Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1897-04-22

dNOlueu' but you nau condemned ne
IN your heart from the first, and wer,
only too willing to believe all the baC
things that were said of her. You,
woman who, for my sake, II not fol
her own, should have defended her, {
young and inexperienced girl, from thu
malicious tongues Of slanderers anC
liars, who were striking at my life ant
my happiness, sided with them agains
her, and had no word to speak in hel
defense.
What could have been In Mabel'f
mind on that happy Christmas night
three years ago, to cause her to win
from me sacred pledge of trustful-
ness In her faith and love, / cannot
with certainty say; but some shadow
Of fear was upon her. Perhaps she
suspected you were not her friend; per-
haps, with the knowledge that her
own mother was against me, she dread
ed that circumstances might occur in
my absence to cause a breach between
lis, and she wished to strengthen both
herself and me. Anyway, she drew the
pledge from me, and she gave me hers,
and | believe in her faithfulness with
all my soul. The harder task of faith
fulness is yours, she said, as she kissed
me; and she told me that while was
absent from her she would have three
talismans with her-hope, faith and
love. 1 should never doubt, she said.
My love for you and faith in you have
become part of my life. Listen now
to the words I spoke to her; they are
craven on my heart: 'Henceforth this
good season holds more sacred place
in my heart because 1t has brought me
the priceless blessing of your love; be-
cause, also, of the lesson 1t has taught
me, the lesson Of faith, to live forever
undimmed in my SOUL Well, whis-
perlng these words to her from my
heart of hearts, shall l, on this ami
versary of that happy night, bitter as
it is to me, prove them, even by the
shadow Of suspicion, to be false? No.
Henceforth 1 have but one task before
me. When that is done, and not till
then, you and l, mother, shall meet
again"
What are you going to do, Amos?"
Il am going to act toward my wife
and child as my father, Amos Beecroft,
would have acted toward you and yours
had you been slandered in his absence
as my wife has been in mine. will
never put foot inside this cottage again
until find her; and when she is be-
fore you, and you are face to face, you
shall ask her pardon, for the wrong
you have done her"
Il ask her pardon nowv' sobbed my
mother. 81 have been weak and
wrong-I see it! l ought to have done
as you said. No, no, Amos; do not
leave me without word of pity and
forgiveness! AS l kneel to you l will
kneel to her, my son!" Her tears
choked her utterance.
God forgive you for what you have
donen' / answered, not looking at the
PROSTATE form at my feet, "and send
comfort to us both. | go away tonight
a crushed and desolate man, and there
will henceforth be no light in my life
till | have found my wife and child"
Thus in the blindness of my grief
spoke, throwing, in my unreason, all
the blame upon my old mother; and
as l stepped out into the cold and win
try night, her mournful cry, ooh, Amos,
my son!" crept after me like wailing
wind. l knew that ship was lying at
Gravesend ready to sail for Australia,
and for that 1 was bent. l trudged
doggedly through the snow, hating
but once, outside a house in which, not
withstanding the lateness of the
night, merry-making was going on.
What caused me to pause was a WON
ans voice singing the very song my
wife had sung on our wedding night:
Though friends be Gliding,
And waves dividing,
in faith abiding,
I'll still be true;
And I'll pray for thee,
On the stormy ocean,
In deep devotion,
That's what I'll do"
The hot tears this "Reminiscences
forced from me relieved me somewhat;
but a gnawlng pain was at my heart
as l repeated the words In faith abid-
ing I'll still be true" The tone in
which my mother had informed me
that Mabel did. not go away alone had
haunted me from the moment the
words were spoken, and l strove in
vain to deaden the poisonous thoughts
they engendered. The two themes, "In
faith abiding, I'll still be true" ant
"Mr. bruce, your enemy, is with Ma
bel" came alternately to my mind
mock ing each other and adding to my
misery.
In two days I was again on the sea
on my way to Australia.
CHAPTER XIII