Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-05-10

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malevolent expression In Jane Ellingsworth's
face as his bride and he drove past that very
noon. Il had changed so quickly 30 smiles
that he had doubted his eyes, but he trembled
at his memory Of it now, and the piece Of
paper that had huttered to her feet, what
could it BET Could it be she knew all; that
while he was buying over the lawyer 50 that
he should not use his terrible power, there
might be near at hand an enemy to the death,
who only toyed moment with her poisoned
arrow to shoot IT when it would strike with
deadliest effecti Philip had parted with
Bertha as painfully as IL he were leaving her
to die, and as he rode off he looked up and
down the street as il danger lurked in every
shadow.
Ought he not to have told heri But what
goodi She might enjoy few more days of
calm. The worst could not be worse than
such torture of fear and hourly dread as he
suffered She trusted him perfectly, and he
believed he could fight best alone. He would
ward off every danger human brain could
foresee, and wealth and strength and inge.
nuity oppose, and then, oh God, and them
But it could do no good to warn her. She
might futter in her terror straight into the
very jaws Of destruction. As for him, he
could be cool and firm, though his heart was
consuming within him. And who knows;
the hair that held the sword over her head
might never snap, and at last, after many
years-what years of agony they would DO
| to him-she might lie down at last in an
| honored grave No, he would not tell her.
II God in his mercy would permit him he
would thank him night and morning, and
carry the burden of hourly terror, for her
sake, alone.
The horse was not happy. His master had
no kind word for him after his absence, nor
one stroke for his glossy neck, He sidled
| sulxily to and fro across the road and made
but very slow progress, till sharp blow of
the hand that was used to pat him sent him
bounding in great leaps on his way, forgettul
of everything except his own resentment.
| When he reached Mr.. Ellingsworths gate,
Philip was sorry he had come so fast for he
had not thought yet how to conceal his mo-
tive in coming. But Jane received him so
cordially that he quite forgot he had any
thing to conceal,
This evening Jane appeared at her very
best She made Philip tell her where he had
been with his bride, on their short trip, and
all they had seen, and was so charmingly
interested that he imagined he was sue
ceeding in quite winning her over in Bertha'J
favor. Then she hoped they would be Sc
Every happy" and dropped her black lashes
at last in beautiful stroke of daring
"WN you be sure and quite forget ever
thought disliked Bertha! l mean to be 81
very devoted now if you and she will let me. ~
"Do YOUR he exclaimed, drawing q deep
breath of relief. "God bless you for it; make
our house your other home" How he had
misiudgcd this amiable girl. He would per-
suade Bertha to be very kind to her. How
very fortunate it is, he thought, women do not
hold their hates as men do. While he had
been spealsing she had turned her head away,
but as he said good night, She looked him i'll
the face again.
"Why, what is the matterF" he said quickly,
"your lip is bleeding"
"Oh, it is nothing, good night"
The horse was put into the stall with his
| masters own hand that night, and rewarded
for his services, at last, with the kind words
that made him lay back his ears in content
Then PhInp went into the house and bolte ;.
tho doors with a new sense of possesslo' =.
Bertha was within with him; the whcl lc
world besides was shut without, for Tonight
at least. He hung up his hat and looked into
the drawing room. The gas was in full blaze,
the piano open and the music sheets i'll place;
book lay on chair as if just dropped
there. But Bertha was not in the room. He
turned out the gas and stepped along to the
library But it was dark, and no one was
there. In sudden, vague fear he bounded
up the stairs She was not in her bou-
doir and he pushed open the door into the
white chamber. The gas was turned down
low, but he put aside the curtains OF the
canopy and there lay Bertha. Her lips were
Just parted in sweet dream, and the de-
licious suggestion OF a smile was in her closed
eycliliS too. All the thunders of hell might
be ecrluIng around her, the dear head rested
in perfect peace. A terrible fate tremblcd
over her, but she was as unconscious OF it as
the babe of an hour. He bent over her with
yearning tenderness in his eyes, One white
arm lay on the coverlet, he kissed it as softly
as if it were a holy thing. He bowed his
head low over her face, that seemed III her
sleep to have a new gentleness and warmth
in it. He drank her sweet, child like breath.
What was she dreaming of, he wondered.
He Just touched her lips, when she moved
uneasily in her sleep, and murmured his
name.
Bertha, you came to me pure with no sin
on your white soul. 1t is I who have put it
there; l, who loved you better than myself,
have put the sin upon you. And you never
knew, my love, my darling, yes, my holy
one, you never knew what you did. His
slight form shook with great fearless sob.
Then he closed she curtains about her bed
with lingering tenderness, turned out the
light and left the room.
1t was at the same moment that Jane ELL
ingsworth drew letter from her pocket, as
she sat in the parlor where Philip had left
her. She had read the letter a dozen times;
it was the same that had fiuttered to the floor
when she had thrown kisses to the bridal
pair, and this was the part that had inter
ested her SO much:
''You ask me why did not marry Bertha!
Who has been insulting her, then2 She is
my wife, SO far as laws can make wife. She
left me because she no longer loved me.
suppose l was too i'll bred and common man
for her. If she had only known it before. !
watched her in terror as she began to awake
from her dream of love. / tried to WOO her
again. I thought it might be was not fond
enough, and | became SO tender l wearied
her / thought perhaps I was not gentle
enough, and then | never spoke to her but IL
c. ;'0val. Bit her beautiful face Gr3w colder
a.. =, cider ..., :. .,..w- tic l.gLt Of love
that had made it an angels fade hour by
hour. Then fell on my knees and prayed
her to love nc, but she only drew back her
skirts Then told her must die if she were
cruel to rlc, and asEcsl-beggcd her to love
me for pity. But when the tide of love begins
to ebb all the prayers and lamentations of q
world cannot stay it. Her face grew cold
and hard and the love died out of her voice.
She never confessed she had mistaken herself
in marrying Inc TIL the very hour she left
me. Yes, she is my wife, and my heart aches
always for her Write and tell me where she
is-perhaps some time she may come back to
me, for she once seemed to love me, and they
say love cannot die. CURRAN.n