Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1891-08-27


no one lnew-no one will ever know. A |
piece Of her hulk was all that was ever
found, and there was woe in England
and woe in America. Husbands and
fathers, sons and daughters, and many
womans true love had gone down in |
midocean with no power to send a fare |
well word to any one
And Gladys Barron was among them |
our Gladys-Frank's wife.
He lay upon the floor in his study,
where he had cast himself down for
hours, and dared not speak to him. 1t
was days and weeks before the ghastly,
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, | 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. Il
wonder if you know how dear you are
to me?"
trernbled, 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 sort OF
wreck of what | was. think some
thing went out Of me when my poor
Evangeline was lost-that is, youths
I g. I'D l. hnN W /
am growingl But long for dear
friend-for woman's tenderness-for
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 head?'
Would n | dared not speak; but
put my hand in his. knew he did not
give me the love he had given poor
Gladys; bat 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 to
myself, "when, no more repressed, no
more afraid of loving him too well, am
once his wife"
Twas happy as the angels are for a
little space.
We were to be married very soon, but
as vet had told no one. had my we'd
ding dress sent down from the city, vii
lage gossips knew nothing of it, and one
evening went to my room to try it on.
1t became me well. 1t was pale
pearl silk with u pretty white bonnet,
and in that was to walk up the church
aisle on the next morning. We were to
have little journey and return.
II am pretty again." | thought to
myself. "The looks l lost long ago
have come back to me in my joy" and
l went up the glass and kissed my own
reflection.
AS my lips touched the mirror heard
sound below-a wild cry, scream of
fear, a shout of joy. What had hap
pened!
rushed to the head of the stairs.
They were dark. The hall below was
fully lighted. Under the blaze of the
swinging lamp saw Frank Barron
holding his wife Gladys in his arms. She
wore a travelling dress. His sudden
clasp had caused her cap to fall to the
ground and all her colder hair to escape
from it's comb. Living and lovely she
stood there embraced by him.
rushed back to my room, tore off my
dress, hid it, locked it safe from sight,
donned the gown that came first to
hand, cried God help me?' and went
down the stairs, By this time he had
her in the parlor, and was looking at hel
through his tear wet eyes.
"As beautiful as ever" he cried-"as
beautiful as ever!"
"Thank God, Gladys" cried. And
surely thanked God that she had come
when she did She kissed me, but moi
: warmly.
Fancy me all this time on a desert
, island" said she. ~ had to go back tx
London for clothes and money, and
thought it best not to cable"
Her tones were fippant, her looks de
: fant.
} "Tired of taking care of the babies?
( she asked. "How do they look? The.
won't know me-"
Later she came to my room.
r 81 heard you were going to MARI,
5 Frank" she said. Hadn't you bette
f confess? On the whole, suppose you'
like to leave us?'
s 81 have packed my trunk" | said
< "Gladys, you must have suffered; tel
= me about your life on the island. HOY
y could you keep so well, SO fresh S
4 blooming?"
p 81 can't bear to talk of it" said she
e ut was horrid, of course. How old an
8 ugly Frank has grown"
e "With grief for you," said l.
o She laughed and left me.
}. was gone next morning withou
e adisus
II A little later met an English FRIEND
5, She took my hands.
Z II thought you would give Mrs. Ba
ron up" she said. "Hr husband hs
d taken her back after all"
+ at is no crime to be cast on desel
g island" said l.
d desert islandl' she laughed. "Di
she tell him that story? She lost tt
- steamer and went back to her ow
re house. She found it hard to leave son
o. one she had come to know, and whe
l. the boat was lost she made capital Of
Id in America We knew she spent a GOO
many months and a good deal of mont