Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1889-06-15

I He had almost forgotten his doubts. Is
may had written TO him very often, telling
, him OF her great enjoyment; but she had
never given him even the slightest hint OF
the struggle in her mind, never told him
; one word Of Lord Carlswood's offer.
81 will write and ask her to come back
and as he said the words the sun seemed
o shine more brightly, the flowers to look
more fair.
He sat enjoying the sunshine. the dew,
and the flowers; the little maid took his
cup Of coffee out to him, and the postman,
seeing him in the garden, brought the let
tiers to him. There was one bearing the
postmark Of Lynn.
An hour afterward, when tn" little maid
went in search Of him, she found him ly-
ing on his face on the ground, cold and
senseless as one dead. She tried to rouse
him, and after q time he looked around
him with a dazed, bewildered air.
Have you been illt' asked the girl, and
then she looked at him in surprise, for as
he walked to the house he stumbled at
every step.
He went to his room, II she heard him
lock the door. He was a strong man,
brave to suffer and endure, but that letter
had struck him down as a sudden and ter
rible blow would have done.
The news bewildered him; at first he
could not realize it. Slowly, clearly, the
terrible truth came home to him.. Ismay
had forsaken him for mere vanity, for
wealth and luxury. She had given him
up and had left him forever. When his
mind had quite grasped that truth a terri
BILE cry came from his lips-a cry TO Heav-
en- for vengeance. Then, unable to bear
up, he tell with his face on the ground.
Whed ne recovered he sat for long hours
In that room that was never again to be
frightened by his wife's fair face. bearing
the first pain of his agony in silence that
was heroic. Then hot anger, fierce indig'
nation rose within him-anger so wild, SC
frantic, that he was for the time like a
mailman. Who had taken his darling
from him? Who had tempted her and
lured her away? He stood with white lips
and cursed the destroyer Of his domestic
happiness with terrible curses. He cursed
the proud lord who had robbed him Of his
treasure.
my darling!" he sobbed, and his great
heart seemed breaking with its burden.
my darling-so beautiful, so tender, so
loving-my wife!"
Then he remembered that 1t was Of her
own free will she had don it. She had
left him that she might enjoy wealth. lux
ury, and splendor. She had left him, had
blighted his life, had broken his heart had
sighted his love. for-money.
He had loved her with a passion that
was almost terrible in it's intensity; but,
as he thought Of what she had done, that
love seemed TO him to change into hate.
He did not curse her; but his lips curved
with a curious smile.
"She was light and vain" he said. "She
had my heart in her hands; she has broken
it and thrown it away. She was not worth
my love. For her sake l would have
borne s%tarvation; she with a few cool
words gives INT up for money. / will not
curse her, but / cry to Heaven for ven
geance."
He raised his right hand.
II swear" he said, "by my love and my
sorrow, that | will avenge my wrong-that
| will take full vengeance On her for what
she has made me suffer"
Paul Waldron's trouble changed and
warped his whole nature; it hardened him
as nothing else could have done. Yet tc
no mar living did he make any complaint
He said nothing of what had happened
he went about his work for some days as
usual, but with a grim, determined look
on his face. and his voice seemed to have
taken quite another tone.
He knew that there was legal redress
for him; he could have claimed his wife
he could have claimed his child. But he
was too proud. If she had voluntarily lefl
him, let her go. The law of the country
might force his heartless wife to return-
might compel her to come back to him, bu1
he disdained any such as~sistance-he held
the law in contempt.
IF she has left me Of her own free WILL
he said to himself, II will not take her
back because the law is in my favor. Let
her do as she will"
Nor would he write to appeal to her.
"She shall not know what | nave suffer
ed-she shall not laugh over my PAIN" he
said to himself. II will never write to her.
She has left me, and she shall not know
what becomes OF me-"
What he suffered-his desolation, an
guish, despair-none but Heaven knew.
1t changed the whole nature Of the man
it hardened and imbittered hint made
him unlike himself. He brooded in sullen
gloom over his wrongs, and then his gloom
"otiN saw "oJ w paooAoh@eS h5oiSh oho
despair.
Only a few days after this death-b blow
he received a letter giving him excellent
news. One Of his inventions had been
adopted by a wealthy firm, and they had
written to ask him to give up his present
occupation and accept an engagement with
them.
1T Is the first step toward fortune" he
said, and then he looked round on his des-
olate home.
III she had but been here" he thought;
and the news which two months since
would have seemed glorious to him did
not even give him one moment Of pleas
IRE. The only bright side he saw to it
was that he would soon be away from
Ashburnham.
He resolved that he would tell no one.
that he would send the little maid home,
and then In a few days leave himself with
out revealing whittier he had gone.
S all trace of me will be lost" he said;
land, IL she should so far remember my
existence as to make any inquiries about
me, no one will be able to answer her"
To Squire Schofield he said merely that
he was leaving A~shburnham. Who could
know the depth Of pain, the anguish, the
bitterness, the torture Of sighted love that
came to HIM as he looked round upon the
little home he had once thought an earthly
baovape Enrawan RI oil hic hnnas and