Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-04-25

snOulQ ne go-wDat S1Oul0 he DO TO
subdue the fire that consumed him?
In other years Philip Darcy had
been beset by one evil hablt-the love
or strong drink. But he had conquered
it nobly-heroically conquered it; and
since the day on which he entered the
office of the aged jurist who had been
his first legal tutor ne had not touched
the, to him, fatal cup.
Blindly, recklessly, caring for moth
ing, his life a chaos, he plunged on,
and. without thought-wIthout pre-
meditation-het turned into a gorgeously-
furnished and brIlliantly-lighted sa-
loon, where merry, jovlal crew were
holding high wassall. Towards porn-
ing two of his companions helped him
home. Towards noon, on the follow
ing day, he awoke and sat up.
1t was a considerable time before he
could remember; but memory served
him after time, and it all came back
to him. What was life to him now?
Tue blow had been terrible.
There is no need that we should eX-
pose the sadness, the sorrow, the dread
calamity and the downward, down.
ward course of the next twelve monthsl
For one whole year Philip Darcy drank
fearfully. The tears and prayers of his
friends had no effect to restrain him;
no shame, no suffering. no degradation
startled him from the road to utter
ruin.
Late one evening as Philip was wan
dering the streets, not very badly off,
a friend took his arm and carried him
home.
Asthey entered the small reception
room they heard voices in the draw
ing-room beyond. One was that of
the hostess; the other, Isabel Mar
woods.
Darcy knew it in an instant, and,
having heard his own name spoken by
the lady of the house, he grasped the
arm of his friend and held him still,
And in moment more he heard
Isabel Marwood speak these words
they were burned into his brain and
he could not forget them: "Yes, L re-
jected him. And WASH t 1t fortunate
thing for me that l did so? Heavensl
what life for a wife to livel Yet
pity him. L do certainly pity him.
Philip threw his friends arm from
him and rushed from the house, and
daylight found him walking, not the
streets, but a quiet, secluded cross
road away out in the country.
She-she-pitIed himl She had been
fortunate in rejecting himl "Heavensl
what a life for wife to livel"
AS he kept repeating the words over
and over to himself a great horror for
his present life rose within him. He
resolved TO be strong again. and sought
the shelter of his friend Archy Cor
don'shouse.
And thus it came to pass that Mary
Gordon became Philip Darcy's nurse,
for he was very ill-almost at death s
door-as a result of the course he had
pursued; and but for the tender,
watchful, tireless care of Mary he
might never have arisen from his
couch of suffering.
And now, as the couch of suffering
became a couch of blessing, he knew
which was the true love and which the
false. Before he had become strong
enough to leave the house the play
mate of his childhood, the friend and
companion of his youth, his deeply and
truly beloved Mary, had promised that
if he lived and needed her she would
never leave HIM more.
Another thing happened while
Philip was an inmate of Archie Cor
don's DWELLINGS, acceptable as it was
unexpected.
A man whose paper his father had
indorsed for several thousands, and
which he-the father-had been
obliged to honor, had been away to the
land of gold, and had gained a new
fortune; and he had now come to make
the son full restitution for all that the
father had lost on his account.
So when Philip and Mary were mar
ried there was a snug sum or money in
the bank for a rainy day.
Two years passed and man came
out In society with ''grand splurge." "
Arnold Fits Warren, he called his
name. He carried things with high
hand and cut wide swath. Isabel
Marwood fell into the trap at last.
Arnold FitZ Warren must have be
lIeved she had money or he never
would have bothered himself with
marrying her. AT all events, he pro-
posed and was accepted, and the mar
riage speedily followed.
Just one week later an officer made
his appearance with writ and took
Arnold Warren's 1.-THE ''Fitz" had been
a mere fancy of the momentl splendid
equipage for debt. And few days
after that, while Isabel's husband lay
In the drawing-room, drunk, another
officer came with a warrant and took
the man himself.
Isabel Marwood never saw her hus-
band again, but she occasionally saw
Philip Darcy, and she saw his happy,
blooming wife; and the time came
when she looked upon his bright-eyed,
beautiful children, and thus knowing.
the years crept upon her apace. What
her thoughts-what her feelings-who
shall say?