Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-05-20

she dislil<ed me particularly, but it was
one way of giving pain to Margaret,
and Jessie never missed the smallest
one.
It would take volumes to recount the
petty insults she offered Margaret. One
day Mr.. Dunwood's portrait was re-
moved from the nail in the drawing
room and a yine-wreathed Bacchante
put in the space. Margaret hung the
portrait in her own room, but 1 think
her reproachful eyes might have haunt
ed Bert. Twice the 18th of June was
the occasion of a large party, but Mar
garet did not appear.
And Bert, giving way at first, be-
cause, in his infatuated eyes, Jessie
could do no wrong, yielded after the
glamour was over. from sheer incidence
and inability to curb the obstinate will
opposed to his.
Before the third year of the marriage
was over, and in the month of roses,
Bert died A violent cold, contracted
in the winter, chung to him and ended
in hasty consumption. Again Mar.
garet was nearly insane with grief, and
| was only anxious to have Jessie leave
us.
But Bert's income, but half of his IA
theirs wealth, reverted to Margaret II
he died childless, with only jointure
to his widow, if he left one.
And Jessie had no idea of leaving the
luxurious home, where she had relgned
three years, to live on the modest in.
come from her jointure. She knew Mar
+ hor nj Vaf
| wonder my sister did not go even to
that length.
For, morbidly anxious to honor the
dead herself. my sisters whole soul
must have revolted at the utterly heart.
less conduct of the young widow. HeI
mourning was a display of the last Paris
fashions in jet, bugles and Grape, and
the becoming" was studied far more
than the appropriate.
In six months she was flirting with
any male creature in reach, and the
climax of her enormities was reached
when she dashed into our sittingroom
one morning pirouetted before the mir.
ror and said:
1--WE done with all this black! I'm
going to be married."
Margaret was too miserable ant
stunned to answer, but asked:
who is your victim?"
Harold Ogden"
'Jessie!" | cried, there is no love
lost between US, but for your own sake
pause before you trust your happiness
with man who, at so, has record OF
vice and dissipation that is nOtorious!"
He has 100000, and is not stingy!"
with a look of venom at poor Margaret.
"You need not trouble yourself about
me! 1 suppose you won't grudge me
wedding on the 18th of next month";"
The anniversary of her husbands
death! 1 looked at Jessie amazed.
Well as 1 knew her, l did not believe her
audacity and heartlessness would go tc
that length. But Margaret was reused
at last.
Mrs. Dunwood,' she said, with Dig
nifty, "if you wish to insult your hus-
bands memory by filling his place on
the very anniversary of his death, you
must do it elsewhere. will not give you
a wedding on the nth of June. Oh, my
son. my son! Only one year dead!"
She broke down weeping, but Jessie
few into one of the RACES too often eff
fectual in gaining her point. She was
abusive, pathetic, hysterical in turn.
but Margaret was firm.
Then Mrs. Dunwood left the house
md her sympathizing friends we're en-.
tertained with the most outrageous de-
scription of her mOther-in-law's tyran.
ny and final inhoSpitality.
And upon the 9TH of June the beau
tifuI little demon took her husband and
her retribution. Her husband was
thoroughly bad man, and, after brief
honeymoon of devotion. proved a do
mestic tyrant of the hardest type-jeaI-
Gus, exacting, fault-fnding and stingy
to a terrible degree.
Jessie's entire armory of defense
proved vain. Her coaxing was made Il
jest, her tears were laughed to scorn.
her pouting met a sneer, and her rage
actual brutal force. She grew white
and thin, and would come to me, actual.
ly to me, to beg money for the little
luxuries that had been her daily food.
HE StarveS mel" she would sob
'And think of his meanness. He has
given orders wherever we deal that
am not to run bill, or he will not pay it.
And he gives me no money. He buys
the most expensive dresses and Jewels.
because his wife must be well dressed.
and keeps account of them, so that
cannot sell them, or use them to bride
the servants. He accuses me of dread.
full things. He is driving me mad, Aunt
Ruth; he is driving me mad! Oh, if my
own Bert had only lived!"
1 would console her for the time, bat
after n few months 4 shuddering dread
came upon me. The weak, shallow ma
ture could not endure the daily persecu-
ton and torture of life, and Jessie's
plant was becoming an appalling fact.
Her husbands cruelty was driving her
mad! Margaret saw it, and forgot all
her own injuries.
Ruth, DEAR" she would say, this ex-
plains all her faults. She was not ac-
countable. She did not know how terri
bly, she tried me. My poor child. She is
Bert's widow. too, We must recollect
and he loved her"
And that broad, generous heart
opened to the woman who had so tor
Every day the wreck of the beautiful
blond came to US for such comfort as
we could give, childishly pleased at
trifles or as childishly enraged.
But one day she did not come; another
and another passed, and then we knew
that she had been placed in an asylum.
Her husband had found out her daily
,-;S;tS md reproacbiu,r bsy. bad said.