Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1893-02-10

she gave the name of home. Their
cheerlcssness was increased by the alb
sence of everything except the most
necessary furniture, and by the wailing
wind which found entrance at hun
dred crevices, sending icy currents across
the wretched garnet. The young woman,
crouching close to the dying fire. Of a
small stove, was lost in sad reflections
from which she reused herself ut inter
walls to glance at little crib wherein
lay an infant, sill unconscious of its
mothers anxiety and distress. Her
husband, Robert Desmond, the second
son Of an English nobleman, had fallen in
love with Victoria St. Clair, the pretty
and intelligent American govcrncss of
his younger sister, and married her in
opposition to the wishes Of his family.
The English aristocracy look with much
disfavor on mesalliances of this kind.
Soon after their marriage the regiment
in which he was lieutenant was order
ed to India. The young man resigned
his commission, and unframed US he was
in any business or profession, found him
self at twenty-five thrown on the world
without penny and with young wife
to support. His father, proud but gen.
crous man, had disinheritcd him, but Of
fered his son q sum sufficient, if proper
ly invested, to maintain him in comfort
for life, saying that all further inter
course between them must cease
This money was accepted. The young
couple went TO Paris, where he soon
plunged into the most luxurious life of
that gay city. Though man of gener-
Gus impulses and loyal and affectionate
husband, Robert had an unfortunate
passion Tor gambling. His little cap
tai was soon lost at the card table. BY
the sale of Victoria's jewels and some
money she had prudently saved, they
were able to accumulate little more than
enough to pay their passage to New
York.
After weary weeks spent it futile ef-
forts to obtain work, the little family,
which had been increased by the birth
of daughter, drifted from moderately
comfortable lodgings to this cherries
tenement-house. Their little capital,
gradually diminishing, was now gone.
For several weeks it had been Roberts
regular practice to leave their poor
quarters at nightfall, without telling his
wife where he went OF ut what hour he
would return, and reappear in the early
morning. He evaded her questions or
only answered in monosyllables.
Night after night she was kept awake
by anxious fears and suspicious.
If she could but know his destina-
ton, comprehend his work; but not
being able to fathom the mystery
her imagination pictured the near ap-
proach of even greater misfortunes than
those to which she was already accus-
toned. 1t was plain that her husbands
work was laporious, for although h.
never referred to it, he came home
every morning completely exhausted.
He grew daily more taciturn, careworn
and morbid. Can it be wondered that
Victoria suffered all the torture and nm
guish that such n condition of affairs
can bring to sensitive woman2
The child, turning uneasily in its lit
tie crib, began to cry. Victoria took a
tin cup from the stove and gave its con.
tents to the baby. 1t was the last dror
OF milk, the last morsel of food she had
What grief wrung the mothers heart a.
she tried to soothe and comfort the lit.
tic one, uncertain that she would he
able to procure sufficient food TO keep il
alive.
Towards morning Robert returned
evidently very tired, and was surprised
to find his wife still awake. Throwing
himself on the poor cot near the wall he
was soon fast asleep. For some mo-
ments Victoria gazed at him through
her tears, mentally asking if this was
the man who had charmed her girlish
fancy and won her young heart with
promises of n bright future?
At length, from sheer exhaustion, she
sank on the dilapidated lounge near her
baby's crib and her weary ewes soon
closed. For three hours she slept
soundly. Awakening unrefreshed sh,
was conscious of a sickening feeling OF
faintness, the cause of which she knew
too well, and then came the dull misery
OF remembering that there was no none,
to buy provisions for breakfast.
1t had been Roberts custom to Civ,
her little money every week which she
had accepted in silence, neither asking
for it nor questioning its source; bu
the last supply had been spent the day
before, and it was too soon to expec
another. She had tried to exc out thei
scanty income by sewing for clothin.
manufacturer, but even this laborious
and wretchedly paid employment hat
almost failed her, as it was a dull season
and the little work she had ON hant
could not be finished for several DAYS.
The clock in neighboring steepl
had just struck nine, when il
answer to knock at the door
letter WIS handed her addresse
10 "Robert Desmond, Esq" 1t Dor
the London postmark and the famil
coat of arms; recognizing the hand
writing of Roberts father, she placed
the letter on the table whe' her husband
could find it when he awoke, then bus
led herself for a time about the boo
apartment trying to make it seem tri
flo less comfortltss, before turnin
again to her sewing.
After short interval she was apai
+ summoned to the door, where she foun,
man in soiled clothes, with which hi
flirtv incs and unksup. hair VIA ir