The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-16
PART OF A LIFE.

~ "~~ ~ H&3& &OA JON&
wife, do your
The speaker, from q glance at his
snowy hair and mustache and sorrowful
dark eyes, one would suppose to have
been a man well along In years, but ON
looking more closely at the well knit,
supple form reclining at ease In the
study chair it was discovered to be an
''old head ON young shoulders.
His deep, musical voice was half sad,
half tender Is he continued Co address
the young man, who, standing before
him, was nervously toying with d book
that lay ON the table at his right.
Perhaps I'm not quite MS surprised
as you thought / would be. Won have
played together as little children, as
boy and girl you were companions, and
now that you are a man and Maud is a
woman your hearts naturally turn to
each other, and I will sec my dearest
wish realized. The friendship that has
existed between your father and myself
for 16 years will be augmented by the
union of our only children. You are a
good, manly fellow, Hugh, but q trife
hot headed and impulsive. Learn to con-
troll yourself, boy; learn to control your
self.
"You have much of my disposition,
and / would ave You from the rocks
ON which my happiness was wrecked
You and my little girl
"Sit down, Hugh, here, near me, and
I will tell you a story-an answer to
the question you have so often had on
the tip Of your tongue to ask me, what
was it that turned the hair of such a
comparatively young man whittier Tush.
boy, don't look confused-you couldn't
help wondering.
"Well, to begin with, 90 years ago /
married one Of the fairest, sweetest lit
tie women that ever won the love of
nan ! was a reporter ON an evening
paper, ambitious and struggling to rise
in my profession. We rented a little
house in the suburbs, and although we
had not much Of this worlds goods our
home was q very happy one for the first
six or eight months Then little bicker-
ings and fault finding began. Bitter
quarrels finally grew ont OF the most
trivial things, and scarcely q day passed
that there had not been angry words
spoken by one or the other.
I'VE loved each other dearly, and we
tried hard TO avoid all this We had re-
solved again and again in our moments
of repentance that we would treat each
other with more consideration, be more
forbearing, but it seemed useless-our
troubles increased.
$50 it went ON for several months /
had become morose and gloomy, and
Nora's poor little face had grown SO
pale and sad that the sight Of it made
my heart ache.
Zone lovely morning in early sum
mer, when the roses that clambered over
q cottage walls were In bloom and
nodding their pretty heads at MS through
the windows, when the birds, newly
mated, were singing their joy and the
air was heavy with the perfume Of flow
ers and breathed only love and peace,
the crisis came. u
while I was hurriedly getting ready
to 60 to the office something occurred 10
detain ma. ! was annoyed and spoke
sharply to Nora. She answered me In
an i~nsolent, taunting manner that al
ways enraged me. Our words grew hot
ter and hotter and more ex~travagank. In
my anger / applied . shameful epithet
to her.
Coward she almost shrieked as
she sprang toward me, her face distort-
ed with rage and defiance.
"What devil possessed me I do mot
know, but quick as q fash / raised my
hand and struck her In the face with all
the force I could summon.
s'She was such q slender little woman
that she had not the strength to with
stand my powerful blow. With q low,
heartrending cry she sank to the floor.
Almost before she fell my senses re-
turned. ! realized what Ihad done, and
falling on my knees beside her took her
in my arms, kissed the poor bleeding
lips / had so brutally lacerated, and with
my tears dropping on her face implored
her forgiveness. She seemed completely
broken. Her anger was all gone, and
there wa q startled, grieved look In
her eyes that cut me TO the heart
..She lay motionless In my arms while
I begged her to forgive me. Then she
said softly:
TIC doesn't matter dear. 1t was my
fault as much as yours We viii never
let IL happen again. Now go toWork
You are Late already
"She said it so strangely, with such
q queer look in her eyes, that I would
not consent TO leave her. But she IN
sisted, and when she babe me goodby
she said, taking my face between her
hands and drawing ii toward her: i
love jon with all my heart, my darling
husband. ! will love you FOR ever and
ever Now goodby.,
What q long, long day that vast II
seemed as Ii my work never would be
finished NY heart was 50 full Of Love
Tor Nora
bought d bunch Of Jack roses on
my WY home TO remind her on ouz
courtship, when they were the flowers ]
always brought her. ! did not enter the
house by the front door, as usual, be-
cause I wanted TO slip up behind her