Year: 1875

ioM iong mas your husband been
dead, Mrs. Clerris 2" asked our Mac
with bluntness that made rs ali
ashamed.


HE Is not dead" was the Quiet re-
ply, but quivering of pain mingled
with the patient look of her face. and
1t dId not need that mother should
shake her head at us, thereby implying
that no more questions were to be
asked, for we were awed into silence
and were very sorry that Mag's
lmpertinence should have given us the
clue to story that was evidently so
sad. We knew comparatively little of
Mrs. Clerris, but she was the friend of
acquaintances and through them had
desired to share the quiet of our coun-
try home as a boarder during the few
weeks of her summer vacation from
town. The panied look did not leave
her face all that day, and when after all
the work was done and mother sat
alone upon the steps of the porch in
the twilight that was fast giving place
TO darkness, Mrs. Clerris went out and
sat beside her. She buried her face
IN her hands and cried quietly few
moments while her frame trembled and
shook violently. At last mother ven
tured: "Alrs. Clerris. you must forget
Maggie's impertinent question this
morning. 1t was only mere Thought
lessness and / am very sorry"


1T does not matter" she said, ''for
| am going to tell you all about it. Per-
haps L should have done so before"


''No you need not p persisted
mother. 'It is not necessary and, as
sure yOu, there viii be no unpleasant
conclusions drawn from what we have
SO inadvertently learned"


But this was the story she told, giving
no heed to mothers assurances


81 was but eighteen when l became
the wife of Miles Clerris-an mex
perienced girl who knew little of life
save of its indulgences and pleasures.
An only child, my fathers means had
been sufficient to crafty all my little
whims and caprices and petted all my
life by lovingfriends, sorrow and disap-
pointment had been terms almost m
known. 1t was considered a very for
tunate thing fort me when an opportunity
arose of becoming the wife of the rich
contractor, who had at first made mere
business visits to our village and /
remember with what unconcealed salts
faction mother and father regarded the
marriage preparations. To be sure he
was much older than I-being nearly
thirty years of age, but mother said /
needed some one to take care of me, /
was so young, while to me he seemed
very compendium of wisdom and, of
course, goodness. So with many con-
gratulations and the envy of half my
young friends, started under the most
favorable auspices for my new home
MANY miles away. Ii was an old place
and the Clerrises had held il for years.
There was an air of substantial comfort
about it, which only wealth can give,
and no wonder my girlish heart thrilled
with pride as l looked upon it for the
first time and thought that wss about
to be its mistress. i soon found, how
ever, that although Miles was the only
son and heir was hardly acknowledged
even a nominal sovereign. The house
hold as it was had been of many years
standing, and did not very cheerfully
accept the new rule of an inexperienced
girl. Mrs. Clerris, ST., was still living
and, though scarcely able to leave her
room, was always querulously intrusive
and fault-finding. A spoiled child my
self, who had anticipated great glory in
the management of her own household,
/ could lily endure her interference and
had not been many weeks wife before
my mother-in-law and myself had some
very sharp passages of words. There
was also in the householda Miss Slayton
"A companion of his mother-Miles
told me after Introducing her; still her
position in the household was always
mystery to me, for though the servants
seemei to hate her cordially she yet ex-
erted over them a firm rule that had
never been able to acquire and in every
event Of the household seemed coolly
but quietly to assert her own authority.
To me she was always especially cour-
/ teous. out her extreme reserve and lack
of confidence exasperated me while her
assumption of power was quite beyond
my endurance.-Shew was more mistress
than 1, L had once passiOnately ex
claimed to Miles, but he always laughed
away my displeasure, soon changing the
subject and never himself expressing
approval or disapproval, L used to fancy
that Mrs Clerrls and Miss Slayton were
conspirei against me and gradually
there grew into my heart fierce hatred
/ for them both which of course made me
very miserable.


Looking back now / can see that at
first much of my trouble arose from un-
guarded jealousy and passion, for l
| had no suspicion of the real state of
affairs. It was not until after the birth
of my baby and the lingering illness
that followed that the real truth began
to dawn noon me- It was torment in


expressibls to lie upon my bed, help
! less. entrusted to the sole care of
nurse and knew that my husband was
! in the company of that woman whom /
hated So In the long evenings | could
hear the hum of their voices in the
parlor below and the neryous, restless
nights that were sure to follow greatly
retarded me recovery. Often at twilight
thew would walk up and down the yard,
and sometimes as they passed my wiz
dow would catch low, tender tones of
voice that ] thought had been used
only for me Once there were words
words of affection so distinct that they
eould not be misunderstood, and after
that / could not name the horrible sus-
picion that I would intrude upon every
thought for that she was guilty crea-
ture thus to endure the caresses of a
married man did not doubt.


"Still it w0uld not do to proclaim
what 1 so thoroughly believe and an at
tempt to dismiss her from the house
would involve a revelation of all my
suspicious, of which there was no sub
stantial proof and which probably no
one would believe after all. Thus L
lived, a most wetched wife, finding my
only consolation in my little son. My


husbands tenlerness-for he was Al


ways kind-seemed but the heartless


discrimination If an unprincipled lib
ertine. / could not dissembie the hard


thoughts that we're in my heart. and SO


grew morose ard distant toward them


all. As might lave been supposed, to


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