The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1897-12-22
His Wife'S Confession.
Ry MARIAN BRECK.

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. 1t seemed to
him when he found her sitting OPP
posite to him one morning at the table,
at 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 at in
comparison with diamond; but young
Wilton, who, without being conscious
of it, was a 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
the delicate nunlike face.
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 tinement 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 hac
not CHANGED to discover her, she would
surely never have found her way tt
this mountain paradise.
This cousin, two degrees removed
was q wealthy widow, who, on finding
that the girl was an orphan, had a
once adopted her. She was an elderl,,
woman, and, having no child OF he s,
own, she had hoped to keep Edltl
,n;tL H. 49, NV ivou VI ner days; bu
Cupid, when two young hearts are il
his meshes, has scant consideration 70
the hopes and plans of the old; an(
presently Harold, with becoming
= sense Of his unworthiness, was beg
ging for Edith's and,-her heart, h
was sure, was his already.
The young lovers never suspecte
the pang it cost the new mother t
give her consent to their marriage
they were too thoroughly engrosse
with each other. Harold was fin
fellow, and came of good stock; sh
knew all about his antecedents, an
had no fault whatever to find wit
him; but it seemed hard that he sho1ll
so soon rob her of this sweet daughte
1t did not occur to her that there VIZ
any necessity of explaining to hi
how she came to adopt her. If
truly loved her, it would matter lit
to him how or where she had blossomt
into this perfect flower of woma
+. hood And Edith herself was tt
happy to dwell on the past. Tt
chiefly the old who spend time in I
!. trospection.
But when, on their return from Il
wedding journey, Harold took her
Ia his city home, she began to
- troubled 1t was stately old ma
y sion, overlooking with rare books a
10 works of art; and Edith was half |
T. side herself. All her life she h
L. been hungry for things of this so
lie and her intelligent appreciation ga
unrntl frnch RI /,
1t himself, for he knew very we'll wi
H. his Grandmother Wilton would ha
re thought of him if he had married
IS girl not able to discriminate betw e
Is a masterpiece and daub.
r Edith was especially fascinated
ps the family portraits; and Harold,
he they went the rounds of the gale
I'd rehearsed the Evolutionary lore CO
K corning the different ancestors, III
10. she felt that she was intimately
ly quainted with them. This was
90 great-grandfather, and brother-in-l
on of the Governor;--and this his gre
al grandaunt, the Governor wife.
tie "And here" he said, with shr1
a sis another great grandaunt, by m
'es riage,a handsome housekeeping da.
rs if the painting is to be trusted,
in not thoroughbred, according to
lie notion, for she deliberately separa
from her husband to marry anot
- man, Sir Guy Somebody, who '
q rich and-beastly. She went abr
III with him and never came back,
n tunately. But Grandmother Viii
" is very fond of the portrait.
lI Edith did not wonder at that, it
81 so superbly painted. But the st
II made her look att in different liz
q One picture that particularly in
n ested her was that of tine-featu
IL old man, with a crutch at his side.
al was hung in an obscure corner,
VI Harold passed it with the brief N
III ton that it was the portrait O
g. remote relative, a soldier in the
,a5 volution. Edith fingered for anot
q look