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Alice Young's Trial

Alice Young's Trial image
Parent Issue
Day
26
Month
August
Year
1887
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Fair and fragüe as a wild flowei looks Alice Yonng, standing with her garden hat in her hand and the leal shadows chasing each other over her golden hair, watching her husband cl i-ive away with their beautiful guest Olive Duane. A bend in the road hides them f rom view, and the tears that she has bravely held back swella int o her blue eyes. Olive's visit is drawing to a close, and the month that she has spent with her schoolgirl friend has caused a strange unhappiness to grow in the young wiie's bosom. Robert, her husband, has been an idolized hero in Alice's eyes the four years she has been his iviíe. She has filled his life seem. ingly as completely as he filled her own, and no doubt of his faith and constancy has ever marred her happiiwss until this stately, imperious woraan, carne into their home. Since then, all unconfessed, even to horself, a weary pain had been growing in her heart. Olive and Alice were room mates in u f;ishionable seminary, and through the years of girlhood a strong friendship had grown up between them. Leaving school Olive went abroad to finish her musical education, whilo Alice's first season in society brought Robert Young to her feet. Early an orphan, and brought up by distnnt relatives, she had known hule of love or appi'eciation. It was no wonder that her heart went out to this grave, handsome man, even at their rirst meeting, and when he told her "ye olden story" a few months later and she had protnised to be his wife, the world contained no happier naaiden. After a brief engagement they were married. He had brought his wife tol his ideal home directly from the wedding journey, and here the peaceful, joy-crowned years sped away - broken by one great giief. Two years before our story opens, their little one, "grown weary of life's journey scarce begun," closed its wondering eyes and with lilies clasped within its waxen pal ms, was laidto sleep wherñ no loving lullaby would ever soothe its slumbers. This blow nearly Ulied the fair young mot her, but a year of traval i i'stored her shattered health. Society was given up, and she seemed to live entirely in her husband's love. Their home, situated but a few miles from the city, was a perfect dreain of snmmer rest. It had been the center of h joyous throng of guests before the baby died, but since then they had lived alone. Olive was the first guest they had entertained for any lenth of time; and now, after a stay of nearly two months, she wasto leave the nextday but one. When she carne, Alice was surprised to iind her pretty school girl developed into a grand, imperious woman, whose beauty almost awed her, and she did not fail to note - with a strange pain at her heart - her husband's look of admiration when he was introduced to their guest. Robert Young was a musical enthusiast, and this passion was the only thing that ever stirred him out of his usual cuitured calm. His admiration of Olive's wondrful voice pleased Alice at first, but when Olive sat niht after night at the piano with Robert by her side, turning music, or joining his rich baritons voice with hers, while his wife was neglected and alone, that same strange pain would creep into her heart; and as day after day passed away, and saw her husband more and more absorbed in their guest, it ilnally settled there. and all the joy and Bunlight seemed to go out of her life. Through it all no single rule of hospitality was broken, no complaint was made, but silently Alice bore her Buffering and growing suspicious. Shefancied that Robert was growing cold towards her, and all unconsciously her manner grew distant towaids him- which caused him no litt!f wonder. Thus m.atters went on from day to day until this last drive was planned. Alice thought her huaband did not desire her with them, so pleaded a headache as an excuse for remaining at home. The brawling brook that goestumbling through their grounds, wanders on a few miles further, widening as it travele, to finally plungedownarocky precijiice, sending a cloud offoamhieh into the air, formina aspectaclefamed far and near for its wild beauty. This has been reserved as the crowning treat of Olive's visit, and it is to see this beautiful spot that Robert has taken Olive.leavingAlicealoneto weep out the wretchedness that has come into her life. She brushes the tears from her lashes and enter3 the house. She goes to the parlot', rearranges a misplaced ornament, and sathersup the petáis that have tallen f rom a roseadorning Olive's luxuriant hair. She remembers how handsome Robert looked as he handed it to her.and recalls (with a pang) the playful remark with which Olive accepted it. Sighing heavily she leaves the room and ascends the Btairs, thinking of a chest of drawers in which lie folded dainty, fairy-like garments and some broken toys. These have been her solace in many a lone'y hour af late, and she will look at them now, bathing them anew with her tears. On the stairway her skirts brush a bit of paper, and mechanically she 8toop8 and picks it up. In her own room she starts to throw the scrap into a waBte banket, when something strangely familiar in the writing cauglit her eye, and this ia what she reads: "And are you jealous of my duty? As well compave a gorgeous hothouse roso to a d rooping wayside daisy. I am loncing for the time to come when I -.an cali you mine, and in Italy, 'the land of Ban and song,' we can be hap: py together. "Yours devotedly, Robert." The words swim before her eyes, nnd stunned and blinded she groups her way to the bed and falls upon it. "Oh, God! she cries, "I had nofc expected this; oh, Robert, Robert! how could you do this wrong?" Great tearless sobs shake her convulsively as tthe buries her face in the pillows. At length she arises, and with a set, white face, in which stern, resolute linea have already appeared, adding years to the girlish features, and with a hand that does not tremble, she pens a few lines, and enclosing them with the fatal scrap in an envelope, addresses it to Robert and places it wliere he must discover it on entering the room. This done, she replaces her white gown with a sober traveling dress, takes her baby's