The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1891-08-26


hours, and dared not speak to him. 1t
was days and weeks before the CHASTITY,
frightened look left his face, months be-
fore ceased to fear that he would die
Of sorrow, and | stayed with the chill
dren. And so another year went by.
Then it was spring time, I remember,
and all the orchards were full of bios
SONS, pink and white. Frank came to
me as sat at work in the shadow of the
two or three trees in our little village
garden and sat down at my feet.
"Faithful little woman" he said. 81
wonder il you know how dear you are
to me?"
/ trembled, and my heart throbbed SC
could scarcely breathe.
"You are rich and l am not" he said;
"but know you will not think that ]
am fortune hunter. l am a sort Of
wreck of what was. think some
thing went out of me when my poor
Evangeline was lost-that is, youths
essence. / feel it-and look how gray ]
am growingl But l long for dear
friend-for woman's tenderness-for a
wife who will be what you can be to me.
Will you have me, such as am, with
my children and my saddened spirit,
and all my imperfections ON my headF
Would II / dared not speak; but
put my hand in his. I knew he did not
give me the love he had given poor
Gladys; but should have right to live
near him--to receive his caresses--to be
all to him that felt could be.
HE shall love me yet as passionately
as man ever loved woman" said tc
myself, "when, no more repressed, ne
more afraid of loving him too well, an
once his WIFE"
was happy as the angels are for 1
little space.
We were to be married very soon, but
as yet had told no one. had my wed
ding dress sent down from the city, vii
lage gossips knew nothing of it, and ont
evening went to my room to try 1t on.
It became, me well. It was palt
pearl silk with a pretty white bonnet
and in that was to walk up the church
aisle on the next morning. We were tt
have little journey and return.
81 am pretty again." thought to
myself. 1.-THE looks lost long ago
have come back to me in my joy" ant
went up the glass and kissed my owl
reflection.
AS my lips touched the mirror / heart
sound below--a wild cry, scream O
fear, shout of joy. What had hap
pened1
I rushed to the head of the stairs
They were dark. The hall below wa
fully lighted. Under the blaze of tn,
swinging lamp l saw Frank Barron
holding his wife Gladys in his arms. Sh,
wore travelling dress. His suddel
clasp had caused her cap to fall to tn
ground and all her colder hair to escap
from its comb. Living and lovely sh
stood there embraced by him.
| Crushed back to my room, tore off IA,
dress, hid it, locked it safe from sight
donned the gown that came first t
hand, cried God help mel' and wen
down the stairs. By this time he ha
her in the parlor, and was looking at he
! through his tear wet eyes.
'tAs beautiful as ever" he cried-"a
beautiful as everi"
"Thank God, Gladysl' l cried. An
surely thanked God that she had com
when she did. She kissed me, but nc
| warmly.
Fancy me all this time on deser
island" said she. II had to go back t
London for clothes and money, and
thought it best not to cable"
Her tones were flippant, her looks de
FAINT.
"Tired of taking care of the babies?
she asked. "How do they look? The,
won't know me-"
| Later she came to my room.
II heard you were going to MARI,
Frank" she said. Hadn't you bette
confess2 On the whole. suppose you,
| like to leave us?''
II have packed my trunk" said
"Gladys, you must have suffered; tel
me about your life on the island. How
could you keep so well, so fresh, s,
blooming"
81 can't bear to talk of It," said she
sit was horrid, of course. How old ant
| ugly Frank has grown"
"With grief for you" said l.
She laughed and left me.
was gone next morning without
| adieus.
A little later met an English friend
She took my hands
II thought you would give Mrs. Bar
ron up" she said. "Her husband hal
taken her back after ALL"
at is no crime to be cast on desert
island" said l.
Desert island" she laughed. "Dit
she tell him that storyP She lost thu
steamer and went back to her owl
house. She found it hard to leave som,
one she had come to know, and wheI
the boat was lost she made capital Of i
in America. We knew she spent goot
many months and a good deal of none,
in the Isle of Wight, and her tempe
was too much even for Lord -. s,
she came from desert standard h
believes it. How funnyl"
never saw either Of them again.
Mary Kyle nIAas in Fireside Companion