The Yazoo sentinel. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1878-1916, 1891-08-27
HER SECRET.

When that particularly shrewd and
busiuosslike young man, Mr.. Thomas
Partington, joined himself IN marriage
10 Ada, relict Of the late Isaac Abra-
hams, his friends eyinced considerable
surprise AZ tho step. The widow was,
indeed. a. they admitted, young and
fascinating, and had, moreover, inheri-
ted very substantial fortune from her
previous husband But then she was
dreadfnlly extrayagant in her habits,
and had lately developed q perfect
mania for gambling.
In fact, her losses on the turf and at
tho card tables were becoming quite the
talk Of society, and IL IS certain that
oven during the short period which
ELAPSED between her first husbands
death and the date of her second mar
-iaqe hor fortune must have been ma
fenally diminished by the drains she
made upon IT, In another year or two
40 her present rate she would, 80 Toms
friends said, run through it altogether,
and then he would find himself in the
unenviable position Of having TO sup
port recklessly spendthrift wife en-
tirely out Of his own pocket.
A few OF his greatest intimates inn
pressed this upon him before he took
the final plunge and urged him to back
out Of his engagement ere IL was yet too
late. But Tom turned o deaf ear to
their advice. He was very much in
love with the charming widow. And,
besides, he entertained strong hope
that after their union he should be able
TO reform, or at least control, his wife's
oxtravagance. Instead, therefore Of
trying TO cry off tho match, he hurried
IL forward TO the best of his ability, in
order that she might have as short On
interval as possible in which to enjoy
tho unchecked expenditure OF her
money.
But when he was married to the lady
he found that his hope of being able
10 reform her had been decidedly Chin
erical. Self willed and headstrong, she
would scarcely endure advice, much
less any aemblence Of restraint So,
after few months Of useless remons-
trance, no gave up all attempt at gem
ufffe reformation as bad job, and had
.tnuuTIt ..ry:..-~.s,-.ii1.
with throwing in their way such feeble
obstacles as he could. These were
slight enough, for her fortune was en-
tirely at her own control. Still they
were not quite fruitless.
And as time went on, people noticed
that Mrs. Partington's gambling trans
actions were on much smaller scale.
Her best friends began TO hope that the
instincts of the mother were beginning
TO assert themselves over the cravings Of
the gan bier, and that IL was thought
for the little one whom she was soon
expecting that thus checked her in her
career of mad extravaganza. II is Ger
tain at any rate, that, as time went for
ward, she grew every day more ont Of
spirits, and nothing was more likely
for, with oil her faults, she was q soft
hearted woman--than that she should
be fretting over past selfish extrava-
gance, as a sort Of robbery perpetrated
on her unborn offspring. Perhaps,
also, her weakened physical condition
contributed its quota to this altered
frame Of mind. But whatever the rea-
sons may have been, the fact was un-
doubleday there And each day the
once lighthearted and reckless woman
grew more moody and depressed.
Tom appeared to notice this change
in his WIFE His manner toward her,
always kind and attentive. became ac-
tually tender in its consideration, I'd
no tried his hardest 10 soothe away her
gathering depression of spirits. He
was not able 10 be with her much in the
day time, for, shortly after his mar
riage, being tired OF having nothing to
do, he had put some Of his money into
business" in the city, whore his con
slant presence was now required; but
he regularly spent his evenings at home,
hardly ever going to the thealer or to
his club.
His wife seemed to feel his consider
nte Tenderness very deeply, for several
times, as he sat beside her Of an even
ing, with his arms thrown caressingly
around her, she suddenly buried her
face on his shoulder and burst into
tears-hke one whose remorse is awak-
ened by unmerited and unlocked for
kindness. On each Of these occasions
Tom felt by a certain subtle and in
palpable instinct that his wife was on
the very verge Of making some confes-
Of sorrow aud regret for
her defiant attitude toward him in the
past But although by his comforting
words aud soothing caresses he did his
best 10 invite her confidence. the con
feision which he felt to be hanging on
her lips never issued from them.
Meanwhile, what was so clear to her
husband did not escape the notice OF
Mrs. Partington's female friends OIL
these she had many. but by far the !
most favored and confidential Of them
was Mrs. Brandon, an old schoolfelloV /
with whom she had kept up a lifelong
intimacy. Mrs Brandon, who was Al
,nce a very lively and a highly sensible
ady, had, at an early period. detected
he unusual gloom which had come over
ier friends manner. and rallied her