The farmers' union. (Memphis, Mo.) 1891-1895, 1894-03-15

|
You look thin. dear. OF course. We
shall soon make you strong again. You
shall forget the past. You shall live
in a little nest, all love and happiness.
Come"
Two years later Mary Vere-Ivors
no longer sat, on Saturday after
noon. in her house at kentish Town.
On the blind, which was down. because
it was Saturday afternoon, was written
her name Mary We're. Dressmaker "
She carried on her trade in that sub
urb, which is long way from the
Mile End Road. Nobody knew any
thing of her past troubles: sh had q
nice little business: she hal good hus-
ever seen-like herself. big. strong.
and hearty. Except for the doleful
memory of that trial and sentence, and
imprisonment, she was perfectly
happy. All day long she worked
among her girls, while the baby slett
in the cradle, or sprawled about the
floor, or lay in her lap. In the evening
she sat and thought about her hus
band. who was for the most part away.
travel ng for the commercial good of
! his country.
The house was one of those six
roomed houses common in the poorer
suburbs. Two rooms in the basement,
two on the ground floor, raise about
six feet, and two abo. Q. q little garden
behind. The basement contained the
kitchen and workroOm: the ground
floor. a "stOre-rOom" in front and the
parlOr behind: above, large bedroom
and small bedroom, and the spare"
| stores or samp.es-Mary knew not
what-belonging to the husband. who
kept the door locked and carried the
key about with him always. 1t was q
| Blue Eeard's chamber. but the wife
never thought of it or was tempted to
look into it until this unlucky after
noon, when, alone in the house. her
baby asleep, she was putting things
to rights in her own room. Never
once, until this afternoon, when she
was tempted, and fell, like Eve.
| What does he keep in the rOom?"
whispered the Tempter. 'Se netting
| valuable: something that ne wishes to
surprise you with. Would you like to
| see it,"
The Tempter went on whispering for
a long time. For u long time Mary
to ok no notice of him. Then he changed
his talk.
If it were quite easy for you to OPEN
the door and to look in, wouldn't you
do it: Just try the key Of your own
| ROOM"
She listened: she turned rcd: she
turned pale. She took the key of her
own room and tried the lock. 1t fitted;
it turned. She opened the door, look
| ing round guilty. She went in.
There stood in the middle of the room
a large box bound with iron. Nothing
else was in the room at all. And in
the lock was a key, and the key be-
longed to a bunch of keys which her
husband always carried. He must
! have left them there when he was last
in town.
Mary lifted the lid of tho box
| Within were bundles OF papers and
packets tied uo neatly. She took up
one # the bundles OF papers. They
were neatly folded. tied together and
indo"sed. On the outside was written,
CLARA Jenkins. House of Correction,
Mary opened the bundle. 1t was a
packet OF letters. i!l-written. ILL
spelled, from Clara The letters ran
from 1887 to 1871. They began some
times Dearest Harold" ard sometimes
dearest Husband" Mary pat them
back with a sichening heart. She
took up another ,ncorscl. Matilda
Palmer. summarily dealt, six months
hard. Liverpool. 1883" This, too. con-
tanned letters up to date. all addressed
to her deare>t Harold or her Ccare It
husband. Then another and another
and an other. There were twenty of
them. Her husband had twenty -one
wives. then, and every one had served
a term of six months hard.
Mary laid down the bundles, her
cheeks af1ame.
She tried to think what was best to
be done. She could think of nothing.
Then she mechanically opened one IF
the packets tied up in brown paper. It
contained rings. Among them she saw
the two rings which had cen in Mrs.
Nickels cashbox She opened another
packet. Thee were brooches, among
them. Mrs. Nickels brooch. She
opened a third. Bracelets, among
them Mrs. Nickel's bracelet And then
a fourth. Watches among them Mrs.
Me els watch. And fifth. Chains,
among them Mrs. Nickel's chain.
She made no more delay. She put
! the papers in her reticule. tied up the
rings and things. gathered up her
baby. and took CAD actually took a
clb-to America square. Here there
was presently such weeping and lame n
tatlOns as might have been heard on
Tower Hill
On Sunday morning her husband
came home. He returned smiling,
happy, pleased to lie under his own
| roof once m pre.
His wife. howe. e.. stood in the door
way, big stick in her hand.
oh. villain she cried.
He rccoiled. She was so big and 50
| Il, IL AI~A
he lecOiled
L know ALL" she went on. "You have
! twenty wives besides me. You have
caused them all t. be in prison, and
you live upon their gratitude. You 20
from house to house, and you live upon
the wife who works for you. And in
this house you have stored the things
you have stolen. Wretch. but YOU
come here no more. If YOU dare to