The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1902-03-28
A Queer Story.

!
two funerals tomorrow. One of them
that notorious woman's. Will you take
them, please?'
YES" replied the Citrate.
But, upon my word, 1 really think
that you should not read the burial sery-
ice over that black sheep. It would be
nothing short of mockery," said the Rec
tor, with an expression Of virtuous dis
gust upon his clean-shaven face. Zone
must not he hard, Of course. But if
ever anyone was laid to rest not in the
sure and certain hope OF a joyful resur-
rection. she is the one."
Il visited her upon her deathbed. She
made full confession. / hope she is for
giyen.' replied the Curatc.
Il hope so,' remarked the Rector, in
the tone of one whose expectations are
not equal to his hopes.
Il committed her TO Gods gracious
mercy" said the Curare
She will need it, rejoined the Rector.
Besides" inquired the Citrate, with
as much expostulation of manner as it
was prudent to display, "can refuse to
read the burial service over her"'
-. That is the worst-ahem-I mean the
difficulty Of it," answered the Rector.
She did not lay violent hands upon her
self; nor, l suppose, technically did she
dle eXcommunicate. But that, of course,
plorable laxity Of modern .nurcn govern
meAt-ex communication has become a
dead letter. In those more wholesome
AND vigorous days. however, when the
Iubric was drawn up she would have
neen eXcommunicated beyond a doubt.
so, although by the strict letter of the
law she seems entitled to her burial sery-
ice, by the spirit OF it, she ought to be-
buried in unconsecrated ground with no
religious rites Whateyer,' pronounced tho
Rector, emphatically.
DO you know her whole story?" asked
the Curate timidly
20 ;d;n Shonld think so:' was the scornful
hood knows il. 1t is notorious
But here: for the benefit of those read
e;s OF Truth who do not happen to live in
the nelghbo rhood, | will relate the who'll,
story OF the woman whose right to Chris
flan burial was being disputed by the
Rector. ~ '''e
Mrs. Maber!eigh had not been ]on,
married before she awoke to the fnct
that her union with George Mabcrleigo
mad been bitter mistake; and none the
less bitter because she herself had insist
ed upon marrying him in spite of the
many friends who had warned her
against him. They assured her, with
perfect trnthfulness, that he was a man
Oh 1ast ire: extravagant, unprincipled,
even II his habits underwent a rcforma-
ton during the first novelty of wedlock,
would certainly suffer speedy relapse.
ana who. soon firing of her. would bn
seeking again within a few months his
old vicious, consultations. But she had
5nrned deaf ear to these warnings.
She did not believe them. Fast? Wei.
certainly George had gone the pace it,
as so many young bachelors did. There
was nothing in that. He would settle
down into steady fellow enough when
they were married. And his love for her
and hers for him, would keep him thence
forth IN the straight path. A venerable
error into which many a trusting wom-
an has fallen ere now-into which many
world lasts.
=; l DO not say that she had no happiness
delirious spell of it. 1t lasted for nearly
SIX weeks, surviving the honeymoon by
margin Of fortnight. Then her hus.
ate devotion during all those fcrty-two
days, began to decline into his old
courses; his courses Of drinking of gam
bling, and Of other things even less OK
cusable which prefer not to specify.
AS time went on. he grew worse and
worse. ,Alice'ss attempts to reclaim him
were all in vain. The fellow was essen
''un"--wrong beyond redemption. Al
length she desisted, and resigned herself
to endure as best she might the cruel BIT
terness Of her lot. For the sake Of her
child-she had one little girl-she con-
tinued to live with him. II it had no;
been for that: she would have left her
unworthy husband long ago. But when
they had been married some five years,
an outrageous thing happened-a thing
which even consideration for the child
would not suffer her to overlook. 1t was
this:
Some two years previously Alice, feel
ing the loneliness Of her husbands per-
petual absences, had taken into her house
a young woman in the joint capacity of
and mothers help. The lat
ter. who was friendless and penniless-
both her parents being dead and her re-
lations not caring to undertake the bur-
den of her maintenance-had been nurs-
cry goyerness in the service of an ac-
quaintance Of Mr.. Maberleigh's, who
treated the girl with great unkindness.
She had gentle, pleasant ways, and was
fond Of children. So partly. on this ac-
count, partly out Of pity for her hard lot,
Alice took Ruth Morecambc into her own
employ.
For some time the venture proved most
satisfactory. Both Alice and her little
girl grew very fond of Ruth, while Ruth
on her part, grateful for the kindness
shown her, warmly reciprocated their
affection and did everything in her power
to please. But alas! she had pretty
face and large liquid yes-dangerous
qualities indeed for any girl dependent
in house of which George Maber!eish
was master. He saw; he noted: he ad-
mired-in his vicious way. Then he set
himself by all those insidious and stea!thy
arts, in which he was we'll versed, to
entangle and compromise his wife's at
tractive companion.
At first he made no Roadway, Ruth
studiously ignoring his stealthy and sub
tie advances. But, as time went on, her
resistance weakened somewhat. She
was very young, it must be remembered,
very inexperienced. very impressionable.
while George Maberleigh was a man of
dangerously attractive appearance, with
manners that (when he pleased) We're
unquestionably prepossessing. Moreover,
as a lcve-maker of wide experience, HE
had the art to adapt himself and bis
behavior to the particular variety Of
woman who, for the time being, claimed
his attentions. To simple minded girl
as Ruth was when this scoundrel first
set himself to entangle her-he COM
ported himself Tin the initial stage) with
skillfully assumed demeanor Of modes
ty and diftidence. What his manner
fN L IL