The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-20

wish will stay and assist you. My en-
gagement is unimportant."
: pray go. We should have to talk
: and we have nothing to say to eacl
> other"
"Nothing. Will you dine here p
"No, thanks; I'll go home now anC
= ret lrn by and by"
She rose. Strickland bowed in re-
= sponse to her bow, conducted her to thu
q, door without another word, and return
ed with a sense of relief to the library.
. When he returned home shortly after
;, midnight, the house had resumed or
aspect long strange to it. Lights wert
burning in the drawing room. and lit
tie alteration in the arrangement of the
furniture had restored to the room for
gotten grace. Bouquets of flowers filled
the vases. and faint sweetness OF vio-
lets f0a' ed bout the hall and staircase.
: The piano was open, and some music
stood on the bookstand. On the boudoiI
, table was a work basket. BY the hearth
his visitor was sitting in low chair, her
little feet half buried in the bearskin
rug, and her head reposed on her hand,
while she gazsd wistfully into the fire.
Was it a dream ? Bertha's flowers;
, Bertha's music. Bertha herself in his
home again Two years misery can
celed in an evening! In moment rush
ed across his memory golden wooing,
proud wedding, happy months, and
the bitter day of separation. he turned
away and passed to his room, saying,
Good night T.
Coed night ~ replied his wife, with
out moving,
|
The strange event that had taken
place in Gerard S rikeland's house pre-.
vented none of its inmates enjoying
Wholesome nights rest. Bertha, per
shaded that tomorr0ws comedy could
effect no real change in her relation to
her husband, went to her room with the
feelings of one who spends night in
hotel. S r keland, similarity regarding
the past as irremediable, read IN bed for
half an hour and then fell asleep.
To get married they had both commit
ted thousand follies. After meeting
her at table d'hote, Strickland had pur-
sued her half over Europe, vanquished
the difficulties of an approach to her
father in his secluded country house,
and ultimately, assisted by the lady's
prayers and tears, gained the old mans
reluctant consent to surrender his idol
IL daughter. The young married peo-
pte, passionately attached to each other,
enjlyed fifteen months of remarkable
happiness and then came the en- l.
Bertha became jealous. Devoted to
her husband proud, hasty, immoderate
in + II her thought and emotions, she re-
sented, with all the intensity of her ma
ture, meeting between Strickland aad
former fame. a dance, a note, half an
hours conversation. The husband un-
for unatelv met her passionate expOstu-
latIons with the disdainful insou' lance
of an easy temperament. The enevita-
ole consequence enSued, bitter misun-
deIstanding An impudent servant.
NAL cious acquaintance, half q dozen
venomous tongues, ashed TIE wife's
JEALOUSY into Madness. An explanation
demanded from her husband was refused
with a sneer, He had begun TO think
her a proud, unloving woman, and un.
der the circumstances judged self jusii-
ficalion ridiculous. The following
morning she entered his library, and
with marvellous calmness, without quav'
ering over a single word, announced to
him their immediate separation-for
ever, Taken by surprise, Strickland
tried to tempol iZe. acknowledged he had
been thoughtIess did all in mans pow
er to avoid the rupture. Bertha only re
piled so proudly. and with so much
severity, that self respect forbade him
further self defense.
They separated. Strickland external
| " bore his misfortune with quletness,
| and, in counsel with his own conscience,
concluded his life broken and ruined by
his own want of tact. The husband and
wife met two or three times, as people
meet who barely know each other. he
devoted himself to professional duties,
resumed some of his bachelor habits,
and amused hinsef as he could. She
led quiet, almost solitary life, restrict
ing her pleasures to such simple enjoy
ments as she could provide herself at
home, and seldom appearing in public
On one point both agreed-to write reg
uarly to Bertha's father, repeating such
stereotpyed phrases as Bertha is well
and sends her love. believe she wrote
to you few days ago" Gerald Is well
and at present very busy. de viii not
this year be able to accompany me to
the seasile." II will be easily believed
that to go to her husbands house and
to ask a favor of him had cost Bertha's
pride a struggle. "FoI papa's sake. for
papa's sake" she repeated to herself to
steel her nerves to the humiliation,
which. however, ,StrIkeland's cold court
esy had considerably lessened. IL he
would be equally considerate on the
morrow, a little spirit, little self com
mand and some clever pretending might
enable them safely to conduct her father
through the few hours to be spent in
town, to see him off from Victoria, and, ,
with a polite bow, TO separate and re-
turn to their several exislences.
Dinner was ended, Mr. Gregory smiled
contentment and happiness, and the two
actors at the opposite ends of the table
Of necessity smiled too
Their parts had proved difficult. From
the moment of the old genllemans arrl-
val they had had to call each other by
their Christian name, and to use the lit
tie endearments of two married people
still in love, More than once, word,
an intonation, that sounded like an echo
of the dead past, made Strickland pale,
and Bertha tremble. Their embarrass-
ment momentarily increased. The more
perfect their dissimua,iOn, the bitterer
|
hearts of both of them, while they eX-
changed for meaningless things, words,
looks and smile, once the most sacred
signs of affection. With the fear OF be-
traying themselves by an indlscretlon
was iutermixed another, a misgiviDg
lest, while they acted affection, they
should be guilty of real feelings warmer
than the courteous indifference win
! which they desired to regard each other.
On the stairs, when Mr.. Gregory, pre-
ceding them, was for an instant out OF
sight, Bertha turned back and bestowed
on her husband grim look OF fatigue
that meant, "How are we to continue
, this 2"
I" 'Tis only till tomorrow, Bertha" he
replied, in an undertone, wishing to help
her. But the Christian name (which, be
cause he had in the last two hours used
it so frequently, unwittiOgly slipped
from his lIpsl caused her to turn her
face away with an angry frown.
BY the fire in the back drawing room
NJ Gregory appeared actuated by de-
sire to ask all the most awkward ques-
tions and to broach all the topics of con-
versati ms most difficult for his host and
hostess.
Letters are welcome. Bertha" he
said, "when people cannot meet, but l
have enjoyed my title visit more than
all the pages you have sent, There is
very little in letters. Don't you think
your wife grows handsomer, Strike
land 2
Il tell her 80 every day."
And so he 'ells me, Bsrtha. His let
ters are all about you. You have a
model husband nv dear