Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-10-17

ibuLu, anu iIeIt WIS WNt III EuGtailN anu
woe in America. Husbands and fathers
sons and daughters, and many woman 5
true love bad gone down in mid ocean
with no power TO send farewell word to
any one.
And Gladys Barron was. among them
our Gladys Frank wife.
He lay upon the floor IN his study. where
be had cast himself down for hours, and
dared not speak 10 RIM. Ii was days and
weeks before the CHASTITY, frightened look
lett his face, months before | ceased to
fear that he would die of sorrow, and
stayed with the children. And so another
year went by. Then ii was Springtime,
remember, and all the orchards we're full
of blossoms, pink ana white, Frank
came to me as sat at work IL the shadow
of the two or three trees in our little viii
lage garden, and sat down at my feet.
Faithful little woman. he said. |
wonder If you know how dear you are to
me?'
Itrembled and my heart throbbed so
could scarcely breathe,
you are rich and am not" he said;
but know you will not think that / am
fortune hunter am a sort of wreck of
what was | think something went out
of me when my poor Gladys was lost
that Is, youths essence. | feel it-and
look how grey am growing! But long
for dear friend-for a woman's tender
ness 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 lmperfechons on my
headY'
Would /? dared not speak; but put
my hand in his knew he did not give
mL the love he had given poor Ola VS.;
but should have a righC to live near him
TO receive his caresseS Ito be all to
him that / felt | could be.
He shall love me yet as passionately
as man ever loved woman | said to my
self, when, no more repressed, no more
afraid of loving him loo well, | am once
his wife
! was happy as the angels are for lit
tie space.
We were to he married very soon, but
as yet had told no one. | had my we'd
ding dress sent down from the city, viii
Iage gUssips knew nothing of it, and or e
evening ! went to my room TO try it ON.
lt became nae very well. 10 was a pale
pearl silk, with a pretty white bonnet,
and in that ! was 10 walk up the church
aisle on the next morning. We were TO
have alittle journey ana return.
Il am pretty again, ." ] thought to my
self The looks | lost long ago have
come back to me in my joy; and went
up TO the glass and kissed my own retlec-
ton,
AS my lips touched the mirror ! heard
a sound below-a wild cry, scream of
fear, a shout Of joy. What had hap.
pened2
rushed 10 the head Of the stairs. They
were dark. The hall below was fully light
ed. Under the blaze of the swinging
lamp saw Frank Barron holding his wife
ing dress His sudden clasp had caused
her cap to fall to the ground and her golden
hair TO escape from its comb. Living
and lovely she stood there embraced 10y
him.
brushed back to my room, tore off my
dress, hid il. locked it safe from sight,
donned the gown that came FIRST to hand,
cried God help mel and went down the
stairs. BY this time he had her in the
parlOr and was looking at her through his
tear-wet eyes
"As beautiful as ever, ~ he cried; "as
beautiful as eyer!'
Thank God. Gladysl" / cried. And
surely | thanked God that she had come
when she did She kissed me- but not
warmly.
Fancy me all this time on a desert is-
land, said she. 81 had to 90 back to
London for clothes and money, and |
thought it best not to cable.
Her tones were Aippant, her looks de-
FAINT
Tired Of taking care OF the babies ?"
she asked. How do they look? They
won I know me.
Later she came to my room
II heard you were going to marry
Frank, she said Hadn't you better
confess? On the whole, suppose.you'd
like to leave us?'
81 have packed my trunk" ! said.
"Gladys, you must have suffered; tell me
about your life on the island. How
could you keep so well, so fresh, 50
blooming?"
II can't bear to talk of 1t, she said
at was horrid, Of course. How old and
ugly Frank has grown
with grief for you | said.
was gone next morning without
adieus
A little later I met an English friend
She took my hands
81 thought you would give Mrs Barron
up, she said. Her husband has taken
her back after ALP
ut is no crime to be cast on a desert
island says l.
Desert island!" shr laughed did
she tell him that story? She lest the
steamer and went bacl, to her own house.
She found it hard to leave some one she
had come to know, and when the boa was
lost she made capital of it in America.
We knew she spent good many months
and a good deal OF money in the Isle Of
Wight, ana her temper was too much even
for Lord - So She came from a desert
isIand-aud he believes it. How fnnuyl'
] never saw either Of them again.-Ex-
change.