Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-09-05

| 1OA'e 80 - = P"ietSuiuiiJ AAoAihV
having applied to me. "Dcspot' is
one of these words; s.fendn I do
not mind at all, but 'despot" is mad
dening.
With affected unconscein, / took
up book that was lying near, it was
cook book, quite new. One page
was brown with the stains of coffee,
an eloquent and enduring sign of the
struggle Elaine and had had one
morning concocting the. matutinal
beverage, when our cook had failed
to make her appearance.
I'm order to make good Coffee" !
read, "the greatest care must be ex-
ercised. In order to make good cof-
fee, the greatest care must be exer-
oised. In order to make good cot
fee
/ read this over a dozen times at
least, before it conveyed the slight
est meaning to my mind.
Elaine would rather he dead than
living with me? Ny God Was /
SO detestable
All, those sobs.
Nothing is more frightful than to
hear woman one loves weeping
bitterly and to he unable to console
her.
Yes I was brutal, and cruel, and
all the rest of it; still resented the
anger I had caused, l resented her
tears.
And it was just four months ago!
We we're married on the sixteenth of
the month today was the sixteenth.
The church, the flowers, the deep
tones OF the organ, our young COM
panions standing about US, the i'm
mense company assembled, the thrill
ling sonorous voice of the white
robed priest "Wilt thou have this
woman to be thy welded wife 2"
These sacred sounds and emotions
rushed in fantastic whirl through
my mind, as sat pretending to read
the cook book. I saw Elaine as she
looked then, verified likeness of a
dream, the consummation of all i'm
agined idealities--and now -Four
months ago. 1t was four thousand
years.
Good God How frightrully fast
We live in times of great emotion.
The dream was changed indeed. The
localities gone it waG henceforth a
wreck.
/ did not think of how | was af-
fecting Elaine. l was too much alb
sorbed in the feeling Of how she was
affecting me. The hideous fact that
she who represented the constant,
the faithful, the adoring part of hu-
mainly had changed, dominated my
mind to the exclusion of everything
else. The horror of horrors had
come. Elaine had ceased to love
me
And through all OF this those ter
rible sobs.
She wished that she had died be-
fore she met me. Already she was
tired of my affection ! Yes; there
were hundred things to prove it !!
She liked to walk with others, she
was fond of entertainments and So
ciety. AS for me, l cared for no one
but her. | could not tolerate society,
and ss rule hated people. Yes,
it was all over, and Stephen. AT this
moment the gong rang loud and i'm
peratively, and few moments later
| heard the servant coming up the
Stairs. Glad of any pretext 10 leave
the room | FASTENED to the door, and
closing it behind me, met the man,
who handed me two telegraph mes
sages. tore open the covers and
read "Mother is very i'll; bring
Elaine" The second dispatch an.
nounced the death of my wife's
mother.
| crushed the papers into my peck
ct and returned to Elaine. The ter
rible fact of death and it's shocking
suddenness overwhelmed me. I ex-
perienced violent revulsion OF feel
ing. l was ashamed of my foolish
and ungoyernable rage. If | had
been insane, | was sane enough now.
And Elaine, poor child 4; how she
loved her mother. Yes I admit
with shame that | had been jealous
of this affection.
"Elaine," | said, sitting down by
the couch and taking her hand, for
give me for making you so angry. I
see that / was very unreasonable. /
dare say it is natural for you to be
fond Of Stephen" / felt my face
stiffeniug and my voice growing
formal, as | said this, so l abandon
ed Stephen. "After all" / went on,
eve are foolish to make ourselves SO
wretched. God knows trouble comes
fast enough"
Her hand lay cold and unrespon-
sive in mine, and she drew herself
slightly away from me. The move
ment was almost imperceptible, but
1t struck me like blow. And yet
knew she would act just as she
did. 1t isn't in the nature of things
to be violently abused one moment
j