least May was secured from future
want, and he must leave her to build up
his shattered fortune in new land. She
had never loved him! He was sure of
that; AMI latterly-latterly, he had be-
gun to realize that he had no right to tie
her young life to his.
Worn and weary with these many
thoughts, he returned to his home. MAY
greeted him almost indifferently, only
the next moment to turn to young Cros-
by with her most radiant smile.
Arnold's face paled.
Yet what right had he to murmur?
he told himself. Had he not sworn to
possess her ut any cost? And was he not
a ruined man? Crosby, the penniless
would have done better for her than
that!
When dinner was ended, he went into
his library and closed the door. For a
time he sat wrapped in thought. Per-
haps an hour had passed, when solitude
grew unbearable.
He would reioin his wife and their
guest. he Diet armined. Tomorrow night
only Tomorrow night May must
know all. For the first time in his life
he felt himself a coward! But tonight
was yet his. Tonight May neither knew
nor suspected the truth!
He rose and passed out into the draw
ing-room. whose windows opened on the
lawn His footsteps made no sound on
the carpeted floor, and he had reached |
the window, when something like sob |
arrested his steps.
MAY, | must speak, said aWoice he |
as belonging to his guest. -
do YOU think L have been three weeks |
under this roof without discovering your |
secret? You are not happy. Your |
laughter. your gaiety, is forced. What |
IS wrong? Do you fear to contide in |
mep'
>.Wrong?" she answered with tears
in her voice. .'All is wrong, VIII. What |
am ! 10 my husband but spoiled and |
petted child? Look at him! Do you fail |
to see the change these last few weeks |
have wrought in him? Yet, each time |
that | have striven to gain his confidence |
he has shut me out from it and bis heart. |
He has sent me from him as he would |
send a child to his dolls. He showers |
riffs upon me, and fancies thus he buys |
NV happiness. Am [ indeed, SO little a
woman that thus he satisfies my wo- |
mans hunger, my woman's heart? And |
love him so madly, VIII, that to know |
have no part or portion in his real life |
S killing me! Always he has been my |
deal, my heroi Do you think l could |