The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-02-25

| "profancd their mother 5 H"ih'' the an
tiquran became thoroughly al 'usad The
object Of all this yItupera'ion Nss sit
ting opposite him I'm the hv'dry locking
prettier than usual in Diue shk dress
the Colonel had selected LOT her Himself.
knitting a scarf for him. nc uhWisely
read the letters TO her. As no finished
he exclaimed, so. Agnes yol see they
are unwilling for me TO nave In my
declining years the comfort of Your
presence. / shall dsinhert thea. snail
leave all to you"
mo. Colonel Macleod" she quietly In
terposed you must not alter your orig
! inal contract with me. You VIII leave
me this home. IL IS enough. You are
very kind TO me. II IS more than l cx-
pocted. You give me ease. iuNury' you
have taken me out OF the depths OF
poyerty-a thing which loa'ns' nate.
despise more than aught eise' - can
make adequate return
"Do not speak OF a.. Agnes, he an
swered quietly Il had forgotten how
sweet life could he before you came.
do not wrong the dead 90 loving you.
''Then you do not wrong the living"
she interrupted. but DO you love mc?'
she added archIy. "You never told me
that before-did you know II
Pardon me them he answered, Il
do love you. How could | help 1t? You
are very fair. You are never woman.
You please me 10 every way. / would
have made myself ridiculous II l mad
courted you as younger men might nave
done. You married me for my money,
l suppose. l made the proposal 10 you
| In business-like way. IL was little
absurd and Irregular my neishbors say
but do not think OF that think am
fortunate in finding so loyaDle a woman
under the circumstances"
Under the circumstances, ] thlnk so
| too she laughingly replied. i might
have had worse faults than poverty.
but, Agnes, suppose you find these
people will not treat you as you deserve
and as my wife should be treated!' he
asked. with some soliciude.
She readily answered. u married you,
not these people: time heals many
wounds, perhaps time and patience VIII
overcome prejudice and make these peo-
pie and your daughters forget the pc
culiar circumstances of our marriage.
They were peculiar and 1 am not sur
prised al the results"
What a wise woman you are ne eX-
claimed with q look of undisguised adj
miratioT. you are not surprised. Nell,
] en-: l never thought OF the results.
But if ! had foreseen 1t all l would not
have fotcgrne the p.casure You have
| given me. if IT had been a thousand times
worse" The Colonel endorsed this as
seItion by raising her hands 10 his lips.
lie noticed for the first time that her
hand showed marks of labor, AMI he
raised it again and kissed the spot where
the mental work she hated had left its
trace.
As Agnes MCLEOD had prophesied It
required time 80 reconcile Colonel Mac
Leods friends TO his WIFE who came to
him under such circumstances. Her own
pleasing face and manner, her gentle
ness NJ the sick bed Of slave or neighbor'
her fidelity to Colonel Macleod and his
interests, doubtless greatly aided tme IN
changing matters. Before Colonel Mac
Leod died, however mis- friends were
willing enough TO know that he had be-
queathed The Castle" and everything on
the estate 20 his wife. The widow
mourned his loss for several years. Their
life al "The Castle" had been a tranquil
and % happy one She had known many
of life's hardships. The elegance and
comforts which her doting husband thre"
around her atoned for the want OF 4
courtship. the Romance and the absence
of that ideal and absorbing passion which
ahianced or married people are generally
supposed 10 entertain for each other
But sn time sultors came for the hand
and fortune Of the stili youthful and we'll
preserved mistress OF 1.-THE Castle ln
am evil hour she yielded 10 the solicita-
lions Of a gentleman in the nei8hbor-
hood. aud married him. RE had squan-
dered an estate-no one knew how. Bui
he was "A handsome man. a fine CONVEX
sationalist. and had won and broken
the heart of one OF the former bellies Of
the country. This was before Mrs. Mac
Leod had entered society, and she was
not acquainted with the facts in the
case After brief courtshiY, during
which, perhaps. her suitOrs imprisoned
words. VOWS Of devotion. and moon
light serenades with his guitar. made her
think her tranquil married life very
tame affair hy contrast. she married him.
She suggested that they should continue
90 live at "The Castle" sugg 2stion he
very readily accepted. as he had no home
of his own Besides she remembered that
Colonel Macleod was buried in a private
lot near THE Castle and once during
his last illness ne had said % her: 1T
rs a pleasant thought. dear wife, 10 feel
that my last resting place Will be so
near you-so near that yOu Will think
Of me every day, and. perhaps, place a
flower over my grave, which will ever
belong to you"
Before a year had elapsed she bitterly
regretted her second marriage. She
was too proud To- show it except by the
wrinkles and gray hairs which her sor-
row brought her. Her speldtlrift hus-
band began to sell her negroes. In her
suffering she failed TO give her plantation
the attention it required, consequently,
the crops were inferior. ana her STOCK
became reduced IN value. At TINS Junctuie
the war commenced. Her husband pos
sibly from his love OF change ana Ven
ture. or possibly because hcr sad worn
face haunted him, was anxious TOT an
eVcuee Ia leave home. lie made a final
levy on his wfe's purse ana equippu
compapv of which he was chosen cap
,otn 81, once more alone. she sought
~ build no her injured fortunes. Every
,,,o,rfre, fresh roses were placed on the
e-rava she had never neglected. Inc
Eli hooks I'm the library that he had
loved Ia read became her companions
ouietl,, n wear or two passed In the
r,eantiroe The civil strife became more
violent.
i,yerv week she mailed a dutiful letter
90 tho man who had deceived her Tor
the sake Of her money. Sometimes, IN
her lonely hours. she would wonder IL
God had intended this last marriage 40
her punishment, Il retribution, because.
had she not married Colonel MacLeod
to free herself from the shackles oi
poverty
But then. she had learned 10 love
him. and she had been true to him in
every thought II this second one had
never crossed her path. how peaceful her
lie would have been. and how much good
she might have done with the wealth
the generous. noble hearted dead had
Iaft her, one euenln. her IeLerle was