Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-02-27

SA<A4 A00 A1Qu 1OudOu. duu
strangeness of our new relations pre-
vented our converSing in an ordinary
way, by mutual consent we were all but
silent; few soft words in Italian were
all l could trust myself to speak until
we were aloGa.
At the first importart station, the
first place at which the train stopped
| for any time worth mentioning, l eNer-
cised little diplomatic bribery, aud,
changing our carriage we were in
stalled in compartment the windows
of which bore the magic word ZEN
gagged" Pauline and l were alone. l
| took her hand in mine.
My wife, l said pa>Sionately,
''mine, only mine. foreyer.'
Her hand lay listless and unresisting
in my own. l pressed my lips to her
! cheek. She shrank not from my kiss.
neither did she return it-she simply
suffered it.
Pauline" whispered. Say once,
Gilbert, my husband
| She repeated the words like child
| learning new lesson. My heart sank
as her emotionleSs accents fell on my
ears. had hard task before met
could not blame her Why should
she love me yet? Me, whose Christian
name. think. she heard yesterday for
the first time? Better, far better, in
| difference than simulated love. She
had become my wife simply because her
uncle wished it. could at least COM
fort myself by thinking the marriage
| bad not been forced upon her; also that,
so far as could see, She entertained no
dislike to me. l did not for one mo-
ment despair. l must now WOO her
| humbiy and reverently, as every man
| should WOO his love. Certainly. As her
husband, did not stand in worse po-
sition than when | was her fellow-lodger
and old Teresa was following my every
movement with her black suspicious
eyes.
| would win her, but until | could
claim the rights which love would give,
resolved to take none of those with
which the law had invested me. None
save this. and this only once.
Pauline" ! said, Twill YOU kiss
me9 Only once l ask it. II will make
me happier; but If YOU would rather
wait until we are better acquainted, |
shall not complain
She leaned forward and kissed my
forehead. Her young lips were red and
warm, but they chilled me-in that kiss
there was not \ suspicion OF the passion
which was thrilling me.
| drew my hand from hers, and, still
sitting beside her, began to do my best
to make myself agreeable to the woman
l loved. If felt distressed and some
what disappointed, | concealed it and
strove to talk pleasantly and naturally
| tried to ascertain what manner of
woman | had married-to get at her
| likes and dislikes to study her DISPOSE
| ton to determine her taStes-learn her
wishes-read her thoughts and event
ually to make her regard me rs one
who would spend his life in rendering
her happy,
| When was it tie idea first struck me
the horrible idea that even the pecul-
iarity and novelty OF the situation
could not altogether account for Paul
ines apathy and lack of animation
| that shyness alone could not be entirely
responsible for the difficulty expert
en.ed in max NC her talk to me. even in
| inducing her to answer my questions?
| made every excuse for her She was
tired; she was upset; she could think of
nothing else save the rash and sudden
step taken to-day-more rash for her
than for meas |, at least. knew that
| loved her. At last l, too, sank into
silence, and miles and hours went by,
whilst the bride and bridegroom sat
side by side without exchanging word,
much less caresS. 1t was strange
situation-a strange journey!
And on and on the train rushed north
nd md l1ntil thn I,iSl- hn,rny,
to creep over the flying country; and |
sat and looked ut the listless but beauti-
full girl at my side, and wondered what
our future life would be; but did not
despair, although the rattle of the train
as it whirred along seemed to resolve
itself into a dreamy rhythm. and reiter-
ated without ceasng old Teresa's sullen
/ words: .'She is not for love or marriage
not for love or marriage"
Darker and darker it grew outside,
and Is the carriage light fell on the
pure. white face OF the girl beside me;
as | watched its never changing ex-
| preston, its beautiful but never varying
| pallor, a strange fear came over me-a
fear lest she was wrapped in an armor
OF ice which no love would ever thaw.
Then tired, weary and almost dispirited
| sank into kind of sleep. The last
thing could remember before my eyes
closed was that, in spite of my resolu-
ton. l took that white, well-shaped,
unresisting hand in my own. and slept
still holding it.
Sleep! Yes, it was sleep, if sleep
means anything but rest and peace.
Never, since the night | heard it, had
that woman's stiHed moaning come
back to me SO clearly; never had my
dreams SO nearly approached the real
ity of the terror which the blind man
had felt years ago. Right thankful
was when the haunting cry rose shriller
and shriller, and, at last, eliminated by
resolving itself into the shrieking
whistle, which told me we were near to
Edinburgh. | loosed my wife's hand
and recalled my senses. That dream
must have been vivid one, for it left
me with the beads of perspiration clam
my on my brow.
Never having been TO Edinburgh. and
wishing to see something OF the city, l
had proposed staying there for two or
three days. During the journey had
suggested this to my wife. She had
agreed to it as though place or time
was matter of little moment to her.
Nothing, it seemed to me, awoke her
interest
We drove to The hotel and supped to-
gether. From our manner we might,
at the most, have been friends. Cur
intercourse. for the time, being confined
to the usual civilities shown by a gen.
tleman toward 4 lady in whose society
he is thrown. Pauline thanked me for
any little attention to her comfort, and
that was all. The journey had been
long and trying one-she looked wear
led out.
"You are tired, Pauline I said;
would you like to so to your room?"
q am very tired" She spoke al
most plaintively.
Goodnight, them l said; "to-
morrow you will feel better, and we
will look at the lions of the place.
She lose; we shook hands, and said
goodnight. Pauline retired to her
apartment, whilst / went out for a
ramble through the gas-lighted streets,
and with sad heart recalled the
events of the day.
Husband and wife! The bitter
mockery of the words. For in every
thing except the legal bond Pauline
and | were as far apart as we were on