Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1886-06-11

of readers that his wife had divorced him
and had taken lawful possession of his child.
Word by word he dwelt with morbid atten-
ton on the terms of crushing severity in
which the lord president had spoken of sgd
new Westerfield and of himself. Sentence
by sentence he read the reproof inflicted on
the unhappy woman whom he had vowed
to love and cherish. And then-eyen then
urged By his own sslf-tormenting suspicion,
he looked for more. On the opposite page
there was a leading article presenting com
ments on the trial, written in tone of lofty
and virtuous regret taking the wife's side
against the judge, but declaring, at the same
time. that no condemnation of the conduct
of the husband and the gOvernesS could be
too mercileSs. and no misery that might over
take them in the future more than they had
deserved.
He threw the newspaper on the table at
his side and thought over what he had read.
1.-The had done nothing else. he had drained
the bitter cup to the dregs. When he looked
back he saw nothing but the life that he had
wasted When his thoughts turned to the
future they confronted a prospect empty of
all promise to a man still in the prime of life.
Wife and child We're as completely lost to
him as if they had been dead-and it was
the wife'S doing. Had lie any right to COM
plain? Not the shadow of right. As the
newspapers said, he had deserved it.
The clock reused him, striking the hour.
He rose hurriedIy and advanced toward
the window. As he crossed the room he
passed by a mirror. His own sullen despair
looked at him in the reflection of his face.
'She will be back directly. he remembered ;
''She mustn't see me like this!' He went on
to the window to divert his mind land so to
clear his face by watching the stream OF life
flowing by in the busy street. Artificial
cheerfulness, assumed love in Sydney's pres
ence-that was what his life had come to al
ready.
If he had known that she had gone out
seeking temporary separation, with his
fear of self-betrayal-if he had suspected
that she too had thoughts which must be con
ceaed-sad fOrebOdingS OF losing her hold
on his heart, terrifying suspicious that lie
was already comparing her, TO her own dis
advantage with the wife whom he had de
scrted-if he had made these discoveries
what would the end have been? But she
had thus far escaped the danger OF exciting
his distruSt. That she loved him he knew.
That She had begun to doubt his attachment
10 her he would not nave btlleNtu II ms Oh
est friend had declared it on the best evil
denCc She had said to him that morning,
at breakfast: There was a good woman,
who used to let lodgings here in LondOn,
and who was very kind to me when | was a
child, and She had asked leave to 70 to the
house and inquire If that friendly landlady
was still liying-with nothing visibIy con.
strained in her smile and with no faItering
tone in her voice. 1t was not until she was
out i'm the street that the telltaIc tears came
into her eyes, and the bitter sigh broke fl0m
her and mingled its little mhcard misery
with the grand rise and fall of the tumult OF
London life. While he was still at the win
DOW he SAW her crossing the street on her
way back to linn. She came into the room
with her complexion heightened by exercise;
She kissed him, and said with her pretty
smile: "IIave you been lonely without me?"
Who would have supposed that the torment
of distrust and the dread of descrtiOn were
busy at Thu, woman'S heart?
He placed a chair for her, and, seating
himself by her side, asked if she felt tired.
Every attention that She could wish for from
the man whom she loved, was offered witt
every appc rance OF sincerity on the surface,
She met him half wax and answered as if hel
mind was quite at ease.
mo, dear I'm not tired at | ul glad tc
get back