The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1886-02-18

At that moment Belle, fair-haired
child, with dark, starry eyes, entered
the parlor.
is it my papa, too?" she queried.
''No, my child"
"When will he come? want to see
him."
Bertha turned away to hide her tears;
how was she to answer the child?
Mr.. Forester noticed her emotion
and thought how faithfully she must
have loved her husband.
He tarried at the hotel, each day Wis
iting at the cottage to see his boy. The
time passed away rapidly and still he
tarried, not saying whether he wished
to take his child away with him or not.
At last he came to the cottage very
early one morning and sent his boy
out to play.
Il wish to speak to you, Mrs. God
frey" he said. II have just received
letter summoning me back to Cali
fornia. l do not wish to go alone. 1
have learned the same lesson that you
taught my boy-I love you"
stop! stop" she pleaded. 81 can
hear no more. 1 know I can trust
your honor to keep my secret-I am
not a widow"
He looked at her in surprise while
she briefly told her story
believe me, -" he said, impressively,
''that YOU have been misled. / can not,
for moment, entertain the idea that
your husband was guilty of such inf
deity. That woman and her daughter
purposely drove you away"
Impossible! He loved her firSt-he
wrote her that letter"
Mr.. Forester was too delicate-minded
gentleman to say more about his dis
appointment.
Il will not take Charley away from
YOU" he observed. "You are all the
mother he ever knew, and little Belle is
rs dear sister to him."
Later he babe the children goodbye,
who wept at his going, for they would
miss him very much.
After his departure life went on as
usual for a month or so. Then her
servant informed her another gentle
man wanted to see her.
She hurried into the parlor, and then
staggered against the wall almost life
less; before her stood Godfrey Wester-
velti
''Berthar' he cried, and. stepping
forward, pressed her to his bosom.
Bertha, my wife,
After their first great JOY of meeting
had somewhat subsidized, Bertha told
him why she had left him.
Your aunt told me you were dis
couraged. Your looks confirmed it. L
was afraid l would indeed become an
invalid for life, and was almost frantic.
Then she had always told me how
much you had loved your cousin before
you met me, and this letter proved that
you had not forgotten her.
She produced the valentine which
Ophelia had received on that long -to-be
remembered 14th of February.
at is base forgery he cried indig-,
nantly, as he read it over. Bertha,
how could you believe such thing?
| looked sad and worried because | was
on the verge of bankruptcy. and did.
not wish to worry you because you
were so ill. Happily l tided over, and
my aunt and Ophelia still remained in
the house until year after your disap-
pearance. Then aunt came aud told
me the gossipS were busy; if I did not
marry Ophelia they must leave! | told
them to leave, that l should never
marry again. was about to sell the
house, give up my business and go to
California. They left in high dungeon,
and yet | never connected you going
with them. was sure you had gone
insane and was drowned"
'And how did you find me?" she
queried.
Mr. Forester told me. / have been
acquainted with him for years. He
suspected the truth when you told him
your history; he had known of loss"
Godfrey and his wife, with the two
children, started for California the next
week Before he left he wrote to his
cousin, informing her that he had
found Bertha, and characterizing her
wickedness as it deserved.
QOphelia is Ophelia Brent still, and
she has not received Il valentine since
the memorable one she wrote to her
self, in which she so successfully forged
her cousins name.-FrdnE LeSlie'S
Illustrated Weekly.