The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-10-14
MY POOR WIFE.
BY J. P. SMITH.
80
CHAPTER XvIII.-lContinued.)
BY ]. P. SMITH.

CHAPTER XVIII.-(Continued.)
Il made cautious inquiries, and
found to my surprise hat my miser-
able identity was quite lost. l had
given 10 hint, uttered no name during
my stay there, that would lead to dis
covery. l learned that the clothes I
wore when taken up by the poi.ce
were mere rags of the coarsest, most
loathsome kind, and a bit of soiled pa
per bearing the name Elizabeth
Thompson found in the pocket of the
dress served as my certificate Of bap-
tism, and so Elizabeth Thompson l re-
manned to all who met me during
those seven years. When and how my
clothes we're changed and stolen, as
they undoubtedly were, I don't remem-
Der. After three years I was dis
charged as cured, and, as l had shown
some capability for nursing during an
epidemic that visited the asylum, a
kind nun who had charge OF the Cath
Ollie ward offered to get me a place as
attendant in a hospital, where l re-
manned some time"
"And you never thought of me
neve longed to see me, to know how
I"
She laughed bitterly, as she waved
the eager interruption aside, with a
gesture of pain.
Never thought of you! All, you
will never know how you filled my life,
can never understand what / felt-and
suffered! knew you must believe me
dead, and 1 knew the best thing for
your happiness, your peace of mind,
was to let you remain in that belief.
I struggled to keep away from
you, to learn nothing about you;
but, when nursing a patient whom !
casually heard had lately been in do
nestle service in the neighborhood OF
Colworth, 1 could not resist the temp
tation Of questioning her. From her
1 learned, Paul, that Mr.. Dennys OF
Colworth was married to a Miss Stop
ford, with whom he had inherited a
large fortune, that he was very happy
and prosperous and the father Of three
beautiful children.
"This news allayed all my doubts
drove every lingering spark of hope
and happiness from my future.
begged the reverend mother who had
procured me the place in the hospita,
to accept me as a novice; but she hest
tated for some time, knowing of the
faint in my blood. However, after 6
couple Of years, seeing no sign Of
relapse, and getting a very favorable
opinion of my case from the asylum
doctors, I was received into the con
vent, and on application allowed tc
join the mission going to New Zea-
land.
1--WE were to have sailed next week
and as the time drew heal a terrible
restlessness came over me, a longing
so intense to breathe the air yor
breathed once more, that I felt
could never be a useful and contentet
were gratifed. l appealed to the rev
erend mother, and she with her usua
goodness gave her consent. 1 arrived
at dusk that-that blessed night, in
tending only to say a prayer for YOU
and yours at the cross preserving my
memory, and then steal away rs / ha(
come.
cat the station I saw your brother
accidentally, believing him to be 20,
his features are wonderfully lik,
what yours once were. I found to m,
utter bewilderment, and l think relief
that my love was dead-completel.
dead, that Edith's husband was moth
ing to me.
81 wandered out, bordering tn,
meaning of this discovery, and saw
you stretched across my grave. A
the first sound of your voice, at tn
first glance into your worn altered
face-ah, beloved, I knew that l wa
not free, and could never be, no mat
ter what gulf divided US. l tried t,
save you as I thought-to leave you
but-but-"