Show V r M 7 il TV T 1 vak t 70 fm it 11 V e wi 1 12 i MY POOR WIFE i BY J P SMITH SAUTH tt t t u e fc as ee e e continued I 1 As A she bo looked the prayer for or help I 1 died on her lips lip the tumuli tumult la in her heart ceased aud and ohm knew edithe husband waa was at that moment aa 95 iafe safe from frow molestation from her as it ai 1 l ready ten thousand ir iroles ties ot of water flow ed ell between them no impulse urged her as an she he had feared to throw herself ati at hta his feet and tell him she could never leave him again that he must give up lip home and children for her aake sake mo no she he felt she ho could sit lt in his hi presence till mon morning ting watch etch him playing with hia his chi chilgren luren chatting familiarly with hia his so tilled wife and tie v or even wah to claim him aa its her own because her love for him waa was dead she cared no more for him for whom she he had ficek her youth almost her bar tit bhe she watched him paring passing out outs fol fat lowed by his hi family then roee rocie with a bewildered gesture gea ture scarcely knowing where she he wa was she looked at her cum panion still sleeping alc in her corner from her to mr biro dennye dennys ho camo flouncing in tor for the fourth and last time and who addressed her ance o ohi can you tell me please it my maid baa has returned no if it she ho doe will you tell her the box hag ban been lullus MIJ aud we then the tho bald maid ao ap pearl ng bhe she went on oh hero here you arel the box has his turned up and we are ready to start at last are the children in the landau I 1 am taking faster percy in the brougham with me de be aure sure to put my dressing case on the front seat I 1 think that 9 all oh if it ever I 1 travel with such a nursery again I 1 he she muttered impatiently fastening on an a gauze ell he be fore for the glar glass I 1 I 1 wonder where paul raut isa 1 doea does he intend driving in the brougham or laudau I 1 haven t ceen teen mr dennye dennys madam has gone on foot at be said it aa auch such a fine one eight might he would like the walk across the nelda fields fine night it ie in raining and blowing almost a gale gate nai idea ideal at last the station was clear of mrs dennys her nursery nur tery maldi maids and toot foot men and helen unable to bear the air of the room where so many emotion emotions had bad been crowded went out to breathe in the gale she hurried along needles heedless of where he be waa was going her cumbrous bonnet swinging winst ng in her hand her cloak flying out behind her like a treat great black wing waa was ahe she glad or sorry relieve relieved or disappointed had she ever loved him at a all 1 even in those sunny day days before abe she had heard edith a name it lt ahe she bad lived out her life in leae by bla his aide side it he be had never wanted to desert her never cared for another would ehe she in time have como to eel feet towards him ai as she had fit felt at that moment would be he have fallen by degree degrees from rom the pedestal on which the he had placed him or would b be hare have always remained enthroned in her b r fool h d eyes these and a hundred other questions she asked herself vainly a as ebe she hurried through the storm but she he could fand no answer her bar igind was racked rackel for the moment the feeling clear to her was a sense of self pity and con tempt for the years she had wasted asted in futile anguish even now the tempter whispered was it too late after all she vias as only twenty six of youth lay before her if she wished why not coax fire art I 1 its t back ack to her dimmed eyes paint r pale cheeks let her dark hair grow and ee pleasure at ter her long fist why by not bring men to hir hi r feet beet shallow faithless men ar as she bal jona done before make other wives weep a she had wept surely she had endured enough already wae was there cense sense in donning sackcloth and ashes to the end denying herself constantly living in the midst of at misery disease and death when she had been no wilful inner but one who bad had been sinned against from the beginning thus cynically musing she leaned over the bridge under which she bad once passed fighting asly for the life she had bad longed to destroy and peered into the dark water I 1 cihat N hat a fool I 1 was what a wild mad fool she laughed bitterly and my mother before me only there ther wa s no to turning back tor for you poo mother mothe no turning back for you youl mth a shudder she passed aimless ly on her short hair blowing about her bar face and went n into the church yard again she pati paced ed among the reeds then turning down the side path that led to the cross the moon shone full for a moment upon the dreary dr rr spot and she distinctly sa sav the figure of a roan man stretched fare face downward on her grave and that man was ith a husband U 1 I ith a stifel scream her hands in flying to her face she started back and baul looking up saw her bar she heard his voice updated la in a loud cry acrya is cn cr that went to her heart like a knife and se sent nt every nerve in her body quivering with a fierce pain of old which she had b believed stilled forever one second s scared seared inaction and the next she wa was across the churchyard flying as if it for bee be life soon she heard beard bis his voice vote then footsteps following eagerly redoubling her tier speed she struggled on knocking against headstones and cypresses stumbling over the low grassy mounds t that hat covered the nameless dead longing ing for borne some gra grae a to open and engulf her for the suffocating waters to close round her again and bear her out of reach of him whom ahm fh alas still to loved ted better than her own life or her eternal welfare whose peace home happiness ibe ita it a was about to destroy forever her breath came la in panting pantin g gasps camps the ground surged under her feet nearer and nearer came the pursuing sounds and clearer the entreating vote voice unless the moon would slip behind that bauk ot at heavy boavy cloud to ft L rard which it as traveling oh vh so lowly slowly and enable her to drop into the ditch that lined the churchyard in three more strides she he felt that all waa was lost the purpose a 0 her seven year years struggle in vain in tain vain on rih worse than a thousand thoua and times in vain 1 she be knewl it was she never reached the shel bering ditch