Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1890-11-19
4 Costly Suspicion.

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This is dismal spot-this populous
city of the dead. Naught rises to greet
my eye save suggestions of mortality,
Tombstones, monuments, mounds,
seem to cover the face of the earth.
There to the right of me, SO near
that the shadow thereof fell athwart
this page Just now, rises a costly monu-
ment-a massive stone pedestal hold
ing the figure of an angel with wings
outspread.
The marble features have been cut to
resemble woman. She holds in her
arms the form of all infant with which
she is fying heavenward. The child
but Of that | cannot write now, per-
haps shall be calmer after awhile.
would rather think of Irene Barton as
she was ere | wrung her soul into mis-
cry
God forgive mel l force myself to
write this sad narrative in the hope
that it may, perchance, warn some
man, with a companion akin TO mine,
to shup the course / took.
was spending few weeks one sum-
mer a. the village of Melrose, not far
from N, the city in which resided.
There | met Irene Barton. She was
70 me revelation, as beautiful as a
dream. Her fragile figure was full Of
grace, her face picture of loveliness.
She was not yet eighteen, and an or
phan, the protege of an agSi uncle and
yunt.
II was her beauty that first caught
my eye; soon her perfect character
chained me 10 her. L became a fire.
euent visitor at the cottage. The
weeks of my stay heightened into all
too-quickly passing months. Still
fingered at Melrose. ! had no thought
Of the life l had led in the city; |
would have been content anywhere
with her.
made no secret of my feelings; l
was In love with her and told her of it.
She was slow 10 return my passion,
but when she did / felt no man was
ever loved more fully.
We were married the following
winter. 1T was quiet wedding in
the psrlor of the little cottage which
| had 60 long been her home. Her good
uncle and aunt witnessed the ceremony
with fearful eyes and heavy hearts.
felt a. IS | were robbing them of the
sunlight of their declining years.
1 was exceedingly proud Of my peer
| less wife. Her father had been, up 10
The time of his death, noted lawyer,
And, while Irene had not had thorough
collegiate education, she had read and
| studied so much under his direction
| that her mind was remarkably we'll
| ID inf
nation.
We arrived in N on the evening
of our wedding day, and were driven
to my new home, which had provided
with every luxury that money could
buy.
NY heart beat tumultuously as | no.
ticed her queenly dignity and com
posure when she bowed to the clusters
| Of servants in the gas-lghted hall
| Verify she seemed to have been born
aQueeD.
began seriously to regret that my
friends and associates had been 50 un.
wisely selected when they, anxious to
DO me honor, began 10 call on us.
felt that there could be little or no con
! gepiality between my wife and them
demurred when Mrs. Sander re,
| Quested our presence at her reception,
and tried to decline the invitation on
the score Of Irene's not being accustom
ed to CAV social life.
L accepted the Invitation and went
home miserable ts inform Irene OF il.
Mrs. Sanders drawing rooms wer,
crowded on the evening of the recep
ton. Irene loGsxed beautiful, but
was not prepared for the sensation
which she created on this her first ap
pearance l heard her beauty praised
on all sides. She was surrounded witt
admirers. l Ygas astonished at th'
skillful manner in which she held th'
attention of, ard conversed with III,
throng around her. In all NV expert
ence | had never beheld any one 81
quick at repsrs.e.
BY witty yetort in German to hi
Jest, she had Taught staid Herr Brah
mann, who was never known to ad
mire American women. And Mon
sieur Mendahon, thereupon addressin
query TO her in French, rectiveC
such an apt reply, so well framed il
his mother tongue, that he forthwith
went from group 10 group enthusias
tically lauding her wonderful pronun
citation.
She had a remarkable voice, anC
sang toward the end of the evening
She had held her listeners like enrapt
ured statues.
After that offered no resistance tc
our going out generally. She grew tc
be fond of it, and did not disguise
from me, Somehow L lost sight o,
the matrimonial happiness my fame.
had pictured in brooding over imagi
nary wrongs, and now and thel
harboring suspicious of the viles
kinds.
The winter passed away, and srm
mer came with its change OF amu.e
ments. A party of our friends, youns
married people were going TO l.,
kAfn1inR plaoo in the mountains HeS