The Arkansaw traveler., 1886-04-10
TIE COIuER's WIFE.
By w. E. Reynolds.

she knows how to appreciate home and d true heart
 Miss Braithe looked away with n sigh and shadow deepening in her eyes. Harry Leighton came homca few days after his letter.
 Miss Braithe, coming home from her days drudgery i'll the little school house, saw a young man sitting in the veranda at Ruth's feet, and knew that the nephew of whom she had heard SO much had come.
 " Harry this is Miss Braithc," Ruth said, as she came up the steps.
 He rose and gave her his hand with pleasant ease of manner that put aside any constraint or formality. He was handsome, frank-faccd man, and com mandcd her respect at once. It was a very pleasant evening that they passed together He had read much, and he was man who could talk of what he had seen and read, in a pleasant, enter taining way
 Miss Braithc felt that her new friend was rather superior to the average men she knew
 That was the beginning of Il pleasant friendship.
 think neither of them dreamed, at first, of it's ripening into anything more than friendship.
 But Ruth, with keen eyes, saw that Harry was in love at last, with the quiet faced little teacher, who never told any thing of her past life.
 Whatever it had been, Ruth was sure of one thing, it had held some very painful and bitter experiences and their shadow was over hcryct, and their mem ory haunted her like a troubled dream. Don't you know anything about her?' asked Harry one day
 Only what l have told you an swered Ruth She came here She said she wanted to get away from the city. I'm sure shea got a good face It's d pure face, and have perfect faith in her, if she doesn't choose to take mo into her confidence"
 That night Harry told Miss Braithe that he loved her,
 She tried to stop him
 Her face was very pale, and the shadow in her eyes was deeper than eyer.
 ou ought not ito have told me this she cried. cor, instead of that l ought not to have listened. If 1 had been frank with your aunt, as l ought to have been when came here, it would have savcdus this have deceived you both. l ana wife.
 She laid her head down in her hands, and wept like child.
 Harry stood there in silent pain and surprise
 want to tell you my story briefly" !" she said. You have right to know it, and when you have heard it, you may not think harshly of me.
 :" l was n child-a mere child-when was married to Richard Rraithe My father, whose will had always been my law, forced mo into the marriage
 <" always was afraid of the man whose name 1 bore. There was something sin ister and crafty in his face and ways, and he was cruel to me from the first.
 ." don't think he ever cared for me; but had some money that came to mo from my mother, and he wanted that. and through some influence over my father, he got him to favor his suit, and my youth was made miserable by the marriage that was worse to me than death.
 Richard Brathe was gambler and spendthrift and my fortune was gone in n little while.
 Then he began to go down in the world, deeper and deeper in disgrace every day
 suspected after little that he was engaged in some dishonest business. and as time went on, 1 found out what it was. He was a member of a gang of counterteiters.
 How he cursed me when he found that held his secret. He beat me till thought he was going to kill mo in his brutal frenzy. But could not find death so easily.
 "One day he came home in wild hurry and excitement, livid with rage He swore that had betrayed them The officers were on his track In vain protested my innocence. He struck me, and fell to the floor insensible I knew nothing for hours after that. When 1 came back to consciousness, they told me that he had been captured and taken to jail to await his trial. He was tried, convicted, and sentenced to fifteen years, and there he is to-day. went to see him once He swore he would kill me if he ever got out of his cell, and could find me. He thinks 1 gave him up to justice; but did not That is my story. ltis true, every word of it. They will tell you so, if you will take the trouble to ask. When came here, your aunt thought called myself Miss Braithe, and thought it would be no use to correct the mistake she had fallen into. If l had it might have saved us this"
 My poor, poor darling" Harry said