Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1897-10-28

"No. insist on your gotng to Lady
GlOuceSteT'8.n
kinds Of things workingmen like. Then
in the evening the wives will be able to
talk with their husbands on equal
terms and the men will not want to go
to the public houses Isn't it a capital
idea?''
A sad little smile touched Marsden's
lips for an instant. "And where do you
meet today? It's a long way for you to
go to Whitechapel.
Didn't I tell you? The Marchionesa
Of Gloucester is giving drawing room
at her town house, and Lady Helen
wrote an urgent note, insisting that /
should come even though it were only
for an hour, as her mother depended
upon my advice SO much.
"Of course know that's just way
Of putting it, but have taken lots Of
trouble about founding the union, so
think it would hardly do for me to be
absent. You're feeling much better,
too, aren't you, today, Thomas?"
Eyes, much better. The pain has al
most ceased. Perhaps it will be quite
gone when you return. Can you spare
just ten minutes to sit beside me? There
is something have been wanting to
say, and perhaps this is my only chance.
When I am well again, maybe
afraid"
Mrs. Marsden sat down, wondering,
and her husband waited minute.
Zone understands many things that
puzzled him before when he lies in
quietness for weeks and takes an after
look. Yes, suspected it at times, but
I was coward and put the thought
away. 1t seemed curious that no one
came to spend an hour with me, as men
do with friends, and I noticed that they
appeared to avoid me. I thought it was
fancy, and that I had grown self con-
scious.
Everything is quite plain now, and
lam not hurt, dear, and I don't blame
any person. That would be very wrong.
People might have been far more impa-
tient with me and might have made my
life miserable.
"God gave me dull mind and
slow tongue, it took me long time to
grasp anything, and no one cared about
the subject that interested me. Beatrice,
wish now you had told me how /
bored our friends. Itwould have been
kindness. But never mind that now.
You did not like to give me pain.
what troubles me most is that all
these years you should have been tied
to a very tiresome fellow" And Mars
den made some poor attempt TO smile.
Had thought Of what was before you
would never have asked you to marry
me.
"Don't cry, dearl I did not wish to
hurt you. WANTED to ask your pardon
for all that martyrdom, and-to thank
you for-being my wife, and there's
something else.
"You see, when get we'll and am
not lying in bed maybe could not tell
you, so let me explain everything now,
and then we need not speak about such
things again.
Perhaps you thought me too eco
nomical, but I was saving for pur-
pose. Your portion has not brought
quite SO much as it did, and wished
to make it up to you, and now you can
have e6O0 a year, as before. If this ILL
ness had gone against me, you would
have been quite comfortable-in money,
I mean, dear.
ono. I insist on your going to Lady
Gloucester s-the change will do you
good-and I'll lie here digesting the Ref.
ormation, you know" And he smiled,
better this time, quite creditably, in
fact. "Will you give me kiss just tc
keep till we meet again."
When the nurse came down at to
take charge, she was Mortified to find
her patient alone and in the death ago
ny, but conscious and able to speak.
Don't ring-nor send for my wife.
sent-her away, knowing the end was
near-made her go, in fact-against her
will"
The nurse gave him brandy, and he
became stronger for minute.
"She has had great deal to bear
with me, and Ibid not wish her to
see death. My manner has always been
30 wearisome-I hoped that-nobody
would be here. You are very kind,
nurse. No more, if you please.
"Would 1t trouble you-to hold my
hand, nurse? It's little lonely-I am
not AFRAID wayfaring man-though
. top1-not err therein''-
He was not near SO tedious with his
dying as he had been with his living.
Very shortly afterward Thomas Mars
den had done with statistics forever.