Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-03-27
But he failed.

AIDAC Sitip-SLdDC. lOOhiiiE 6OpUt MN.
Some plastering and paint and paper,
ell and bigger fire. We must keep
George warm and comfortable. Eli not
forget it,
George made a desperate effort to get off
his chair, mumbling loudly and Sarah fol-
lowed the Judge to the door. the tears in
her eyes. she was stunned into silence
by the sudden splendors opening before
her.
Paintn paper, NpaperF' she said I'M
der ner breath, forgetting to courtesy and
bob until lie had gone down the lane, when
she hastily began and kept il up until he
was OUT of sight.
Mrs. Ferguson was alone in her own
room that afternoon, when she heard her
husbands foot on the stairs She was
sewing on u dress for her married daugh-
ter's baby. 1t was only natural that She
shonld care for the child; but there was
| always q kind of impotence, an anxious
haste in her love for il, as if she hoped to
find something in itwhich her life had
lacked; which her own children and hus-
band had not given her. She was Il
small woman, with a peculiar, sensitive
face; a singularly quiet woman as far as
talking went. But there was something in
her eyes which showed that the live crea-
ture within was not quiet, nor satiied with
| It's DCSltiOu. 1ltI uduSultI5 idCpS were
covered with Il thick ivory skin. which
somehow indicated their calm self-poise ;
but the color came and went on Mrs Fer
guson's thin cheeks increasingly. Ii rose
and faded now as she heard the Judge COM
ing up the stairs, and she moved her foot
! Eeryously. But she looked up, calmly
! smiling, when he came in.
All, is that you? ! have not seen YOU
| before to-day, Mr.. Ferguson
bad business out of town. Mrs. Fer
guson." The Judge always gave her the
I conventional tide, which she preferred of
| late years. with an inward groan. lie
stood uncertain by the fire a moment
/ warming his hands.
Margaret
Something in his voice startled her.
| Her work fell on her lap; she turned.
VIII you come and take a drive with
me? | have something to say to you
alone; and-I want to show you some
thing"
Very WE'LL
She put ON her bonnet and wraps
! quickly, her hands trembling little as she
tied the strings. The Judges old fashioned
/ buggy was at the door, and he helped her
into it. They both remembered, perhaps,
/ how he had bought the clumsy old thing
with the fee of his first large case, and
| what triumph it was, and how often they
| had driven through the quiet roads in the
country, with the children heaped on their
! laps, scrambling and singing and laughing
! together. Different drives from the state
/ progress now. with coachman and footman
TO keep guard
! They did not speak to each other while
| they drove through the city. Mrs. Fergu-
| son had fallen into habit of silence OF late
| years, and the Judge was in no mood 10
make talk.
/ At last they turned into quiet lane
| which led between some OF the rich pas
ture farms of Delaware ebunty. : The sky
was covered with low driving clouds. the
sun bursting out cheerfullv now and then.
| lighting up the stubble fields into slopes OF
shining bronze; the leahess woods rose
an airy, black tracery against the horizon ;
, here and there maple tree famed out a
golden light, or the Virginia creeper covered
the fences with blaze of crimson But
apart from these sudden flashes. the dav
was sad and somber, as if it waited, John
Ferguson fancied, for some fatal word that
should be spoken.
He looked anxiously forward from time
to time, To the spire of little country
church that stood between the hills in a
| lonely place.
What is ii ?" said his wife, who was
watching him.
There is something that | must show
you yonder.'
He glanced down sideways at her face.
which was unnaturally quiet as if she had
put on mask. He knew that when she
had heard what he had to say it would
wear that look TO him always. He would
| be done with Margaret T" forever. He
ought u be thankful if she would then
| keep up the decent appearance of civility
| before the world. But now-if she would
| only speak to him, and laugh once, like the
| old Maggy But Once-before she heard .
! He watched ner. But her face was quiet
as if cut out of stone.
| They reached the stile leading to the
church. He stopped, fastened the horse,
and helped her to alight. A bit of woods
| lay between them and the church yard.
She passed through it hastily before him
the dead leaves crinkling under her feet.
He took her hand as it hung by her side,
but it was icy cold, and dropped out of his
as if she were dead.
When they came to the little gate of the
churchyard, he stopped her. There were a
few bare trees inside; below them, the
graves covered with the brown leaves.
Over some of the marble headstones and
monuments a vine, with scarlet stem and
leaves. climbed. A squirrel darted along
the fence and up the trunk of neighbor-
ing oak.
await moment Margaret :" Now that
the time had come, the honest old fellow
blundcred into his story in his usual stu
pid commonplace fashion. There is a
woman lying yonder, under that haw-bush
! wanted to tell you about her beside her
grave, so that you may believe every word
say | could not lie to you about her,
you know, beside her grave
1t may have been only womanly inn
! pulse of kindness toward a human soul in
dire straits, but she suddenly took his hand
| and held it between hers, looking breath
You could not lie to me anywhere,
John, she said.
Well | thought of doing it. That is
| there is Il woman vino would have told YOU
| the truth. and thought of removing her
| so as to hide it. But it would have been
| cruel-damnable. SO I brought you here
to have it out"
go on"
at is something should have told YOU
before | married you. But was coward.
Now, come"
He pushed the gate back and hurried her
across the little field to a grave in the cor
ner The bushes had grown across the
headstone. He kneeled and pushed them
aside with shaking hands.
"Do you see"
Her eyes were on his face, not on the
craven words.
Can't you see? Virginia Ferguson,
aged 20 She was my wife"
e know it, John
He staggered to his feet "You-how
long have you known it ?''
For five years. Your brother told me
the whole story"
They stood facing each other, silent. The
Judge at last cleared his throat and straight
ened himself with an odd feeling that he
had gotten down into death and must pull
himself up TO life again.
1t was Virginia that has come between
US. then, all these years? If you had
known her, Margaret, you would have
known you had no cause for jealousy
1t was not Virginia" She caught his
arms, looking up passionately into his face
1t was secrecy. 1t was the hiding it from
me, | was not your wife when this thing
lay covered between us. You've told me
nov. It's all over. John Johnr'
All over The Judge caught his wife BY
the hand; then he paused and led her
gently away.
He could not tell her how dear she was to
him, and what it had cost him to lose her
all these years, beside the grave of this
other woman, who had not been dear, and
,,,i,aca loss baR haar, q raliat IN h;,,,