Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-04-21
/ have for You. y

1DGTS never VIII Ne All HouI III hAAlp
Breton's after life, when he shall not look
back to this moment as worth ali his agony,
as the acme Of his being, when the cup of his
happiness was full And who shos.ld over
turn ita Why should he not hold it to his
ever thirsty lips forever, the well spring Of
his love bubbling and sparkling forever
within! Might not the world stand still
awhilel Must it iostle him from his I'M
wearying rapture, and push him on and ON
| into the barren desert of failure which awaits
all mankind at last2
The dinner bell tinkled invitingly, and the
master and mistress of the house came down
together. At the door of the dining room
stood the man servant salver in hand, and
| the silk skirts of the lady of the house swept
| against him as she passed in. Philip frowned
| fiercely at him, for the usually most well be-
/ haved and respectful waiter seemed to forget
| all his duties in staring with brazen impu-
| dence in the beautiful face of his masters
| wife. Philip grew pale with anger, but
Bertha only gave a glance of lofty contempt
at the fellows smooth face and white apron.
''Your servants are not well behaved, my
dear Philip"
| In a moment more they were alone, and
Philip forgot his wrath i'll the new picture of
his wife across his table. His old lonely days
were ended No more solitary feastings.
Bertha was always to brighten his house and
his table for him. The satyr of bronze on
the mantel that had scowled on his des-
olation, seemed actually smiling now.
The portraits around the green tinted
walls had seemed to his magma
ton, as he had sat down so many times to his
richly furnished table, like guests at a
funeral or again, as if morosely curious how
a man could violate all the principles of hos
pitality by dining alone. Now, he fancied,
they had taken on a more genial, compan
ionable expression To be sure the sun
poured in through the open blinds in unusual
brightness, but it was the light in Bertha's
blue eyes that changed everything for him.
1t was the beginning of his own home This
woman, who seemed too lovely to be other
than caller for an hour, had come to stay,
to sit with him as she did now, whenever he
breakfasted or dined or supped-always.
The world might heap wrongs and outrage
on him, his factories might burn and his
wealth dissolve-she whose presence in itself
was perfect existence to him, had come to
him to stay forever.
Bertha's face was bent over the table
studying the odd device on her napkin ring.
The sunlight fiickered in her golden hair as
/
welcome. So she would sit before him al
ways But the sudden creaking of a mans
boot made him look up. The waiter had
come in almost noiselessly and stood at the
sideboard carving a bird for their second
course Philip was glad he had not said one
of the hundred caressing words that had
come to his lips But how slow he was at his
carving; was the canvas back SO tough, then?
Ugh! There was glass on the sideboard,
and Philip happened to glance into it. The
man held the knife and fork in his hands, yet
he was not carving at all, but was still star
ing at Berthas bent beautiful face in the
mirror, with his evil, swinelike eyes. He
seemed to be studying her features, as if to
recall some association. Oh, he had sue
ceeded A hideous grin distorted his mouth
and whole face. Then Philip rose and pushed
back his chair. His servant recognized his
masters wife. Apparently she had played
some very inharmonious part in some pre-
vious scene he had witnessed. And he was
but one of the world she had disgraced her.
self before. What could his evil eyes have
seen? Which miserable page in this lovely
woman's history that her husband was try
ing to blot out of memory? If he could for
give her, might not the restl Must she be
subject to insult in her own homes Was he
not powerful enough to protect her against
the shame of such looks as this fellow gave
her?
He stepped to the sideboard and touched
his servant on the shoulder and beckoned
him to the door. The malicious grin had
hardly time to vanish from the frightened
face.
"Go!n the words came kissing from his
masters lips, "and if / ever see your face
again, or if you ever breathe word against
the woman | have made my wife, The
man skunk up stairs like whipped dog
"Why, didn't notice you had been out"
said Bertha in mild surprise as Philip re-en-
tered the dining room. "Were you i'll, How
pale you are"
But she did not rise in her solicitude and
come to him. Instead he came to her, and
bending very gently over her tried to kiss
away the lines of care ON her white forehead
which he had never caused He did his best
to smile gayly, and succeeded well enough 70
deceive her.
II will be your servant to-day" he said
with no profane eyes to look on"
Then he shook off his unhappiness by sheer
force of will, and began TO talk lovers non
sense to the cold mistress of his home in more
perfect abandon than ever, even in the ex-
uberance of his youth. He must be happy
while he could, he dared not stop talking, lest
he should think too much. But she only
looked at him in far Off surprise, with now
and then a curious, not quite pleased smile,
at his absurditics. AT last, all too soon, she
arose
II Iaust go and dress and try and look
little prettier, for today at least She
touched his shoulder kindly as she passed out
into the hall, leaving him sitting still at
table
1t was only then that he discovered a letter
that had been concealed by a plate. What
did he care for business today9 Still it might
serve to pass a little of the time till his wife
should return. How the thought of her
warmed his heart In a few moments the
door behind him would open, and he would
turn to see her graceful form on the thresh-