Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1888-11-15
Ivydene scandal?

| lVyuene scAnuall
Harry Osborne lay partly supported
oy pillows, one arm was broken. His
hard. psinfu, breathing made internal
injury feared. He smiled faintly TO
welcome us.
But ! could scarcely look at him,
my eyes being attracted Co the man
who had saved his life, and who now
stood by the window. 1t was the man
had seen with Grace.
Harry Osborne expressed his glad
ness at our being there, and prayed us
not to quit Chamouni yet.
Don't leave me alone, he said, but,
my wife, l trust, will soon be here.
Did you not say she would, 'HubertP
he lninquired, turning to the stranger.
Il am certain of It, was the answer.
Il have sent telegram, | except her
every minute.
Whatever did it all mean? l looked
from one to the other, when there was
hustle outside the door, it opened,
and Grace ran in.
Harry, where are you?-my hus-
band, my Lowell she cried, going past
without seeing us, and the next
moment she was kneeling by him,
weeping passionately, and covering
his hand with kisses.
Ralph touched my arm and we
withdrew the man Hubert follow
ing.
What did it mean?
An hour later Grace was seated in
my room, and was hearing ALL
1t appeared, as | knew, that Grace's
family had been ruined, and her moth
er brought to an early grave by her
fathers fatal passion for gambling.
The scenes and misery Grace had
witnessed in her youth had caused her
to take a sacred vow that she would
never marry man who liked play.
Hence, before consenting to become
Harry Osbornes wife she had asked |
him concerning the matter
He had replied, he had played lit !
tie when younger; but did not care if
he never touched card again. Hav-
ing easily, therefore, extracted
promise from him never to gamble,
she welded him.
A little while before she quilted
Ivvdene she had discovered that not
only had he been an lnveterate player.
but that during his visit to London
on business he had played night after
night for heavy stakes at his club.
MY horror was extreme, proceed
ed Grace; not only had he broken his
word but | saw misery in the future
if he could not be cured l loved him
I believed he loved me. l sent for
my step cousin. Hubert, from Harris,
my only friend, and bade him take
me to his mother, residing near
Biarritz, | started, leaving letter
for Harry, telling him that l had dis
covered the truth, and that l would
never return to him until he had
promised be never would again gam
ble.- and, to prove bis, self. control, had
passed one year without touching a
card
And queried, as she paused.
He tells me- smiled Grace,
through her tears, 'he was at first
furious determined to let me 60, and
started for Monte Carlo, with the re.
solve to play until he ruined himself
then take his life But his better ma
ture, his love for me, returned before
he reached there He knew he had
deceived me, aud he made vow to
make reparation and to show me |
might trust him against temptation.
The whole year he has passed at such
places as Baden and Monte Carlo,
the gambling salons, watch
ing the play until he was sick of it;
but never playing, no not once, him.
and now?' | said.
Now, cried Grace, with a lovely,
happy smile, I'VE are reunited, never,
never to part.
From that hour she took her place
by the bedside of the husband whom
she had saved from Bhe fierce demon,
play; and from that hour Harry Os-
borne began to recover.
News was sent for Ivydene to be
for the Homecoming of its
master and mistress, and Raj phi and |
returned with them
ALI Underhurst was astonished and
puzzled, but far more so when there
speedily followed, as guests at Ivy
dene, very handsome old lady and
her son, the latter being recognized as