Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1886-09-10

medntely after breakfast was ended, he
ordered the dog-cart to drive him to the
station. They were spending the sum
mer Mt his beautiful country residence
All day long the young wife was left
alone, and at evening, when Dick re.
turned from the city, worn, tired look,
| quite new in il, was on his face; but
May asked him no more concerning it.
The next morning, the single letter
which the mailbag hold was addressed
to her. She glanced up from its peru
sal with flushed cheeks.
"Will Crosby has a six weeks fur
loughP" she said, eagerly. "Hc writes
that he is coming to spend part of it
with us. You remember we invited him
when we were married"
"Ah, remember" assented her hus-
baud--he had almost forgotten his old
suspicion during these happy months
al am glad, dear that his visit is timed
just now, for though had intended to
take long summer holiday, business
/ find, will demand my attention in the
city,
''ls any thing wrong, Dckp"
Wrong ? Nonsense, child! Don't
get such IDEAS in your pretty little head.
What could be wrongpn
And rising, and kissing her, as he
passed, he went out of the room.
A few days later the expected guest
arrived. When Arnold returned one
evening from the city, the two were
standing together upon the lawn, and,
as in flash of lightning, his memory
recalled to him the first time he had
looked upon similar picture. A new
brightness, new gladnesS, was in
Mays face, too as she came eagerly
forward to greet him. A sudden sense
of pain and loneliness crept about his
heart. The day in town had been an
usually pc picking one. A crisis was
pending in the near business future-a
crisis which bade fair TO be commercial
whirlwind-but he could disclose his
anXicties to none, and least of all must
his child-wifc suspect it. Yet. the effort
to conceal them caused strange con-
straint in all that he said or did. He no
longer sought to be alone with Nav,
until one day it came upon him like an
inspiration that she, too, no longer
sought him.
Lieutenant Crosby had been three
weeks their guest, when the threatening
storm burst. Around about him, on
every side, Mr.. Arnold saw the houses,
which he had deemed solid rs his own,
totter and fall. Each fall bore with it
portion of his own far ediiicc. How
long might he hope to withstand such
shocks. 1t needed but one more blow,
and on one August day the blow fell.
Unless by the next morning, before
noon, he could command certain sum,
he, too, would be swept away with the
t!de-a bankrupt Just the amount
needed represented his wife's private
but to touch that never entered
his mind.
AT least May was secured from future
want and he must leave her to build ZIP
his shattered fortunes in new land.
She had never loved him, He was sure
of that; and latterly-lattcrly, he had
begun TO realize that he had had no
right to tie her young life to his. Worn
and weary with these many thoughts.
he returned to his home. May greeted
him almost indiflerently, only the next
to turn to young Crosby with
her most radiant smile.
Arnold's face palcd. Yet what right
had he to murmur? he told himself.
Had he not sworn to possess her at any
cost? And was he not ruined manP
Crosby, the penniless subaltern, as he
had called him, would have done better
for her than that, When dinner was
ended, he went to his library and closed
the door. For time lie sat wrapped in
thought. Perhaps an hour had passed,
when solitude grew unbcarable.
He would reioin his wife and their
guest, he determined. Tomorrow
tomorrow highland May
must know all. For the first time in
his life he felt himself Il cowardl But
tonight was yet his. Tonight May
neither knew nor suspected the truth!
He rose and passed out into the draw
ing-room, whose windows opened on
the porch His footsteps made no
sound on the carpeted floor and he had
reached the window, when something
like sob arrested his steps.
MAY, must speak!h said voice he
recognized as belonging to his guest.
'Do you think have been three weeks
under this roof without discovering your
secretP You are not happy. Your
laughter, your gaiety, is forced. What
is wrong? Do you fear to confide in
mePn
"WrongP" she answers, with tears in
her voice. "All is wrong, VIII. What
am | to my husband but = spoiled. pet
ted childP Look at him DO you fail
to see the change these last few weeks
have wrought himP Yet, each time /
have striven to gain his confidence, he
has shut me out from it and his heart.
He has sent me from him ms he would
send II child to her dolls. lie showers
gifts upon me, and fancics thus be buys
my happiness. Am |, indeed, SO little
n woman that thus he satisfies my
woman's humor, my woman's hearth
And love him so madly, VIII, that to
know have no part or portion in his
real life is killing me! Always he
has been my ideal, my hero Do you
think could have sympathized in your
trouble, viii, if | had none of my own?
/ have wished that ell this
splendor in which live might be wiped
away, and that Dick and shared
cottage, that | might prove to him
was not child, with new toys ever
needed to comfort me.
Arnold waited to hear no more. The
scales had fallen from his eyes. Con-
science-stricken, he crept back to his
library, while only two words burst
from his lips. They were at once a
and prayer.
THANK God!n he murmured; and
now the morrow mattered naught to
hlm.
A few moments later he stepped oct
on the porch.
May" he said, "will Lieutenant
Crosby pardon us if / ask you to stroll
down to the lake with meP ! have some
thing OF Importance to say to you. "
Instantly she rose, and slipped her
hand within his arm.
"My darling he began--and then
the b story of all these three weeks was
poured out before her. Tomorrow