Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1886-04-01

by all of them except th" mother, VIII
should have been the girls protector
but who was completely fascinated by
the lovers attentions Il herself.
Mark said but little to me, but |
know that he suffered kcenly. lie made
some enquiries in the city about Henry
Parker and was convinced that he was
IN adventurer.
;hink my brother could have borne |
his own lurden better il Alice had |
chosen man worthy Of her love, but |
ne feared for her future happiness,
thinking her hetr0thed had dazzled her
rather than won her heart.
When we received cards for the we'd
ding thought of refusing to attend,
tut Mark decided to GO, and we sent
our wedding, gift, and went up to the |
l>8 to be at the cere mony in the church |
lhe dress reception afterwards.
ry PaH not wonder when saw Hen
lie wash he had won Alice's love.
the winniKbly handsome. and had
change her tRanner calculated to |
loye. ~ into trusting |
And he took thel
to betray both, to chan2nd the trust
shudderlng horror, the truSe loye to
ing fear. . shrink
Little by little the poor gin.
to the fact that her husband des6ed
the very gentleness he had so oftel
praised, and that the charm of full
purse was the one that had attracted
him to his wife.
Probably father or guardian
would have protected Alce's fortune
after marriage, but it was under her
own control, her mother being her only
guardian.
And Henry Parker spent it freely: at
tlrst IN profuse style of living, in lux
ures his wife conld share, but later in
gambling and low vice, travelling the
downward path with fearful rapidty.
SIX years after his ina.siage he de-
serted his wife, who returned to her
mother, and year later the newspapers
gave the account of his death I'm n bar
room, where he was shot i'm scuffIe.
1t was after year of widowhood
that Alice came once more to Clay
mont, her sweet face pale aud sad. and
her blue eyes often dreamily mournfnl.
She was but little changed, though
older and graver than in her girlhood
Tor her tinidity WAS, ii changed at all,
only increased by the trials of her mar
rled life. She was so nervous that an
unexpected sound made her start in
positive terror, and where Tie pretty
Hitting colpr had been in her checks
there was only an added pallor when
she was startled.
The free country life, the pure air
and quiet, seemed to help.her in regain,
ing something of her cheerfulness, and
Miss Arnold astonished us all by her
tenderness.
She treated her niece like a sick baby
anticipating her wants, coaxing her al
petite, and bringing her curt sentences,
that were usually like pistol-slIots, down
to tones of c)oing gentleness.
The poor darling = she said to me.
with tears in her hard eyes. How
could anyone have the heart to say a
rough word to her !? | could as soon
strike an infant as trouble her, the
pretty dove =
But what was the best medicine for
Alice was soon apparent to me. She
had Learned to value such love AS
Marks and she understood at last
what his attentions meant.
For sever years he had kept her i'm
age in his heart, and when once more
he could honorably WOO her Re made
no secret of his devotion.
She frightened visibly, the shy, blue
eyes looking more frankly into Marks
than they had ever done, the sweet
musical voice losing its culver when
she spoke to him.
Very gladly did | hear that'my'broth-
er had wo: the heart he coveted, and
very sure was that it was all his own.
with far truer, more womanly love
than Alice had given in her girlish in
fatuation to Henry Parker.
And |, who knew Mark so we'll knew
that each year would but add to his af g..
lection, and that Alice need never
know again what it was to fear her
husband.
The long, bright summer passed hap
PLY, and in September Alice was to re.
turn to her mother to prepare for a
quiet wedding and an extended tour.
1t was the evening before she was to
leave US that MissArnold invited Marx
and myself to Tea. We were all in the |
oarlor, early in the evening, when a
gentleman asked for Mrs. Parker. and
Alice turned very white as she intro. |
1uced Mr.. Geo ge Parker.
My husbands BROTHER she sad A. |
SIDE TO me. lie was ALWAYS yerv kind |
TO me-