Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-03-03

The horse was not lappy. His master had
no kind word for him after his absence nor
one stroke for his glossy neck, He sidled
sullSily 10 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, forgetful
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 10 conceal his mo-
tive in coming. But Jane received him so
cordially that he quite forgot ho 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 i'll quite winning her over in Bertha s
favor Then she hoped they would be so
Every happy and dropped her black lashes
at last in d beautiful stroke of daring.
"WAl you be sure and quite forget | ever
thought dishlied Berthat / mean to be so
very devoted now if you and she will let me ~
"Do you" he exclaimed drawing IA deep
breath of relief. God bless you for it; make
our house your other homc.n How he had
misjudSed 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 men do. While he had
been speaking she had turned her head away,
but as he said good night, sho looked him in
the face again.
"Why, what is the NATTER lie said quickly,
"yOur lip Is bleeding
"Oh, it is nothing, good night
The horse was put into tho stall with his
masters own hand that night, and rewarded
for his services, at last, with the kind words
that male him lay back his ears in content
Then Phmp went into the house and bolted
the doors with a new sense Of possession.
Bertha was within with him; the whole
world besides was shut without, for tonight,
at least. He hung up his hat and looked into
i. fta1l
the piano open and the music sheets in place;
Il book lay on chair as if just dropped
there But Bertha was not in the room. lie
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 tho 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
lcious suggestion of n smile was i'll her closed
eyelies too. All the thunders of hell might
be ecnung around her, the dear head rested
in perfect peace. A terrible fate trombed
over her, but she was as unconscious of it as
the babe of an hour. He bent over her with
a yearning tenderness in his eyes. One white
arm lay on the coveTlet lie kissed it as softly
as if II were a holy thing. He bowed his
head low over her face that seemed i'll her
sleep to have n new gentleness and warmth
in it. He drank her sweet, child like breath.
What was sho dreaming of, he wondered.
He just touched her lips, when she moved
uneaslly in her sleep, and murnlmed his
name.
Bertha, you came to mo pure, with no sin
on your white soul. 1t is | 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 a 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 IA dozen times;
it was the same that had iluttered 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 Bertha2
Who has been insulting her, thent She is
my wife, 50 far us laws can make u wife. She
left me because she no longer loved me. |
suppose / was too i'll bred and common Il man
for her. II she had only known it before. l
watched her in terror as she began to awake
from her dream of love. | tried To WOO her
again. | thoaght ii might be | was not fond
enough, and | became SO tender l wearied
her. | thought perhaps | was not gentle
enough, and then never spoke to her but in
approval. But her beautiful face grew colder
and colder every day. | saw the light of love
IhdI udl iHittu II an uH5Si D la"S ilo"i W
hour Then | fell on my knees aud prayed
her to love me, but she only drew back her
skirts. Then told her / must die if she were
cruel to NE, and asked-begged her to love
me for pity. But when the tide of love begins
to ebb all the prayers and lamentations of n
world cannot stay it, Her face grow cold
and hard and the love died out Of her voice.
She never confessed she had mistaken herself
in marrying mo til the very hour she loft
mo Yes, she is my wife, and my heart aches
always for her. Write and tell me where she
is-peihals some time she may come back to
me- for she once seemed to love me, aud they
say love cannot die. CURRAN.n