Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-18
HUSBANDS REPENTANCE
Ely aisFFIg1 EoHHusH uANAFoaD.

"You do not mean it, Frank. You
cannat mean it,"
Merle Arlington stood before hel
husband, her small hands clasped
tightly together and her large blue eyes
filed to overliowiug with tears.
"Indeed | do mean it, and I deny
your right to question me so closely.
Merle, ii ] had aslittle confidence in you
as you appear to have in me, / would
not live with You another day"
ooh, Frank what do you mean?"
Gust what [ say. Sometimes think
it would have been better il you and !
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 were SO
plump and rosy.
Frank Arlington took no notice OF
this. He had allowed his temper to get
the better OF him, and when once angry
he never hesitated what to say or do.
Pausing, with his hand upon the dool
he said, coldly:
well, 1 am going now. Twas com
ing home early tonight, but T. have
changed MY mind, and will not be home
until late"
All! Frank, don't say that, do come
home early. Tt Is my great love for yor
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"
There, begin chat again, and I'll.
promise you I'll never come home," he
interrupted angrily, and closing the
door behind him with no gentle force he
was gone.
Merle Arlington stood m~otionles.
where her husband had left her, trying
to realize what had happened.
They had been married nearly fou.
four years. and this was not their frs
quarrel, for the past six months the,
had been very unhappy, but Frank hat
never spoken quite SO rudely to her be
fore.
Frank Arlington was not at heart
bad man, but he was inclined to spend
his time playing cards, and Of late hat
lost considerable money. He was easil,
led, and his companions were not sucl
as would tend to arouse the good il
him; on the contrary, Jack Coulton an(
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 :
O'clock, and it was when his young wifi,
had demonstrated with him that he hat
lost histemper and spoken words an,
man might well be ashamed of having
uttered.
Poor Merle! she had married Franl
Arlington against tho wishes of her par
ents and friends, and now she was made
to suffer for it.
Turning, she went slowly upstairs t.
their little sitting room, and softl,
opened the door, as il afraid of disturb
ing some one.
Crossing tho room she lifted tn
heavy drapery that divided the sittin!
room from their sleeping apartments
and softly approached a little crib.
Here she sank down upon her knee
and gazed with loving tear-dimmet
eyes at tie little golden head nesting
among the lace covered pillows; evi.
IDENTIFY, baby's dream was a happy one
for the red lips we're parted in a swee
smile.
At last the sleepy blue eyes opened
and baby laughed aloud, and put up on
dimp!ed hand to pat her mothers face
Merle clasped tho little form in he
arms, and kissed the sweet baby face
as she murmured: