Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-04-10

Helen's win was a thing that most of the household did withdraw from. She stood by her husbands side, slight, erect, her hand on his arm, but not leaning on him at all.
 N"You are aware, sir" MT. Tryon said, 'tthat this child is a minor-by the law I could take her from you"
 "But you will not?" The question was half assertion.
 ''No, shall not. She has chosen; she must learn life in her own way. l shall try and make no difference between her and the others-and may the Lord have mercy on you both," he added, half un- der his breath.
 For a month the two staid under the intuition and instinct with a strong hand. magnified the superficial charms of the man, and was able at last to say: ''It was irregular-improper but we can't help liking him."
 Helen's sisters-two of them-really did like him. The careless, easy, un- conscious dash of his manner. his un- failing, elaborate, If somewhat florid courtesy, the air of vague romance that seemed to make the atmosphere in which he breathed, all appealed to their ideal of the chivalric and poetic. He did not talk much of himself, but his half impersonal stories of wild ad- ventures and reckless daring opened vistas into limitless wonderland. MT. Tryon treated him politely always, and never said a word for or against him.
 Then Helen took the few thousands of dollars, for which by right she should have waited till she had reached her majority, and went with her hus band into the then half-savage depths of the Colorado cattle ranges.
 For four years her letters came regu' larly. From the very first there had been little of personal record in them 1 What she hoped or feared, en joyed or suffered, no one had any way of guessing. It was the kindest thing to read nothing more than appeared or the surface. But at the end of that time Payne Morse was tried and sen fenced to confinement for life for par ticipation in a daring train robbery She simply sent the papers in which the matter was recorded.
 Mir. Tryon followed his telegram with all the speed possible. And so Heller Morse came home again, a statuesque shadow of herself, she and her baby, O. whom the whole family made an object of worship.
 One more blow remained to fall. year later the baby died. The copy oi the newspaper that told Its death told too, the death of its father, shot deaC 1 while trying to escape from the prisor ! in which he was confined.
 Helen wore black after that-per haps for her baby's death; perhaps fol the memory of the man who had treated her with cruelty she never told nol hinted at; perhaps for herself, because she had outlived every thing. At any rate she went in somber garments and no one questioned or remarked. | And so up to this night-the night O her twenty-fifth birthday, when the! were all sitting about the tea table ant talking of Harry's prospects. Harry had bought share in a Texas ranch and he and his partner were going t. rough it alone in their cabin among tn grass and sheep. Harry was enthusias tic, forestalling little and uncon scious ly the character he was to assume b. and by.
 NO"s h1St" OSIA NLdSC o1kO mockingly. Mother, you ought to giv him tin plate and cup; and keep silve forks out of his sight. And Harry yonn have to cut the acquaintance O boiled shirts, unless you boil them your self, and then you'll have spasms ove the starch"
 Helen looked up, and said, in he slow, impassive way: "Why couldn't go and keep house for you, Harry?"
 Silence fell about the table. Tn idea had never pr 'ented itself to on of them, but now all at once it did nc seem so impracticable. No fancy C Helen's ever did for Helen.
 ''I have seen something of the life, she said. "There Is nothing in it that
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