Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-01-31
All. mel
u. 4


That the judges trtie miget bel
she repeated once or twice after the book
dropped from her hand.
He would dress me up IN silks so fine,
And praise me aud toast me over his wine!
Poor Mrs Stefanei
The Judges bride" was beautiful girl Of
Is, who had accepted him eagerly, in spite OF
his iro,i-,,,ay hair and 50 years. because of the
wealth and position he could offer her. And
"the judge dotted Oh his bride as only a man
Of that age is capable Of doing. The romance
of his youth was vanished and fors 1tten ro-
shown him Mrs. S,efane las she appeared" on
the washing day of which l write he would
have been one of the first to propose "that the
woman should be sent to a lunatic asylum
withour any further delay
But Mrs. Stefane knew nothing of all this,
and sighed over his memory and her one lost
chance Of fortune till twilight gave place to
dusk.
Then, for the last time, she reused herself
sufficiently from her reverie to wonder why
her husband and children had not returned.
She rang the bell. Ann came in. The girl
looked pale and scared, and had evidently
been weeping.
when she caught glimpse of her face.
The girl hesitated.
ANSWER me"
Ann wrung her hands wildly, and burst
into a regular Irish howl
"Oh, ma'am. 20 down on your two knees
and be thankful that You didn't go on that
dreadful boat this mornngl Ny poor master
and the blessed little childer,'
Mrs. Stefane caught her by the arm stop
tina: noise, and tel me at, once Whit You
mean"
"UA, maaIn, only heard it five minutes
ago from the policeman at the corner. The
boat they went on got to racing with an
other, and there's been an explosion, ma'am,
md every soul on board Oh ma am,
where are YOU going?"
She might well ask the question Mrs. Ste
fame rushed from the room like IA mad
woman, caught bonnet and shawl from tho
hall IA X as she passed, and was out i'll the
street the mex moment, hurrying frantically
alon, toward the Offices where the tickets of
the river boats were sold.
The excited crowd grouped before the en-
trance of the principal one told the tale.
Piercing her way through the living mass by
the mere force of nervous energy, she APP
peared, pale as spectre, before the clerk, to
hear the tidngs of her doom.
Yes, MIR Stefane and his five children had
gone down the river on the Sylph of the
Waters at loo'cloch that very morning. Some
accident Ind happened to the machinery, the
boiler had exploded, and every soul on hoard
WINS drowned
Childlyss ard Il widow
With one last poor attempt at courtesy, she
tried to thank the clerk, who evidently svm-
pathized with her grief and then she threw
up her hanfls, and with n heavy Eroan fell
senselteSs at his feet. Out Of that long swoon
she came back to CONSCIOUSNESS with a lain-
full struggle that was almost worse than
death.
Some one was bending over her, cnihrac-
ing her, calling her by name Her htl,iandl
alive and WE'LL And from the nulserv, iust
beyond her room, came the wei one well
known sound of her children's voices, What
could it all mean.
Not deal not drowned q. Parke, for
give me, AMI will never be SO wi k,,tl AGAIN.
she cried, as she flung her arms around her
husbands neck.
Dead. drowned Why, darling. what has
alarmed you 50" said her husband, tenderly.
"The children AMI care M to see why YOU
We're so late for breakfast left them in the
nursery. and came in here after YOU hut YOU
were lying as still and white and cold as if
you were dead. 1t almost took my breath
away to see you so. WI at ails you, love-
Are you i'll! Have you ken ill Has any
thing frightened you3 Tell me-
20. nothing ais me-nothing is the mat
ter, she answered with sob of gratitude
and joy. Il suppose fell asleep and
dreamed all kinds Of horrors am well now.
kiss me. Pari'e and we will go down to
breakfast
They went. And a happy meal it was,
with the mother so bright nnl merry and
pleasant, though her face was sill 50 pale
Years have gone by since then. Bnt Mrs.
Stefane has newer told her ,iream-if il was a
drean,-to her husband and has nc"tr wished
again "the JUDGES bride to be-" Busy and
contented. She does her duty with a Will and
asks no better fate than 10 la the true and
loving vic Of poor nan; the careful tender
mother of n poor mans children: the Light
and blessing and center of happiness OF a
poor mans houo.