Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-10-17
Mrs. ob-
BY JOHN STRANGE WINTER,
thor Of "Bootles' Baby" Beautiful
.Im." Etc, Etc.
CHAPTER xxy.-'.wFLLs"

back against the nead OF Tue 5Dld IKE one
utterly exhausted. In the mind OF each
there ragged a wild fury Of ideas: on his
side of anger that he bad not been able &c
look at her and tell the Que lie which
would have ensured her future belief in
him. of awful dread of future which lie
would awe to live out without her, of
contempt at his unspeakabir folly Ia moi
having secured safety before his marriage
by burning his boa.s behind him. And
on Jnlia's side there was quite IS conflict
ing a crowd Of thoughfsl She thought OF
the blow such knowledge would be TO her
people: that Miss Theodosia would GER
tainly never leave Anthony StsuntOn her
twelve thousand a year now; she thought
or how all her friends would sneer II the
truth came out, those who had fattered
and fawned upon her most OF all: she
thought of how they would sneer and in
vent wonderful tales con the best aut hor-
ity' If she and Stephen parted-aud the
verv Thought OF parting with Stephen
brought the hot tears to her eyes aud
made her reaiZs how utterly and entire
ly she loved him still in spite OF every
thing Inyoluntarily when She feRchsd
this point she put out her hand and laid it
on his.
He started vic emily ss he felt the SOFT
touch We'll, what are Won going 10 do'"
he nsked. almost roughly, yet with a sus-
plcious break in his voice.
"Oh, Steyiei Stevie" she cried, PIteOus-
u. 81 do love you 80. | do love you so"
The reply was 50 different from the tor
rent of rrprOachcs that he had been ex-
pecting that he, strong man though he
was, broke down altogether. He flung
himself at her feet and hid his face upon
=. II.
And Julia bent down over him aud put
her arms about him and soothed him ten.
derby "Don't cry, Stevie," she kept say
ing. don't crv like that, darling"
At last he grew calm and presently vas
able to speak. II thought you were never
going to have anything more to do with
me-" he said, with a shudder. 81 thought
you Il dH't mean to own me again. ]
th1ught Won were going away from me-"
But Julia held him close in her arms
against her faithful woman's heart and
laid her cheek against hi, thrObbin2 head.
mo, no. not that, dear she said. 81
wOn't-indeed / can't pretend that all
this is not an awful blow to me. ! feel ~
II | have lived ljfe-tima Of misery in the
last few hours. But ! am not going 10
leave you am no doll. no fair-weather
wife ! told you so once before"
For long time he did not say anything
but at last he spoke.
I've been such nm OUtCast all my life
never knew what sunsh' re was until
you came into my life and gladdened
every hour | lived. ! can never make
you understand quite what nv past has
been-what / was born to, heritage Of
what the world calls sin and We called
only business. You know, juicy, there is
no very hard aud fast line between the
man who helps himself out Of the wealth
of rich men who can afford to lose and &c
not take the trouble to look after he ssfe.
ty Of what they set so much value on after
they lose it,, and the man who delfbpr
atoly swndles the widow aud the orphan
by getting them 10 put their bit Of money
into bogus companies. ! won't excuse
myself .Iuey-but tell you this that ]
should never have gone into this of nv
own free will / should never have gone
into II at all if I Ind not been born to it,
brought up to it just rs | might have been
To any other profession
You are mixed up with others-can
you tell mo nothing about it'"
"tbsolutcly nothing" he answered, cir
fact | know very little myself, aud what
know am bound never 10 divuIge under
own ltfy."
Can't you free yourself from this 80
cirtv2"
Yes"
"Under what conditions'"
"By taxing additional oaths of secrecy
"Aud yuu viii set yourself free at ouce?'
she uskcd, anxiously.
al will do anything that you like. DEAR
he said "You shall do what Won will
with me. Tomorrow il you will let me
leave you here, | will 90 to hcadqUarter:
and take the oaths which will free me foI
ever After that | shall have no will but
yours"
Aud YOU will never never go into thi,
life agnIus" she urged
"Ncycr ] swear il on my honor" he an
swercd, soIemnlv
Neither he nor she noticed that the
phrase came somewhat Oddly from him
70 JuIit's ears it sounded all right, fuI
she had more than once tempted him sore
IL to break his wol1l aud she had not sue
Gee led I'm doing So. Aud Stephen himself
had nlwa *, apart from his profession
lived the life strictly Of man of the most
rigid honor and would no more have hclp.
ed himself To II shilling out of his neigh
bor's purse than he would have struck his
wife across the face
To some people this may read rs I'm i'm
possible character. but believe me it is not
So, IL is no more impossible than il is i'm
possible for thousands of WELT born, well
educated men of honor who 90 into G. ld' $
House OF their own free will aud take the
most solemn oaths OF fidelity before God
aud man, and afterwards hold them SO
lightly that our divorce courts are flied
20 overlooking and husband who really
loves his wife after matter Of ten wears
or so IS looked upon rs a curiosity ms il he
were some strange animal with habits
which need studying because they are so
unusual
Nor are the men only to blame IN this
respect-tEere are plenty OF wives in Eng
land. especially in London, whose behav-
Tor II disgrace to their womauhood and
sshame 10 themselves For instance |
know one Ii tie woman who was married
few months ago. She is not in the least
degree nretty, though she gives herself
the airs OF An acknowledged beauty. She
has little air OF tossing her head aud a
spontaneous sort Of grin which comes into
PLAY on all occasions. In season aud ont
of season, aud otherwise she is a little
skinny, unSraceful bunch of bones with
hNA-NiffN hti utSt AllNlr cum 3Uu y mole on
her cheek. She is still young, but not
quite so young rs she gives out, aud she is
utterly aud entirely, and fear irretrieva-
blv, silly 10 every respect.
Well, this young persons husband IS Il
nne, good-lookiuC, youug fellow. tribe
slow, perhaps, but distinctly honest He
ia already so impressed with his LITTLE
wifes utter foulishuess that he spends his
time for the most part in an agony Of fear
that she will one day do something too
foolish and childish for words. The re-
suit Is that she goes freely about. hleutiug
OF the trial that dear Jacks jealousy is to
her
I've only been married four months"
she explains, aud it is hard can't speak
to any other man because dear Jack is 50
Jealous" and 50 on. Well, at last | found
out what this nice young persons ambi-
tion vas. What do you think. To have
an attendant msul \ man who will 90
from ons dowdy afternoon to another
dowdy afternoon and be at her beck and
Gall, 10 stand by while she firts with other
men and thankfully accept the crumbs
that fall from her besutyship'S tablet
Little idt Ct So AZ she is not attractive
enough {, secure = really smart man. aud
a. several very smart men. to nv knowl-
edge, do not care 10 see poor Jack on
the grill. she has TO couteut herself with
an ancient beau, who has been the lnu-b-