Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-05-21

have taken the cOaCu ~ Ao1uon, and remained in that city until every vestry had been that nurpose. and every clergyman and dis. sentinp minister officiating called mon. Rut have been nnercifully spared a dutv which at nv time of life, would have made heavv demands on my strength. Before retirinp to rest entered my sons bed room. JJn to that moment, beyond a cursory inspection of the room. had made no close examination of it. But fslt that it would greatly facili- tate my proiecA if 1 could obtain some clew to the name CT neighborhood of the church where they were married: and I further re- membered that he had written to me one let ter from his lodgings, though I could not find that letter and had no recollection of the address upon it. found his desk in a drawer. and had no difficulty in opening it by bunch of keys of my own. Sir, among letters of his mother. most tenderly preserved. and letters signed in your daughters name, I found this document" (holding it up) acare. fully sealed in sheet of paper, on whica was written Jenny Shaw; and also found, 1" continued the doctor, drawing from his side pocket small sheepskin volume, "this little diary some passages of which, sir, will take the liberty to read"
 There was breathless silence between hus- band and wife while the doctor turned the leaves in search of the entry he proposed first to read Mir. Strangfeld never shifted his posture nor moderated his frown; but over his wifes face was creeping the illumi- nation of an expression of joy pathetic to be- hold, in the growing gladness of her eyes and the faint parting of her lips
 The doctor read:
 Jenny Strangfeld's beauty. It is a fort c;p oId day we conversed like old friends Strange that anything so sweet and gloriously feminine should be found among the hard conditions and rigors of the sect of whose prejudices her father is the most acid ex- ponent hereabouts' ,"
 The doctor turned the leaves slowly, skip ping evidently much that was too personal for himself to read aloud in the presence of the deacon with relish.
 "'MAY 2o.-To-day told Jenny loved her. She believes me, and well she may, for truly is she dearest of all earthly things to me now. "You should not love me-" she sai I, "for what would thy father say to hear that thou art in love with Michael Strang- fields girlg' What wonderful tenderness her voice gains from use of that quaint old fashioned thee-ing and thou-ingg"
 "Why do you read such stuff, sir2' cried MT. Strangield, with an air of sullen impa- tjence. "You have something to prove by producing that book. Come to it-or leave it, If 1t be as I think-for you shall not dangle our dishonor in our face, sir By God! your cool recital of your sons infamy shall not drive me madr'
 His face was again dark with passion, and well might the violence of an emotion that could force an oath from Strangield startle even the imperturbable Dr. Shaw.
 l~x- IL. the doctor, curling his lip while he rapidly am done. Here is the one entry that con- cerns you:
 "'JUNE 18.-This day I was married to Jenny Strangfeld at the church of St. Mat thew, Dane street, London. Have I, as her sweetheart and husband, acted wisely for my darling by this secresys I will have no fear, but thank God humbly for his precious gift How timid she wasl All the way from Sydenham she scarcely spoke, and her hand was as cold as stone in mine as we went into the church-a gloomy church, in- deed, with mistiness all about the altar. as if the fogs of winter had not had time to escape. How much happier and easier to have been married in the dear old church at Greystone, with her father and mine to give us kindly word. But it is the mothers kiss my darling must most miss Lowe shall atone, my little wife. Good night good nightr"
 Mrs. StranaaeM started up with wild, loud laugh.
 "Oh, Michaelp she cried, in an eerie, jubi- lant voice, raising her clasped hands above her head, "did not tell thee our only one was pure? On, Dr. Shaw, he would not be- lieve her! He is stern father to the dear heart. He turned from her when she wished to kiss him, and to me hath called her a vile O God! he hath driven her from us. She is gone away from her home, sirl This very morning we found her gone! Oh, cruell cruel! He would not let me seek her and now where is my innocent lamb! Is sine dead of a broken heart2 Oh, my pretty onel why did bear thee for this sorrow2 Better had we died-better had we died, than lived to see this bitter, wicked time!"
 With the joyous look fled from her white features, she dropped her face into her hol- lowed hands and broke into piteous sobbing.
 With laborious roll of the eyes, which had a vacant look under the darkness of the hanging brow, MT. Strangfield gazed from her to the doctor. from the doctor to her; and he made picture of strong man smit- ten with great and deadly fear, of man whose brains are crazing under the appre- hension of an unspeakable grief; for so he looked.
 But obstinacy is on instinct-for qualities are dropping and dying when instinct is still a f1ourishing force-which will survive many shocks, and give battle amid the languors of dissolution and prompt the last breath as who that has attended the dying but knows?
 Though the diary furnished evidence which ninety and nine men out of hundred would have yielded their judgment to in calm cer- tainty that the truth was at last made plain, it was evidence that could not dispatch the stubborn shipwright's conviction. With @ slow smile, SO full of anguish that all sar- casm was lost in it, and holding firmly to his chair that the giddiness in his head might not cause his body to vibrate, he waited until his wife had drowned her speech in sobs; and turning to the doctor, who had now risen, and was looking at him with gaze of steady contempt and dislike, he exclaimed, in a thick and struggling voice:
 "Who is to prove to me that the characters in that book be your sons writing9 If my girls chastity be broken, stronger cement than that'n be needed to mend it And until am better assured that your son hath acted honestly by my girl, not ten thousand times the number of his pretty words shall stop me from calling him villain"
 "Read that" said the doctor, and he thrust the paper he held into the deacon's hand, and