Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-12-07

She rose. Strickland bowed in
response to her bow, conducted her
TO the door without another word
and returned with a sense of relief
to the library.
When he returned home, shortly
after midnight, the house had re-
sumed an aspect long strange to II.
Lights were burning in the draw
ing room, and little alteration IN
the arrangement of the furniture
had restored to the room a forgot
ten grace. Bouquets of flowers
filed the vases, and a sweetness OF
violets floated about the hall and
stat rcase. The piano was open,
and some music stood OH the book
stand. On the bOudoir table was
Q work basket. BY the hearth bis
visitor was sitting in low chair,
her little feet half buried in the
bear.skin rug, and her head re-
posed on her hand, while she gazed
wistfully into the fire.
Was it a dream7 Bertha's flow
ers; Bertha's music. Bertha her
self in his home again Two
years. misery cancelled in an
evening In a moment rushed
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"
"Good night y replied his wife
without moving.
The strange event that had taken
place in Gerard Strickland's house
prevented none of its inmates en-
ioying a wholesome nights rest
Bertha, per suaded that to-morrow's
comedy could effect no real change
In her relation to her husband, went
to her room with the feeling of one
who spends a night in a hotel
Strickland, similarly regarding the
past as irremediable, read in bed
for half an hour, and then fell
asleep.
To get married they had both
committed a thousand follies. After
meeting her at table d'hOte,
Strickland had pursued her half
over Europe, wang quished the diff
culties of an approach to her father
in his secluded country house, and
ultimately, assisted by the lady's
pray ers aud tears, gained the old
mans reluctant consent to surren-
der his idollzed daughter. The
yoong married people, passionately
attached to each other, enjoyed
fifteeh months of remarkable hap
plness, and then came TIE end.
Bertha became Jealous. Devoted
10 her husband, proud, hasty, I'M
moderate in all her thoughts and
emotions, she resented, with all the
intensity of her nature, a meeting
between Strickland and former
flame, a dauce, a note, half an
honr's conversation. The husband
unfortunately met her passionate
xpostulatlons with the disdaIntul
insOuciance of an easy tempera-
ment. The inevitable consequence
ensued, a bitter misunderstanding
An imprudent servant, a malicious
acquaintance, balf.a.dOzen venO-
nous tongues, lashed the wiie's
jealousy into madness. An expla-
nation demanded from her hus.
band was refused with sneer. He
had begun to think her a proud,
unloving woman, and, under the
circumstances, judged self'justihca'
ton ridiculous. The following
morning she entered his library,
and with marvellous calmness, with
out quavering over a single word,
announced to him their immediate
separation-for ever. Taken by
surprise, Strickland tried to tenn
porize, acknowledged he had been
thoughtless, did all in a mans
power to avoid the rupture. Bertha
only replied 80 proudly, and with
so much severity, that self'respect
forbade him further self.defense.
They separated. Strickland ex-
ternally bore his misfortune with
quietness, 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
who barely know each other. Ne
devoted himself to professional
duties, resumed some of his bache'
| lor habits, and amused himself as
he could. She led quiet, almost
solitary life, restricting her pleas
ures to such simple enJOyments as
she could provide herself at home,
and seldom appearing in public.
| On one point both agreed, to write
regularly to Bertha's father, re-
peating such stereotyped phrases
as "Bertha IS well, and sends her
love. | believe she wrote to you
a few days ago" "Gerard Is well,
and at present very busy. He
will not this year be able to &C.
company me to the seaside"
It will be easily believed that to
90 to her husbands house and to
ask a favor of him had cost Ber-
tha's pride a struggle. "For papa's
r. .so.oJa ooiya ~ cha ra