The Hot Springs star. (Hot Spings [Hot Springs], Dakota [Dakota Territory, i.e. S.D.]) 1886-189?, 1889-10-11
HUSBANDS REPENTANCE.
ny JErr1E roKsUsH HANAruRD.

BY JsFF1E FORBUSH HANAFORD.
/ sYou do not mean it, Frank. You
cannot mean it,"
Merle Arlington stood before her
husband, her small hands clasped
tightly together and her large blue eyes
filed to overlooking with tears.
Indeed I do mean it, and Ideny
your right to question me so closely.
Merle, If I had as little confidence in you
as you appear to have in me, / would
not live with you another day."
"Oh, Frank! what do you mean?'
sJust what I soy. Sometimes Think
it would have been better if you and I
had never met"
And saying this, Frank Arlington
took up his coat and turned his back
upon his young wife.
Poor Merle! She drew in her breath
with a sob, and the tears coursed down
her pale, thin cheeks, that once We're SO
plump and rosy.
Frank Arlington took no notice of
this. He had allowed his temper to get
the better ofhim, and when once angry,
he never hesitated what to say or do.
Pausing, with his hand upon the door
he said, coldly:
well, l am going nov Twas COM
ing home early tonight, but I have
changed my mind, and will not be home
until late"
aAh! Frank, don't soy that, do come
home early. It is my great love for you
that makes me SO anxious, and I worry
so much about you, if you only would
listen to me, Frank. If you would only
give up going with Jack Caution and
others of his set and"
3Aere, begin that again, and I'll
promise you I'll never come home," he
interrupted angrily, aud closing the
door behind him with no gentle force he
was gone.
Merle Arlington stood motionless
where her husband had left her, trying
to realize what had happened.
They had been married nearly four
four years, and this was not their first
quarrel, for the past six months they
had been very unhappy, but Frank had
never spoken quite so rudely to her be-
fore.
Frank Arlington was not at heart q
bad man, but he was inclined to spend
his time playing cards, and Of late had
lost considerable money. He was easily
led, and his companions were not such
as would tend to arouse the good in
him; on the contrary, Jack Coulton and
his followers spent their time in gamb-
ling, and Frank Arlington was COM
pletely in their influence.
The evening before our story opens,
he had not reached home until past 2
o'clock, and it was when his young wife
had demonstrated with him that he had
lost his temper and spoken words any
man might we'll be ashamed of having
uttered.
Poor Merle! she had married Frank
Arlington against the wishes of her par
ents and friends, and now she was made
to suffer for it.
Turning, she went slowly upstairs to
their little sitting room, and softly
opened the door, as if afraid of disturb
ing some n
Crossing the she lifted the
heavy drapery that divided the sitting
room from their sleeping apartments.
and softly approached q little crib.
Here she sank down upon her knees
and gazed with loving tear-dimmed
eyes at the little golden head nesting
among the lace covered pillows; evil
IDENTIFY. baby's dream was a happy one,
for the red lips were parted in q sweet
smile.
At last the sleepy blue eyes opened,
and baby laughed aloud, and put up one
dimp'ed hand to pat her mothers face.
Merle clasped the little form in her
arms, and kissed the sweet baby face,
~ she murmured:
sOh! my little innocent darling, papa
does not love us any more; he has gone
without kissing you goodbye. OH
baby, baby, my heart is breaking" and
laying her head down on baby's pillow,
Merle cried until she was exhausted.
When she grew calmer she sat up and
triedto think. The tears still glistened
~ her long lashss, and her face wss
deathly pale.
She would 60 away, Of that she wa
quite decided, but where-that was the
question. whore could she got
Hsr Husband had coasDd 10 love her,