The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1897-10-20
His Wife'S Confession.
ny MARIAN BRECR.

When Harold Wilton married Edith
Morse he knew very little about her
past life. Indeed, she was so young,
so like flower that had but just fairly
unfolded, that it was hard to realize
that she had any past. II seemed to
him when he found her sitting OPP
posite to him one morning at the table,
Mt n summer resort in the mountains,
that she was new Eve created for
him alone; and as they were the only
young folks in the house there was no
one to dispute his claim.
There are people, no doubt, who
would have hesitated to admit that
Edith was beautiful, she was so unlike
the brilliant brunette who sat next to
her,-just as there are people who
think an opal not worth looking mt in
comparison with diamonds but young
Wilton, who, without being conscious
of it, was poet and an artist, found
an endless charm in the quick kin
ding of the frank blue eyes, and the
coming and going of the dimples in
tue ttilCbtt nuuilkt IHce.
Had any one told him that she had
grown up among the sand dunes he
would hardly have believed it, for, with
the grace and sweetness of a wild rose,
she had are finement of voice and man.
ner that told Enthusiastically of gentle
breeding. Yet until the last two years,
her home, from the time she was in
short frocks, had been in the little vii
lage of Hardacre at the far end of
Long Island, and, if her cousin had
not chanced to discover her, she would
surely never have found her way to
this mountain paradise.
This cousin, two degrees removed,
was wealthy widow, who, on finding
that the girl was an orphan, had at
once adopted her. She was an elderly
woman, and, having no child of her
own, she had hoped to keep Edith
with her for the rest of her days; but
Cupid, when two young hearts are in
his meshes, has scant consideration for
the hopes and plans of the old; and
presently Harold, with becoming
sense of his unworthiness, was beg
ging for Ediths hand, d,-her heart, he
was sure, was his already.
The young lovers never suspected
the pang it cost the new mother to
give her consent to their marriage,
they were too thoroughly engrossed
with each other. Harold was fine
fellow, and came of good stock; she
knew all about his antecedents, and
had no fault whatever to find with
him; but it seemed hard that he should
80 soon rob her of this sweet daughter.
1t did not occur to her that there was
any necessity of explaining to him
how she came to adopt her. If he
truly loved her, it would matter little
to him how or where she had blossomed
into this perfect flower of woman
hood. And Edith herself was too
happy to dwell on the past It is
chiefly the old who spend time in re-
trospection.
But when, on their return from the
wedding journey, Harold took her to
his city home, she began to be
troubled. 1t was stately old man
sion, overhowing with rare books and
works of art; and Edith was half be-
side herself. All her life she had
been hungry for things of this sort,
and her intelligent appreciation gave
Harold fresh cause to congratulate
himself, for he knew very well what
his Grandmother Wilton would have
thought of him if he had married a
girl not able to discriminate betw cen
a masterpiece and daub.
Edith was especially fascinated by
the family portraits; and Harold, as
they went the rounds of the gallery,
rehearsed the traditionary lore CON
cerning the different ancestors, until
she felt that she was intimately ac-
quainted with them. This was his
great-grandfather, and brother-in-l law
OF the Governor;-and this his great
grandaunt, the Governors wife.
Sand here" he said, with shrug,
sis another great-grandaunt, by mar
riage,a handsome high-stepping dame,
If the painting is to be trusted, yet
not thoroughbred, according to my
notion, for she deliberately separated
from her husband to marry another
man. q Sir Guy Somebody. who was