The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1889-05-23

elf In tn eia@ over the mantelpleco-ths
nSOln wa full Of mIrrOFS-and laughed Bit
terly At the incongrulty Of bis gentleman
like. respectable and even refined appear
anco. In that vulgar, gaudy, ViciouS looking
rom
Suddenly be bethought him Of the letter in
MS wifeS handwriting which be had stolen
from the pOcket Of Iward CoaseyS coat
He drew 1t out, and throwing the ten gown
and the luterminable glove OF the sofa. sat
down AMI COmnenced TO read It. II was, a.
he had expected, q love letter. 4 wildly pas
donate love letter. breathing language which
In places almost touched the beauty OF poetry,
VOWS Of undyiug affection that were through,
out redeemed from vulgarity and even from
SillineSS by their utter earnestness and self
abandonment Had the letter been one writ
ten under happy circumstances and innocent
Of oifsnse against morality. It would have
been q beautiful letter. for passion at it,
highest has always q beauty Of it own.
He read IL through, and then carefully
folded 1t and restored 1t to hIs pocket Tho
woman has heart" be said to himself. mo
one can doubt It. And yet ! coulI never
touch II, though God knows. however much
! WrOnged her, I loved her-yes, and love her
~" "NAAs ~ - = B1SA w W NNAo@ANS -
ever ldare to use L. 1t Is game Of bluff 10
tween me and her. and expect that In the
end the bollest player will win"
He roso from the sofa-the atmosphere Of
the place stiled him-and going to the win,
dow he threw 1t open and stepped out on to
the balcony Il was q lovely moonlight
night, though chilly and for London the
street was quiet one
Tnkinav n nhatR he aaR 1s,uEVa NhaFa t1r,Oga a
balcony and began to think. His heart was
softened by misery, and bis mind fell into q
tender groove lie thought Of his long dead
mother, whom be had dearly lovc,l, and Of
how no used to say his prayers to her. and Of
how she sung hymns 70 him on Sunday even.
ingS Her death had seemed TO choke all the
beauty out Of his being at the time, and yet
now he thanked God that sho was dead And
then be thought Of the accurscd woman who
had been bis ruin, and Of how she had en-,
tered into his life AMI corrupted and do
stroyed him Next there rose up before him
a vision Of Belle. Belle as he had first seen
her, a maid Of II. the only child Of that
drunken old village doctor, now also long
since dead, and how the sight Of her had for
awhile stayed the corruption Of his heart be
cause lie grew TO love her. And then he
hAiA w hlAAg thoAAAAas Sh1 Wv "eAAAH
roso up In his path again, and be learned that
his wife hated him with all the energy Of her
passionate heart Then came degradation
after degradation, and tho abandonment Of
principle after principle, replaced only by
derce craving for responsibility and rest-a
long, long struggle, which ever ended In new
Ia:ses from the right, till at length be saw
himself Q hardened schemer, remorselessly
pursued by fury from whom there was no
escape And yet he knew that under other
circumstances ho might have been good
and happy man-leadiag an honorable life.
But now all bope had gone; that which he
was be must DO till the end He leaned his
bead upon the stone railing In front Of him
and wept, yea, wept In the anguish Of his
soul, praying to God for deliverance from
the burden Of bis sins, and yet we'll knowing
that he had none to hope for. For his chance
was gone and his fate fixed.