hir hand fell lit heively evily upon her shoulder and a moan ot of de derr I ir the poor dropped to the ground aid and lay at ida ills feet co conerl ns and whimpering in the wet amas like a frightened child after a hort short unit silent struggle gle he be lifted her ber up and plucked her bar hands hinds from her face it ie is you couyou youl you he cried I 1 helen my wife oh heaven the moon monn just crazing grazing the mass of vapor covered them in her wan white klare glare helen numb with horror looked at him whom a short halt hour before ehe she had seen in the bloom of prosperous comely prime now changed chanced changed into a hatt haggard gard storm beaten aged man with dimmed heavy eyes worn wistful face and hair plentifully sprinkled with grey robbed of youth health hope peace by that moment a glance at her at this piteous night lore rose in arm arms lier tier falu fainting tills soul kiil ali I 1 roused her tier numbed limbs to reil resistance stance she struggled and afook him oil ort 11 freely reely I 1 who who are you how ilow dare you I 1 you touch me met NN hat bat do you malan are you you mad or tipsy to assault a it harm harmilee har mlee lese stranger like that 11 II helen helen he exclaimed in a sighing whisper r lob oh helen st ale a stammered topped stopped swayed irresolutely then burst out violently helen why do boj call we stat 1 I 1 I am not helen she ehe she was drowned seven years lu that wa wit ter 1 aou ou know it fityo yol now it sta well oa an I 1 you must be must be mad made oh go back go you your wife your children your homo home go let me depart I 1 have lave no home no to children no wife but you ills arm arms were ere round her pinioning ber her tightly to her stile side his hot breath tanning fanning her face liar she he panted pushing hie his lips from here hers liar I 1 saw you not aj aa hour ago at the elation station with her your children in your arme arms I 1 heard beard you 1 I ou oil saw my brother arthur with his children and wife to whom he has been married for the last ten years not me helen ay my wife love of my life how could you treat me so how be he asked tears choking bis his voice your brother arthur and bis his wife not you net you the he murmured dizzily and ad closed her eyes 11 I 1 think 1 I think 1 I 1 knew it all along ob I 1 think I 1 klew it you CHAPTER X ill he ile took her to a little quiet village within bound sound of the sea she loved so ell and then by strict medical injunctions kept from her all subjects likely to disturb or agitate her mind it was no difficult task she never once alluded to the past or Ill rowed any anxiety to leiro the hl bitoy etoy of the seven years they had bad spent apart a blissful lethargy came over her and the mere fact of at living of b being 0 together again was sufficient tor for her she wanted no explanation no mutual confession no explanation no mutual confession n no 0 carston back into the land of trouble and sorrow she had left he assured her behind forever dut but it was differ ent ath him jealousy even in the supreme moment of his happiness was already gnawing at his heart and be knew he could not live with her in peace and let those seven years sleep one day about a week after their reunion she was vi ell enough to take a little turn on the shore the soft sort salt breeze blowing in her face brought there a tinge of returning health and youth that tempted him to to make 11 ke an effort to recall the past sh she a too looked ked at him with mournful eyes tien then said with peevish pathos what ahat can you not let m me be paul I 1 am alive and happy now why drag me back to death and torments I 1 want to forget it all all and so d do I 1 he answered eagerly b but ut I 1 cannot I 1 cannot my wife if you will not speak il 31 a are different from women and it if I 1 do not know bow and where you spent those seven years they will poison my peace un til tit the day I 1 die tell me now and I 1 w will ill forget them put them from me after this hour no matter what what you tell me I 1 she sighed restle jr then spoke so be it the first three years after I 1 left home I 1 I 1 spent paul in in a she stopped her eyes fell she sh slipped her little wasted asted baud baad witt fully into his go oa he paid hoarsely I 1 you you have begun I 1 must hear all now I 1 ou spent in a lunatic asylum a pauper lunatic asylum outside london my darling oh ch my poor darling be he cried covering her hand with kiss cs es in a burst of compassion and relief our our little son was born there she continued softly after a slight pause and after a few weeks of life ent peacefully to heaven lie he was a nice little child they toll me paul with fair hair like and very dark eye eyes II 11 don it remember him at all but they kiet me this lock of his hi hair it a pretty and soft tan t it itt poor little mite mitat I 1 never gave him a thought or a tear be was as an well without I 1 dare say the night you left me you went at raught to to the adlum he the prompted after a long pause during which they had sat eat with trembling band hands close clasped tso a no to the river to the river she be answered quickly and feverishly a bright spot burning on her ber cheek 1 I was va mad you know quite quite 1 j I 1 1 mad though I 1 knew krew what hit 11 II wat wal trying to do and remembered it after ward wards you tot got lay ray letter you beird be ird about my mother how I 1 decel deceive J you how their they ill all deceived you yes she paused to take breath then went on quickly an a it she he were repeating repeat inc a leiron lesson ibe she loathed but as forced to ay it 1 I anted wanted to kill myself and end harm I 1 jump jumped ed olt aft it all I 1 aw saw no the first bridge above the church churchyard yard where the water was wa dep deep and the eight of MY clothes kept roe me under until I 1 wai was halt drowned then nature asserted Ber ted itself I 1 wild swim you know in the wildest neat peas and no longer able to bear the agony of 0 suffocation ern een in my madness I 1 struck out for the bank and then I 1 suppose for or I 1 renumber remember nothing clearl 11 titter after that wandered alm lely across aero th country all night and sod next day I 1 WB was taken up aa an a homeless home leee vagrant lodged in a poor home house and thence rent sent after a couple ot of to the asylum where years memory by degrees came back to me to be b continued |