Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-08-18
Gales aud Sketthes.
FOR TWENTY YEARS.
CONTINUED from Yesterday

companion of my boyhood's days.
sprang forward eagerly.
Robert, dear old boy. is it youP"
He looked at me incredulously.
Ralph, it can't be you!'
alt isw | cried; and-well, l don't
know as am ashamed of i'll embraced
him like schoolgirl and wept.
And so did he, poor fellow, though he
could hardly believe the wrecked old man
was his brother. But what struck me even
then as strange was that he did not shrink
from me, nor act as though he had injur-
ed me.
Robert" said, when we were alone
and calmer, 1--we forgiven you long ago.
We won't speak of the past. Let me be
happy in the bliss of seeing you once
more. l will never come round to trouble
you. brother"
Forgiven me ?" he said inquiringly.
81 don't understand. You'll never trouble
me. and we won't speak of the pastp"
Why didn't you write to me? Your poor
Wife"
"Do not speak of her, Robert!" l in
terrupted, in sudden agony. 81 can
bear anything else-spare me that I"
but. Ralph there's something very
strange here. Why can't speak of her?
Since you are not dead, as we supposed,
why did you desert herr"
desert her-my wife! My God!" and
fairly laughed.
A horrid laugh, dare say, for Robert
turned pale. could see he thought |
was mad. resolved to control myself,
and. since we must have it out, talk it
over. So. after a turn or two, | came
back and stood by him.
Now, Robert, if there is any mistake
here, let us understand it at once. left
you, twenty years ago, in charge of my
wife,
"You did. and -
"And YOU" interrupted. "took the
best care of her-and did not care for me :;
and she grew tired of waiting and loving
shadow, and you grew to love her."
Hold! !" he shouted, his eyes blazing
"Who told you that ?"
went on. not needing him:
"And she grew faint and tired; she
saw your love and returned it,"
Robert seized my arm as though he
would murder me.
Hush. till l have done,' | said.
"When you received the money | sent,
you "SiO wv ioi S,ouO w ~ ouSh. AouO
got the divorce, you married her and left
the city,"
And you believed this thing tor twenty
years." he said, calmly. though it was
the calmness of smothered volcano.
~ have"
You have for twenty years believed
that both your wife and your brother were
UNANIMOUSLY false to you'"
81 have"
His form seemed to fairly dilate and
grow grand, as he said:
Then hear me. Ralph, while | swear
solemnly that the whole story is an in
famous falsehood! That your wife is as
true to you to-day as she was the day you
left her."
"What do you mean Robert P" | cried
frantically, overwhelmed by the earnest
ness Of his manner and words.
"What | say, Ralph. O, there has been
a great mistake Hear my story After
you left us | struggled on with the bust
ness, though not succeeding very well.
Susy dropped at first but soon grew cheer
full, and. after a while began to plan for
your return
These words brought the dear little
creature 50 plain before my eyes that
sank to the ground and covered nv face.
"As weeks and months and years
passed on" he went on. SLOWLY. cher
cheeks grew so thin and pale, and hun
CRY look came into her eyes. I saw she
was pining and wrote letter to you, but
no word could we hear. There came to
me in little letter, directed to both of
us. a draft OF $4,000, with not a word to
tell how or from whom it came. Of
course we knew il came from YOU, but
whether gift or legacy. who could tell p
We instituted new inquiries. Nothing
that love could suggest was left undone.
At last we were forced to conclude that
you were dead. By my advice the money
was invested in a SMALL farm some dis
lance from San Francisco. and Susv went
to live on it, while startedout a sort of
wandering, vagabond life, in the hope of
at lie st finding your grave, for we never
believed you were alive all these long
years and never let us hear from Won.
That lite have lived for fifteen years, re-
turning once in three or four years to see
TO the comfort of Susv; and now | have
found you"
You have found me-" | interrupted,
"a wreck-a miserable wretch, who has
blasted three lives by criminal weak
ness, his childish credulity in believing
evil, and who will soon rid the earth Of
his presence"
| started TO go. for verify despair had
seized upon me. That | should have
believed that horror for so many wears.
and find it a stupid mistake; that | should
have thrown away my life, the blessed
love of my true wife, the warm affection
of my brother. for an idle scandal, 1t
was too much for me to endure.
Robert laid OBTAINING hand on my arm
as moved away.
But Susy, Ralph; what shall saw to
the loving little woman who has suffered
SO many long years for you?"
Let her still believe me dead, Rob-
ert," gloomlly replied.
NAY, brother; let me rather restore
you to her. Ralph, go home, and let us
De SO happy together as to partly make up
Tor these years of mistakes and grief"