Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-06-01

she started, as the door, opened by Il
servant, admitted the preserver of her
| .mother-the old playfellow of her
early days.
Meanwhile, explanations had at
length been entered upon; briefly as
might be, yet to the full, probing, with
brave hand, each his share in that
fostering wound which had cankered
so large a portion of husbands and
wife's best days.
Aaron told how, when he had fled
from his cottage that fearful night, he
had, in utter rccklessness, rushed
down to the lone public-house, the
Peep-o' Day, where, seeking to drown
thought and misery, he drank deeply
-Meghorn soon after coming in. The
other, stung by his wifes words, by
former suspicion, and heated by liq-
uor, had assailed him with fierce
threats OF vengeance at which the
pirate sneeringly jeered, adding by
dark inuendoes, to the fire which be
already saw to consuming the heart
OF the unhappy fisherman.
Together they quilted the house
both had drunk deeply, out Saul was
himself. Aaron, unused to excess,
was far from being so.
| Away, out upon the cliff, the raging
sea below-aboye only the angry and
| implacable skies-the quarrel was re-
newed-God alone knew with what
cruel intent, on the part OF one who
| will never to mans ear contide the
| truth
Suffice to say that ne goaded the
husband to madness by villainous
| and false assertions against his poor
young wife; and by a last most foul
| insinuatlon, SO wrought upon the lat
! ter, that at a bound, Aaron sprang
upon him, and but for his vast
strength Saul had been hurled to the
rocks below. A struggle followed,
sharp but brief. Aaron fell. but caught
at the twigs and ferns. where, for a
brief minute, he chung, suspended over
the awful precipice beneath.
The fend at the elbow of Saul
prompted him. Swift as light the
cruel sword sprang from the scabbard,
and descended upon the wrist of the
hapless Aaron, which it severed. He
fell crashing down the face OF theper-
pendicular cliff, but hung halfway in
the thick clustering shrubs, and SO
from point to point his fall was brok
en-, and even in that moment of agony
he retained presence Of mind enough
to avail himself of a W ell-known thick
ly-wooded niche into which he crept;
but tainted from agony and loss OF
blood. There through that night he
lay racked with agony worse than
death, while the storm ragged without,
and the fiends of jealousy and despair
held possession OF his heart
"God forgive me-" Franklen went
on, ''for the base suspicious | dared
give ear to against you, Nelly; re-
solved that from that day I would
be dead to you. Early in the next
days dawn | flung away my outer
clothing into the sea, that you should
just believe lie lost, and follow-oh,
forgive me, dear wife-what believed
your desire travelled on foot round
by the rocks when the tide was up,
and none came that way, to the
fort.
'sThereI had my hand dressed; and
there | was taken with a fever, that
kept me three months in the hospital.
| told q false tale OF whom | was.
Heaven knows did not care what l
did; prayed might never get we'll but
the Lord knew best, Nelly,
s.Then | began to cast about for
something to do, but it was a hard
matter for poor manned fellow like
me. AT last a imam Ed known when I
WAS i'm those years before got me a
berth OH board an owtward-bound
ship as steward. 1t was by favor
Quite, but / got hardy after d bit, and
did almost as well as with two bands.
II was. a favorite, too, with the
captains, and we got like friends the
voyage OUT; butt we parted, for. was
not coming home again, and the next
trip took me off to Africa.
''Oh, wife! those were awful times
nights and days of such agony THAT /
cannot but wonder kept my senses.
And with it all there was the horrJd
doubt-for Tcoulds not be certainthat
it was true, L could not bring myself
to think"
ooh, if you had bat comet" shesigh-
en-.
81 did, wife; | did. God help me! I
couldbearit no longer, and Ibid return;
took passage in a fast sailer, too, and
came to the old place with a tantalis-
ing hope at my heart. Oh, Nelly, L
heard you were married to him!-f0r
the story was known miles round.
1t didn't need should come to Sand
come / learned YOU had a child
they said his. asked no more; Twas.
off again like a madman-wlld, reck-
less. Well, well, the Lord helped me,
in his mercy, that should do moth
ing disgraceful. It was hard tia@e5
but. we will not talk OF it"
He went on to tell her how he had
again left the country, and had en-
countered hardships by sea, and land;
how, while away beyond the Atlantic,
a good old friend. the captain with
whom he had sailed, and who knew
his history, had died in his arms, and
Aaron was deputed his messenger
with various papers and business
matters home; how, arrived there, he
had found himself, with a distant rel
ative of the capita n, left sole amheritor
OF the old man S property, and had so