The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1890-11-07

discredit, which she had refused to
hear: now she would see and Judge for
herself.
Going up into her own room, she
summoned her maid, and c0ntided a
part of the miserable story to herN not
duplicating her husband in any way;
but inducing the girl to provide for her
the disguise of a servants dress, and to
accompany her in Il cab, to the address
named in the note.
Leaving the girl at the foot of the
stairs the unhappy little wife stole up
one flight, and listened.
A tall, bony-looking woman came
out of a room opposite. with her apron
to her ewes. 1t was the landIady of
the house, who had been bidding her
dying lodyer last farewell. and who
failed to see the intruder as she passed,
weeping to her own room.
The door of the sick-room being left
aiar Mrs. Strong saw and heard with
out any difficulty.
On the bed lay a wasted vet beauti-
full woman, young and still attractive.
but dying-dying fast. Beside the bed
sat her husband, holding the sufferer
in his arms. wiping the cold drops from
her forehead with a gentle hand, and
talking to her in Il low tone.
''E!Oise, be at rest. be at peace!" he
was saying. For our dead mothers
sake | forgive you. even as she would
have forgiven you, if she had lived"
''You sWore that YOU would not.
Robertr' gasped the dying woman, with
look of pain.
Hush, dear! Forget it, as | do. 1
was hard. and cold, and proud in those
days, and thought I could never see
! you as you are now without forgiVing
YOU. But, E;oisc, since then, |, too
have learned to love. and know better
how to pity you. The man you mar
ried was unworthy of you, but You
loved him, ana for years you have
suffered for his sake. | honor you for
it now, E!oise, as much as | blamed
you once. | only wish | had found
YOU sooner. SO much suffering. of
body and Of mind. might have been
spared if you had only written to rle
before"
Il was proud, too, my brother" she
said, family. But, Robert, what has
changed YOU so? You are as gentle as
woman. hardly know YOU now"
y tell you that l. too, know what it
is to love. E.oise," he said sadly. Il
have dear Young wife. whom I treasure
like the apple Of my eye. She does not
love me yet: she feels only gratitude
towards the man who rescued her from
! poverty. But, one day, l hope to win
her heart. Elose, if you live-'
81 shall rot live. shall never see
your wife Robert. But, my boy
She shall be Il mother to him. dear.
She will love the child even if she cam
not love ne, and he will be Il link"
Touched to the heart with cOntritiOn,
the little wife retraced her steps. and
summoned her servant, and drove to-
wards home.
On the last moments of the dying she
felt that she na,l no right to intrutte.
But for the living-for the living
who loved hcr-surely she might be
taking thought and care.
Two hours later. Robert Strong
opened the door of his own house with
q latchkey. and crossed the hall noise
l@ssiv towards his study. in his arms
he lore hcavy-!ooking bundle. His
face WAS !rale, his manner anxious, and
he locked Tulint! once or twice, us if
dren,il:r the presence of some unseen
watcher. thou|n the house WAS still,
&Hd ail the servants had gone to bed.
Turning Up the g;:s in his study, he
laid his bundle down OIL the sofa. and,
throwing back the heavy cloak. dis
closed the pretty face of a sleeping
child some three or four years old. lie
stood looking down upon the infant
for some time. with a thoughtful air.
"What viii she say?' he exclaimed,
al last, aio1d.
And suddenly he became aware cf
the presence of his wife, who stood just
| within the Study door, looking at him
with fearful, tender ~aHe, such as
she had never dared bCstoW on him be-
fore.
Say! Oh. Robert, what can she say,
except that she loves Won. ana wishes to
DO, in all things, exactly as you think
best" she murmured. coming nearer,
with 2 look Of tinlid love not to be mis-
taken,seyen by his iong-blinded eyes.
His pale, calm face flushed suddenly;
his deep blue eyes grew bright and
full of tenderness.
MY darling, do you mean what you
| say?" he asked. holding her a little way
from hini. Think. l have long
fancied that you could not and did not
love me. am so many years Older
than YOU"
And so many years wiser, better,
dearer," she whispered. oh, Robert,
| if yoa had been Door day laborer 1
would have married you all the same.
never loved anyone else! Is that
| enOug!i?'
He opened his arms. EIushing and
smiling, she flung herself upon his
breast, and their lips met in kiss such
rs during ali the months OF their mar
riage they had never exchanged before.
This Guild is the son OF MY only
sister, who after my mothers death,
made a secret marriage that nearly
broke my heart," he said, after long
pause. Poor Eloise died, an hour
! ago, in my arms, forgiven and at rest.
My darling, will YOU love the child for
her sake, and for mine? | promised
her that you would be u mother to the
! boy"
Il will be all that you ask or wish"
said the happy wife, knecling beside
! her husbands chair. and laying her
+ bright head upon his knee. But now,
! [, too, have something for you to for
give"
! And she told him the story of the
strange letter; the story of her jeal-