Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1890-03-28

pressing group.
Just as Stephen Mostyn was begin
ming to weave round in his mind a
pathetic, tender fancy, the small boy
becoming more than usually impor-
tunate, his mother said, with no flick
er of change in the expression OF her
face, but with a voice whose rough
grating easily ogerpowered the noise
of the train:
"Jest you stop worritin," Tom
my, else III tell your bloomin' dad
when we git 'ome-see if don't"
Stephen shut his eyes, and only
opened them as the little family bun
died out two stations further on.
"The Monument" mark lanel"
no further passengers invaded his car
riage.
Il can't stand this any longer, and
the condensed fog chokes one. Ishall
get out at the next station and go
back"
"Aldgatel"
Out lie jumped and crossed to the
return platform, literally feeling his
way The underground station at
Aldgate is often quite dark in the
middle of Summer, and on this day
the fog was dense. He found his way
to seat and $50 thick was the dark
ness did not discover, till he had
taken his place at the end of it, that
there We're two other people near
him. One of them, a man, was speak
ing in a dsagreeable querulous voice.
Pm sure it's not my fault if l get
nothing to do. Pm always trying to
find something"
eyes; in other peoples pockets"
answered a woman's voice, you
want the wage, not the work"
Good heavens! that is Millicent's
voice exactly" thought Stephen;
what an extraordinary resem-
blanceW
what becomes of money in your
hands can't conceive" she went on.
"lt is Millicent's voice What in
Gods meis she doing?" and Ste
phen tried to catch a glimpse of the
figure that was screened from him by
the man between them, and still
more so by the darkness.
"What have you done with the
money | sent you last?"
Done with it? Spent it of course
A family cannot live on nothing. 1t
was not much for you to give-you
who live in luxury; you whose hus-
band is rich; YOU"
MY husband is very far from rich,
and if he were so it would benefit you
In no way. Every farthing | have
given you for your wife was my own,
made by my own work. |, a woman,
worked to help woman, as | would
man, but not such as YOU"
Whatever you may have given you
owed to my wife"
81 owed herr"
eyes; for taking from her W hat was
hers by right"
"Shall | let this brute go on speak
ing to herr" said Stephen to himself
holding the edge of his seat tightly
in each hand.
"And now that she is i'll and in want
you in your prosperity grudge a little
help to her and her hungry chill
dren."
81 have lowered myself by listening
to you thus far" said Millicent, "in |
order to see if you would not in time
say what | expected of you-what | |
waited for. Now that You have
done so, | will answer YOU fully
this once and never speak with YOU
again. feel that you cannot have |
lived your life without some ones
having called you u liar and coward,
or without your knowing that many
had right to do so; therefore | will |
not pause TO add my testimony to |
theirs. When your first letter came
last year, addressed to my husband,
to wait an answer he was, happily, |
away from home. To save time, |, |
contrary to my inclination, opened |
your appeal. 1t contained q manly
reference to your wife, and my hus-
band's regard for her in past years,
and bringing demand for money for
her and four children, if not for you,
and it ended with II suggestion as to
the possible unpleasant consequences
to his domestic happiness if the sub
Ject OF your letter became known to
me. Every detail of the story, as
far as it concerned himself, nv hus-
band had long since told me, and no
mud thrown by you could shake my
trust.
You lie when you say that | took
from your wife what was hers by
right. My husband once loved her
with all his heart and soul, and she
made him suffer bitterly. Buthe had
loved her, as say, and for his sake
(if the miserable story
should never reach his ears to give
him further pain to help the woman
who had repaid his love with betray-
al, his confidence with treachery, but
who had been dear to him before he
gave to me what | took from no
one else. You lie again when you
speak OF her present suffering
and the wants OF her children
sllence!' as the man attempted to
speak. ''Do you think that in deal
ing with one like you should take
no steps to verify your statements?
Of the two children that lived with
you and that you called hers, one
only was your wife's and has been
dead SIX months, you curl And your
wretched wife flung from her my
husbands love and trust. not for the
love OF another man, but for life with
you, who dragged her to the mire in
which she died nearly n month aUol ,