The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1895-10-10

each had blindlys looked to marriage
70 recQncle differences which Its int:-
mate relationship could only serve to
display more prominently, and to sup
ply deficiencies which 1t could tNt rem
der more painful, The very devotion
Of Adolph to his engrossing pursuits,
which in a lover she had regarded
with pride, Bertha found in husband
70 require an abstraction from and q
neglect OF the petty but still needful
cares of daily life, and habitual tact
tllrnlty. Her most urgent question
often remained unanswered because
unheeded; his thoughts We're wander
ing afar. Often did she desist from
endeayors to fix his attention on some
topic IN which she also could feel and
express an interest, and retire to her
chamber to weep tears OF bitterness
and despair. Her sky had now no
gleam her future no hope. She had
doomed herself to bear the heavy
curse of lire devoid Of sympathy,
and must reap as she had sOWn.
Adolph felt at times acutely, that he
had indeed committed "a grave mis-
take" and that it was now truly too
late to repent it.
One evening Adolph was absent from
his home, as was not unfrequently the
case, when a rap at the door appraised
bertha Of his supposed return. She
opened, and Albert stood before her!
do not spurn me, Bertha" he i'm
plored, as with a shrek of surprise
| she had ,mOtiCned to close the door; II
am very i'll and wretched" In hur-
rled, broken accents, but with firm
ness Of purpose, he unfolded to her the
dark picture Of his blighted hopes, his
crushed affections, his sufferings and
his intense despair. Bertha could not
| summon words to command him to de-
sist and leave her presence; for it
seemed at that moment a needless
cruelty to torture a art-broken and
frenzied man. <r
Another knock! What clouds of
sophistry and self-deceit did it not
serve to dispel! Bertha felt now Grim
inal; how insane had been that inter-
view, and how deep had been her
guilt i'm listening passively to avowals
Of love from another beside her hus-
band. Gladly would she have welcom-
ed the bolt of death; she would even
have met Adolph's gaze and revealed
all the truth: But Albert, enfeebled
by severe illness as well as shattered
in intellect by his great despair, had
less fortitude or a deeper conscious
ness Of wrong. II cannot-will not
meet him" he exclaimed in agony;
"let me. f1y!' She pointed to the door
which led into the little garden in the
rear of their little cottage, and in a
moment he rushed through it. Sick
at heart and trembling in every nerve
fiber. Bertha unfastened the door at
which her husband waited; she had
neither strength nor courage to open
= it; and Adolph, who had fallen into
one of his habitual reveries, remained
for some minutes without. Alas! when
he did enter, his eye had a fearful
brightness and his voice, preternat-
urally calm, had sternness which
might we'll appall a holder and loftier
spirit than that Of the wretched being
before him.
"Bertha!' and she started as the
sepulchral sound fell upon her intent
ear, ''by a single act of folly you have
destroyed your future peace and mine
1 was standing idly at the door but
now, when my attention was attracted
by a rushing noise in the garden.
looked and saw the friend Of your
childhood, whom you once introduced
4 to me, fling himself madly from the in.
closure and fly as if in terror. His
: flight was marked throughout by q
band of reprobate students who hap
pened to be passing, who saw me
standing as if in waiting at the door
and who instantly set up a shout OF
merriment and derision. Tomorrow
your name will be the jest Of every
vile heart and scandalous tongue in
Contingent! How could you so distrust
and mistake me as to deem me capsa
BILE Of vulgar suspicion-as to resort
to this Wretched and ruinous subter
fuge to conceal from me the visit OF
one whom as your friend I WOuld-'
He ceased, for she had fallen heavily
and senseless on the floor BY the ap
plication of every. restorative she was
at length awakened to consciousness
but not to the clear light Of reason
Her mind wandered; the past and the
present, the absent and the near, WIRE
blended in ineXtricable confusion, an(
AdOlph could only understand that hi;
presence was painful to her, and tina
she entreated him to retire and leave
her to compose her troubled thoughts
He ODeyed, but not without miSgiv
ings; slumber was out Of the question
and he proceeded to his little stud,
and was soon immersed, so far as i
was possible at such a time even fol
him to be, IN the perusal of favorit,
volume. An hour passed; he found
that he was but deceiving himself; tn,
words burned and danced before hi
i eyes, but no corresponding image:
were imprinted on his brain; he be
came alarmed at the profound silence
maintained by Bertha; swiftly he re
visited her apartment, but to find i
vacant; he called, but received no re
ply. Slowly and in agony wore ava.
e the remaining. hours Of night. tn
i morning dawned but to confirm hi
e worst forebodings. Distracted, hope
j. less, and burning with shame and con
t triton, she had stolen noiselessly from
e the home which by venial but fata
J. error she had disgraced, and rushe,
a wildly to a neighboring river; plunge
4 moments struggle, a gurglins