The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-11-05

lui nurse can DE procured tnaC VIII an
swer as we'll as you, and can have my
wife again, my home it's mistress, and
you some share of life II this thing
goes on, / shall begin to hate the whole
kit Of your relations. It seems that /
am nobody, not to be considered, a ci-
pher, nonentity. There is nobody in
the world to be thought of but your
brothers pulling wives and a paralyzed
old woman
''But, Charlie darling, you forget it is
my mother"
'You forget itis your husband"
And the end OF it all was q violent
quarrel between Melicent's husband and
James and Francis, all taking the same
view from antagonistic points, and Char
lie flung himself out of the house, and
vowed he would never write or call
upon his wife for word till she re-
turned to his house.
And he kept his word. And he
thought every day how he had to fore
go the sweet presence that others could
enjoy, how he missed the hand and head,
the thousand and one little devices Of
skill and talent, with which she beauti-
fed the home and changed the beauti-
flying. Perhaps he had no thought of
the tax at all that had been upon her, in
addition TO the cares of housekeeping I;
but he thought great deal about the
tax it was to her to be painting and
selling, in addition TO the keeping Of
her mother and her mothers home and
the home of those three hulking boys.
He could not comprehend or make al
lNu for hnr ho6
grown into something that so outraged
his own rights and feeling; and to him
her bewildcred conscience seemed at last
TO be only an excuse for doing what
she preferred. He grew more and more
angry, in sort of blind rage, that her
life should be spending for these people
land not for himself, and one day she re
ceived notice of suit of divorce upon
the plea of desertion.
Poor Melicentl She had felt it COM
ing. When week by week and month
by month went by at first, and her pleas
ant home was still so far away, she had
felt it coming in her husbands impa-
tience, that she recognised to be as
righteous as it was unreasonable. Every
day had been an agony of apprehension
to her. But when at last the notice
came, she was, at any rate, out of her
suspense, and had the rest of certainty.
She did not blame Charlie; she could
not. She did not believe in divorce her
self, she held herself as much his wife as
ever; but in the silent depths of her
heart she bitterly upbraided fate that had
forced this cruel lot upon her, and she
wore black gown always afterward.
1t was at this point that Ben, the
eldest of the three lads, brought home
one day young wife. Perhaps the out
spoken reproaches of James and Francis
made Melicent more lenient. Ben had
nothing with which to support a wife,
but Melicent felt that, at any rate, here
was help in household duties and in
the nursing of the mother, and again
silently upbraided fate that Ben had not
brought her home year ago, and set hel
free herself to go TO her own home for 9
while, before the husband whom she so
loved had taken this fatal step.
But of course Melicent was mistaken
in hoping for any good fortune out OF
her life's events. The young wife soon
proved to be only miserable invalid,
and another weight upon her hands
Melicent dared not think; she lei
her mind dwell neither upon the
future nor the past; she only
lived from one moment to the next, and
only set one foot before the other. This
would have been easier for Melicent if
she had had anything to console her as
she went along. The boys seemed fond
of her in their way-she was an affair ol
their comfort, and they valued her as &
part of it; they were not fond of her il
way to save her an hours work or
moments pang. Her mother was O.
course so fond of her that she would
hardly let her out of her sight-an op
pressive, savage fondness that made only
bondage. But she had none of
daughters friendly condolences with her
the height of their intercourse was a sub
dued fault-finding on the mothers part
as if it were owing to Melicent's act Ihaf
she was ill and poor and helpless and go
well no faster.
So Mclicent went along with her bur
den; now and then she found time t.
read book, although usually it was il
the watches of the night, and in order t,
keep herself awake when some exacer
baton of her mothers illness occurred
and now and then Maud, the new wife
gave her little pleasure of music, being
often we'll enough to play the piano o
an evening, and letting the strains noun
to Melicent in the sick-room, the least il
the world refined and mellowed by tn
ascent
Whether 1t was that her power
ripened now with the years, or whethe
the strain upon her nerves wrought then
to highest expression, Melicent ha'
never painted so well as she did now
aud her work took on decorative
character that brought fine prices
She had not sufficient suspicion in he
nature to think of concealing tn
fact; and as soon-as the brothers kneS
of 1t they saw vistas of good fortun
opening before them. They were no
going to ask Melicent directly for he
money; they knew q trick worth two o