Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1899-05-04

lay sinking heart l.t.t ..
ing s.-y.
"rI.u. Dorothy. thrr. rI
one eC the Sail,>t dut..s u..
had to prrforI-,laf ui
hopeful loyal UI~I-r. .eti-
h- had been BETRAYED ami
E.- dearest anti .---n--.
fearful shock to him. poor
The worst of il all 60 uy va- .r.
former affection f,- Iaru.Hr. ...-
Pcs the revelation turned tl gail r.-#
f- could convince him -aat -i. .
Z $, with the woman De- lUs,t- D., ...-
tf.. uau WHO had robbed him. .-
vr.m lie held responsible. .or ri.as
r.- tur theft. but for % G-i. -.l.iy.
PLANNED and skiIlfully-e pan.
rr>r Of alternating Alicy's affection
tr.u himself When he left the house
a lrtle later be- left message f0r .ar-
rar.tr To the effect that i, was his
d.-.i. that they should never a2ail-
meet: that he neither wished nor would
receive explanations or excuses from
him: that i'm future they should b.
strangers to each either. And my son.
proud and confident of his wifc's in
te-ritv. accepted the message with
cut urotaSt. And So IL WIS that two
lrar. who had from their birth had
huH united hy the closest ties 1f
friendship. fen apart and became en-
cmi.S Never. from that day 20 this
has David Spencer entered my son 5
home.
My son and his wife took UP their
abode here | offered 10 move away
and live elsewhere; but he. ever kint
and considerable. would not listen TO
THIS Mrs Mayberry continued to ad-
minister the household. though no
longer receiving a salary for 50 doing
Sha was now mother OF the mistress
of The Ivies. and the position ~ affairs
might have been a little embarrassing
had il not been for the delicate tact
which kept her almost entirely IN her
own apartments.
1t was not long before il became ap-
parent that matters were not going
quite smoothly with the newly married
couple She was restless and piued for
gaipty. he was grave and studious
and absorbed in his duties ln fact
they hUdu't n taste or sympathy in
common. and the .ond Of their love
was too weak 70 unite them. He was
marvellUusly patient with her capriccs.
humoTiu- her whiWs with wonderful
kindness. | have since thought that
a swift awakening 10 the quality ~
the affection he bore her caused him
to exercise this divine forbearance and
tolerance towards her childish. silly
vhims
"Six months after Inracott's mar
rIagc my child came home TO celebrate
his twenty first birthday. He had
changed and developed into "A glorious
specimen of manhood. Shall | show
him to you. pOrothyT
She raised her hand 10 her neck. and
drew from its rcsting-place upon her
heart the large oval Ioclet which had
been shown once before. Touching a
spring. she open. 81, disclosing a most
charming face. The eyes were rich.
dark and lustrous, like those of Mad
am, only that they were brimming
with fun and mischief; the features
were exquisitely chiselled, and the
mouth as delicately curved as that Of
n child; the complexion was clear
olive. glowing with health and with
the swift coursing of youthful blood;
and on the smooth brow lay a thick,
close-cut crop OF dark rings. No
wonder that such a splendid young
Apollo had been the darling of his
mothers heart, She held the portrait
might fully realize its beauty, then re-
placed it and continued:
HE was like a ray of sunlight in
the house, and from the moment OF his
entrance within them the walks rang
with mirth and laughter. He and
Alice were like two children; INSOFAR
able, constant comrades. ever planning
some frolic or amusement TO beguile
the hours. Darracott was absent
much of the time, and warmly thank
ed Gerald for SO so~brightcning Alicc's
life. His trust in both was perfect and
entire as mine-can | say more! |
would have staked my life in my
child's honor. There We're many hos
pitalitieS exchanged between us and
our ueighbors, and everywhere Gerald
and Alice were favOritcS. But, little
by little | saw change steal over the
former; he became irritable and unlike
himself, annoyed at trliles. and cspeci-
ally impatient at DarracOtt, from
whom he would bear nothing. All, |
blame myself. Dorothy, that | didn't
forsce what was coming and avert the
crime before il was too latei At last,
a day arrived a terrible day, when,
Heaven help mel | woke from my care
less. happy life to learn that my child.
my Gerald had committed the basest
breach of honor and fidelity. He and
his brothers wife had fled together,
Now you know it, Dorothy, now the
secret of my life is revealed TO youi
Do you wonder that | seek TO hide my
shamed and stricken head, and that
Darracott Chester became wanderer
on the face Of the earth? DO you
wonder that the tidings of my child's
death. coming TO me only few months
after he had committed the fearful
act OF treachery towards one who had
been constant benefactOr 10 him,
were almost welcome news to me,
or that in the illness which fell upon
me my agony was so intense aud
dreadful that blindness came to the
eyes that shrank from the gaze of all
men, and especially from the look or
my first born? Do you think that,
after such humiliation. could bear
ever again to look upon the worldf
For. oh, my boy-my boy, Was ! not.
through my wretched weakness and
partiality, to blame for the fostering
of that root of deadly self-indulgcnce
which springing into vigorous life,
cast into the shade all the better im
pulses Of your nature, and allowed
vicious tendencies to nest and breed
in its branches. oh, Gerald. my child
my chIldr'
She was greatly moved. The strong
structure which had withstood such
awful storms of adversely. now un-
dermined hy the constant fretting OF
narrowing reflections, was shaken to
it's foundations by the breath Of mem
ory. took both her hands In mine
and laid my cheek caressingly upon