Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1886-02-11

4
life that awaited her in the future.
The marriage service was performed
| in the subdued silence of little gray
they took a train that bore them to
the location of Philip Argyle's work
in distant city.
Six years sped by, and the Everleighs
had not been exempted from the mex
orable law of change.
Maud, the prond, beautiful elder
daughter Of the house, had married a
man of her fathers choice-rich, infu-
entail, haHdsome-everyt thing desir-
able, so said the fashionable world; but
ambition rather than love had actuat-
ed her choice.
An elegant mansion on one of the
principal streets was the gift of Mr..
Everleigh to MS daughter, and after
a prolonged tour the happy couple set
tied down to the enjoyment of life that
seemed most suspicious.
But there was never an Eden with
out serpent, Arthur Leavenworth
was not perfect, although, in the esti-
nation of Horace Everleigh, he was a
model of manly virtue. But a
weakness that sooner or later gains
the mastery when INDUCED was love
of wine.
It was true that the table Of Horace
Everleigh was always supplied with
choice wines; it was also true that he
INDUCED in the beverage himself; but
he was one of the rare number Of wine
drinkers who are able to use it with
moderation.
Were it possible for all men thus to
indulge in the sparkling liquid, in
temperance would not be national
curse.
But Arthur Leavenwort had an in
herited taste for alcoholic stImulants,
though he held it in check till after
| his marriage.
There had been times, however,
when his cheeks had flushed, when
his step had been unsteady, and init
mate friends had assisted him home.
but of such indiscretions the Ever
leighs were rot aware,
There came night few months
after they were settled in their beau
tlful home, when Arthur Leavenworth
did not return as usual, and his lovely
wife grew frightened at his absense.
She felt sure that something dread
full had happened, and she waited till
after midnight, then retired, to be
awakened, several hours later, by an
unsteady, hesltating step upon the
stairs and the fall of a heavy body at
her door.
She sprung from her couch. to find
her husband lying there, unconscious
and breathing heavily.
That he had fit she was certain :;
perhaps he was dying; and she was
about to rouse the house when, as she
bent over his pale face, the strong
fumes of whiskey were observable,
and she sank down, appalled, at the
discovery.
To a woman as proud as Maud
| Leaven worth the revelation was more
| fearful than though he had lain there
before her dead.
It was disgrace that nothing could
obliterate, and a feeling of loathing
for the inanimate form at her feet
came over her.
She had been so proud of her hand
some husband, and he had fallen-he
was but common clay; and through
the long hours of that night she sat
there, fearless and despairing.
] with the dawn, Arthur Leaven-
worth reused from his drunken stu
por, and to the upbraiding of his wife
he listened in sullen silence.
Her harsh words only stirred his
anger, and their splendid home was
the scene of a bitter quarrel.
1t was but the beginning of life of
misery. Instead of kind words, that
might possibly have lured him from
the downward way, Maud Leaven-
worth's taunts and ACQUISITIONS only
added fuel to the flame that was CON
Summing the better elements of her
husbands nature, and he sank lower
and lower in vices that. follow IN the
wake of drunkenness.
Gambling dens enticed him. He
was victim to be pampered and fiat
tered so long as he had wealth, and
he became frequenter of those &C
cursed resorts, stalking largely, losing
almost invariably, and finally squan-
| dering his entire fortune.
It was the work of several years.
Everleigh kept aloof from him. He
would give no aid to man who was
SO wantonly wrecking himself and his
| fortune; but to his daughter he offer
ed home and plenty if she would
leave her husband.
But MAID Leavenworth refused.
Her proud spirit was crushed, and
she felt unable to rise above the dis
grace that had clouded her life.
Finally, as last hope, she urged
her husband to leave the city. They
had gone down step by step from
splendid mansion that had been their
first home, till wretched tenement
of two rooms was all they had to shell
ter them; and Maud's dainty fingers.
that had been wont to sweep the piano
and do most delicate fancywork, toiled
wearyly at plain sewing to keep the
wolf from the door.
1t was IN one of Arthur's sober and
repentant moods that Maud made the
proposal, and he caught at the sugges-
ton as drowning man clutches at a
straw. She had faint hope that If
removed from old haunts and asso-
ciates he might yet reform; and so
thew went tn Rockville