The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-25

shut the doer, she repeated. family: David, I
have something to tell you; l have something to
confess. You will hate me for having so far de-
ceiyed you; but perhaps my telling you yolunta-
riIy will make you think a little better of me
than you would do otherwise"
Confession" he said, awakening to interest.
Much confession you can have to make, NEE
deer, that have been in the world SO short a
time!"
She saw that he suspected nothing. and it
made her task the harder. But on she went
steadily. 1T is about something that happened
before we were married" she said.
'Indeedw
mot a very long time befere-a short time.
And it is about a lover" she faltered,
II don't much mind that, he said mildly. SIN
short, | was in hopes twas more"
SIN hopes!"
"Well, yes"
This screwed her up to the necessary effort.
II met my old sweetheart. He scorned me,
child me, dared me-, and l went and married him.
We were coming straight here to tell you all
what we had done; but he was drowned. and I
thought | would say nothing about him; and I
married you, David. for the sake of peace and
quietness. I've tried to keep it from you, but
have found | cannot There-that's the sub
stance of it, and you can never, never forgive
me. | am sure
She spoke desperately. But the old man, in
stead of turning black or blue, or Staying her in
his indignation, jumned up from his chair, and
began to caper around the room In quite an
~ecstatic emotion.
"Oh. happy thing! How well it falls Quit" he
exclaimed, swapping his fingers over his head.
"Ha-ha-the knot is cut see a way out OF my
trouble-ha-har'
She looked fxedly at him, without uttering a
sound, till, as he still continued smiling %ioyfully,
she said, 'Oh-what do you mean3 is 1t done to
torment me?"
"No-no! Oh, NEE deer, your story helps me
out of the most heart-aching euandary a poor
man ever found himself in! You see it is this
Tt-N ~o% m nnannf fAp. n~I i ~ - hnI
one to tell, l could never have seen my way to
tell minel"
what is yours-what is it?" she asked, with
altogether a new view of things.
Welt is a bouncer; mine is a bourcer!'
said he, looking on the ground and wiping his
eyes.
mot worse than mine2"
"Well-that depends upon how you look at
it. Yours had to do with the past alone; and
I don't mind it. You see, we've been married
a month, and it don't jar upon me as it would
if we'd only been married a day or two. Now
mine refers to the past, present, and future; so
that"
"Past, present, and future!" she murmured,
with misgiving. ut never occurred to me that
you had a secret. too"
But / have!" he said, shaking his head.
"Then tell it," cried the young woman.
II will will. But be considerate, l beg We.
my dear. Well wasn't a bachelor when l
married we, any more than We were a spinster.
Just as you was a ~widow-woman. l was a widow
man"
'Ah!" said she, with some surprise. 'But is
that allY-then we are nicely balanced" she add
ed, relieved.
Not is not all. There's the point am
not only a widower."
'Oh, Davidn
Il am a widower with four children-four
strapping girls--the eldest taller than you.
Don't zee look SO struck-dumb like! 1t fell out
in this way. l knew the poor woman. their
mother, in PenZance, for some years; and-to
cut a long story short-I privately married her
at last. just before she died. l kept the matter
secret, but it is getting known among the people
here by degrees. I've long felt for the children
that it is my duty to have them here, and do
something for them. have not had courage to
break it to We, but I've seen lately that it would
soon come to your ears, and that hev worried
me-"
tress.
mo. I am sorry to say they have been much
neglected; in truth, very much. And so Thought
that by marrying a young |
teach 'em. and bring 'em into genteel condition,
all for nothing. You see. they are growed up too
tall to be sent to school,"
"Oh, mercy!" she almost moaned. -Four
great girls to teach the rudiments to, and have
always in the house with me. spelling over their
books; and / hate teaching; it kills me. l am
bitterly punished-I am, I amr'
You'll get used to 'em. me deer, and the bal
ance of SecretS-mine against yourS-will com
fort your heart with a sense of justice. / could
send for 'em this week very well-and | will! In
faith, L could send this very day. Baptista, you
have relieved me of all my difficulty"
Thus the interview ended, SO far as this matter
was concerned. Baptista was too stupeied to
say more. and when she went away to her room
she wept from very modification at Mr.. He'd
degan's duplicity. Education, the one thing she
abhorred; the shame of it. to delude a young
wife so!
The next meal came round. AS they sat. Bap-
tlsta would not suffer her eyes to turn toward
him. He did not attempt to intrude upon her
reserve, but every now and then looked under
the table and chuckled with satisfaction at the
aspect OF affairs. How very we'll matched we
be-" he said, comfortably.
Next day, when the steamer came in, Baptista
saw her husband rush down to meet it; and soon
after their appeared at her door four tau, hipless,
strawberries girls, dwindling in height and size
from the eldest to the Youngest, like a row of
Pan pipes; at the head at them standing Hedde-
gan. He smiled pleasantly through the grey
fringe Of his whiskers and beard, and turning to
the girls said: Nov come forrard, and shake
hands properly with your step. mother"
Thus she made their acquaintance, and he
went out, leaving them together. Ga examina-
ton the poor girls turned out to be not only
plain looking. which she could have forgiven,
but to have such a lamentably meagre intellect
ual equipment rs to be hopelessly inadequate as
companions. Even the eldest. almost her own
age, could only read with difficulty words of two
syllables; and taste in dress was beyond their
comprehension. In the long vista of future
years she saw nothing but dreary drudgery at
her old trade without prospect of reward.
She went about quite despairing during the
next few days-an unpromising. unfortunate
mood for a woman who had not been married
six weeks. From her parents she concealed ev-
erything. They had been amongst the few ac-
quaintances of Heddegan who knew nothing of
his secret. and were indignant enough when
they saw such a ready made household foisted
upon their only child. But she would not sup
port them in their remonstrauces. mo, You
don't yet know all" she said.
Thus Baptista had sense enough to see the re-
tributive fairness of this issue. For some time,
whenever conversation arose between her and
Heddegan. which was not often, she always said,
81 am miserable, and you know it Yet l don't
wish things to be otherwise"
But one day when he asked. How do you like
'em now2" her answer was unexpected. "Much
better than | did, y she said quietly. II may like