The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-01-21
MRS. HETTY's HUSBAND.
by HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.
Cosmopolitan

WOeIb bIt SulOkC IOSc anu SuAio~ f~>d
from the firesides of the comfortable nome
steads surrounding the two church Spires
and where perpetual calm seemed TO prood
nobody, looking down ON these tranquil
fields and woods, from the heights OF Old
Morning. would dream that such a man as
Bel Symmes could have had beginning, or
ending. or encouragement for enduring
there. How and whence he had his name,
none knew, not even himself If he ever
had any individual people, they early left
him to the mercy of the world that has no
mercy.
Whether that name stood for any such
aristocratic prenomen as Beltran, or Belasys,
poor Bel, or as, from the tenor Of his life,
seemed more probable, from a certain kim
ship with Belial, or Beelzebub, with certain
"reminiscences of Bel and the Dragon; or. as
might be guessed from his manner of posses
sing the land wherever he was, from the old
Persian, signifying Lord, there was no one
to say no one, in fact, knew much about
him. Apparently, he had always been about
thirty-five years old, long, lean, fair, good
humored, shiftless, worthless, beloved here.
despised there, and living always, without
"a
You can imagine, then, what was the
amazement Of the whole village of Valley
Ford when, one day, it was announced that
Bel Symmes had married Hetty Duneagle, of
the Duneagle Farms. the old squire's only
surviving daughter and heir, more than
middle-aged lady, of no other charms than
those belonging to notable house-keeper,
valuable church-member, and one in receipt
of great respect from the neighbors.
What Miss Hetty saw in the scapegrace
was not. after all, so difficult for those to
imagine who knew of his good nature and
usual gentleness, aud could understand how
he had fiddled and sung and TESTED his way
into the old spinster's heart that ached in
its loneliness, after her brother-in-law took
away with him the two little maids on whom
her affections had conferred since their birth,
the brother-in-law quarrelled so bitterly
with the old squire that the latter had left
all his possessions to Miss Hetty. But what
odds did that make? Everything Miss
Hetty had would belong to her little darlings
one day.
Nevertheless, those who knewsof Bells
taking arts could not quite understand what
Miss Hetty had done with the Duneagle
pride, when she put in her place, and took
home to the great square house and pew,
this fellow, who, If neither tramp nor
vagrant, was yet not exactly anything else.
But there he was, at the head of the table, in
the big armchair of the Preside corner-at
least, when he was there.
Perhaps one of the very things that kept
him dear to Mrs. Hetty's heart was that he
was not always there; that, in truth, he did
not give her enough of his society to let it
weary her; that often, after long half-day's
absence and late return at night he lay in
bed till noon of the next day; that, some
how, the two or three hours that he did allow
her, as he tuned and scraped his little old
violin, and sang his melting songs, and
made his merry quips, were just enough to
let her wish for more.
Love had passed by her in her youth; her
hungry heart had been sore when other
women had been glad. Now to believe that
this smiling youth found in her what lovers
found in other women; that he turned to
her for his happiness; that he chose her
among all women If there was poison in
the sweet self-deception, she sucked its
honey without knowing it.
All the monotonous humdrum hours were
transformed for her. She thought, for just
a space, that she was young and fair; that
his heart was really hers. There seemed to
be nothing but joy in the world. The sun
smote the bare slopes ON the top of Old Morn
ing the sky shone blue in the river at its
foot, as if the world were just made. How
rich with breath blowing out of heaven was
every wind that sighedl What romance and
vague delight in the sound of the evening
bells coming up the valley! Flattered to
tears. she laid her own heart at this lovers
feet. for him to tread on ii he would, and the
gay conquorer trampled it into dust.
1t was a good while before Mrs. Hetty
found out how Bel spent the greater part OF
the time that he was away from her,-aD-
sorbed in various games Of hazard with dice
and cards, oftened enlivened by song ana
other festive exercises over the flowing
bowl She thought he was off swapping
horses, and making his profits by the trade'
expostulating with the assessors for her In
relation to taxes, looking out an investment
for some of her accumulated funds Qortu-
nate woman that she was TO have some one
to SO project herb, watching some expert
mental ditching on distant farms for their
joint benefit, or talking politics at the law
yer's Office; the last, not at all an unpleasant
fancy to her, for she had dim idea that BEL
with his glibness, his wit, his talents, and
her money, might make figure in the Legis-
latdre yet.
Bel had no idea OF anything of the sort
Nothing so laborlous and respectable as that
NVn nnQirpd hxrh 10 nd IN
those that had once laughed him to scorn.
He did not work, and he drove about the
highways and byways with housekeeping
mare that had not her match in the county.
He was bound simply to enjoy himself, and
to enjoy himself in his own way.
But Mrs. Hetty was by no means fool
IL did not take more than three or four years.
with their slow degrees, to undeceiye her. to
startle. 10 stun her, to break her heart. and
IN make it whole again-whole, but hard.
drv. and very different organ from that which
used to palpitate so at the sight of the face
end the sound of the voice of her scapegrace.
When he had no account to give of various
sums of money intrusted to him by her, she
foreave IT, When he asked once, on some
remonstrance, If. at her age, she expected to
keen a Young fellow all the time by her side,
she forgave it. When he brought home a
boisterous companion, and proceeded to make
a night of it in the big Kitchen, brewing
various delicious connections with rum ana
pineapple preserves from the pantry, ana
did not 90 to bed till morning, and then Win
his hat and great-coat on, she forgaye that.
She even forgave his taking off" the pastor
0bad she not even laughed with him2, and
his comparing the choir to parcel OF ola
cats on the backyard fence.
But when her two young nieces came 10
her on visit. and he, one day, tired OF the
obligation of being decent in their presence,
remarked that either they must go or he
should, she found it hard to forgive that;
and when, on another occasion, having more
than one noisy companion with him, she
overheard him calling her the old girl, utter
fvu various t,uanpnlfnantaru rafaranoas In