picture and a sunny curl ol it's huir from the drawer, and with silent tears wetting her cheeks, places them in a satchel with some otlier things, ties the ribbons of her plainest bonnet beneath her chin, and turns toleave the room. As she does so, Roberi's pictured face stniles down at her from its frame. She pauses irresolutely before it an instant, and with all her soul, looks up into the eyes that seem so full of loyalty and truth. Thus gazing, a softer expression comes into her pain-drawn features, to be quickly replaeed by a sterner one, and hastily dropping her vail, as in fear her courage will desert her, goes out into the hall, down thesoftly carpeted stairs, and out of the house in which she had been so happy. At the railway station she is just in time to catch a train going city wards, and a few minutes later stands amid the babble and confusión of a great depot. She hurries out into the street, not caring where she goes, only to get away - away from some horror that seems to be pursuing her. She does not heed the warning gesture of the policeman at the crossing, and he does not reach her side until cruel hoofs have struck her down, and Bhe is lying bruised and unconscious, with pitying faces bending above her. Willing hands raised and carried the limp barden to the sidewalk. The patrol wagon is summoned; she is tenderly lifted therein, and slowly driven to a hospital. Upon tlieir return, not finding Alice in the crounds or lower part of tho house, Robert went immediately to her room, while Olive went into tho parlor. The first thing his eye feil upon was Alice's farewell message. Ilurriedly teering the envelope open, he was amazed to read its contents. In the upmost bewilderment he read the scrap over and over again, suspiciously like his own writing, yet i words that he never penned. What could it mean? And Alice his dear little wife, had thought him guilty of such baseness, and had fled from him as from a leper. His face burned and he shook as one in an auue. As he stood there stunned and unable to fully comprehend the sitnation, Olive's full, rich voicö floated up to him: "Oh, my love! I loved her so, My love I loved long years aso." Soft, yet clear and distinct each word came to him, burdened with an anguish none but a woman, mistress of her art. could expresa. As he listened, the picture of his wife's pathetic face rose up before him, and her etrange coldness was explained. Fooi that he had been not to see the jealousy she had so skilfully tried to conceal, and with the thought his heart ached at the remembrance of many trivial things (to him) that must have caused her pain, done all unwittingly on his part. He started as one aroused from a sleep, and hurried to the parlor. Handing Olive tho letter he exclaimed: "Miss Duane, what does this mean! Alice is gone and I have found this in her room." She read the scrap first (crimsoning the while) and in much confusión replied: "This is a bit of a letter from the gentleman to w'nom I am engaged. He is now with an invalid cousin, and this ij part of the reply to one of my lettere it. which I teased him in regard to his devotion to her. In opening the envelope I tore the letter and must havo dropped this piece. I did not teil Alice my secret, intending to surprise her with an invitation to my wedding, but this has betrayed me." She ended with a merry little laagh that quickly died upon her lips when she noticed Robert's grave, palé face. "Unfortunately it has done worse," he sadly answers. "Your Robert's writinu bears a close resemblance to my own; read Alice's note, and see how cruelly the poor child has misjudged us." "She did so, and sprang to her feet, white and trembling. "How could she think such a thing of me!" she angrily exclaimed. A groan was the only answer, and seeing the distress on Robert's face her anger disappeared, and anxiety for her triend took its place. "She cannot have gone far, and porhaps some of the eervants can teil which way she went." She quickly summoned them, but none had een their mistress leavethe grounds. Robert and Olive hurried to the station, and there better success awaited them. They soon learned that she had boarded a train going to the city. The next train bore them in the same direction; but arriving there, all trace of her was lost; nene of the depot officials remembered seaing any one answering the description. After hours of maddening suspense they found her lyins; white and still at the hospital. Robert's heart sank within him when he looked down upon the sweet face, as rigid and set as in death. Scarcely a breath fluttered over the wan lips, and the golden hair was dabbed with blood over the bandage that concealed the cruel gash in ber temple. "Would she live?" agonizingly he asked the question of the irrave physicians in attendance, and broke down utterly when he received no response. Olive tried to soothe him as best she could, but the sight of her friend's face, so like unto death, complete'.y unnerved her, and she was led almost fainting from the room. All throngh the night Alice lay in that deatli-like trance; only the feobly fluttering heart betraying that life still linsered. All through the weary hours the physiciana remained by her bedside, and Robert paced silently to and fro. With tho first gray gleams of comingday a faint color struggled into her wan face, and the doctors exchanged more hopeful glances. Robert saw this and, quick to interpret their meaning, sent up a glad thanksgiving from his gratefui heart. Days passed, in which hope and despare stmggled in turn for mastery, and at last Alice awoke to consciousness to find Robert and Olive, palé and haggard with watching by her bedside. She looked around her in amazement, and her eyes. resting for moment on their careworn faces, she turned from them, her eyes brimmed with tears, and her lips trembling patheticaliy. Robert clasped her to nis heart, and in al most incoherent words, poured out an explanation. Alice beckoned Olive to her and feebly craved her pardon, and Olive generously silenced the contrita words with kisses. It was months ere Alice recovered sufficiently to attend Olive's wedding, looking very pale and childlike, as shn reached up to kiss the bride- looking so gloriously beautiful in her bridal robos - after thecereniony. Robert Youuj, lias never allowed anything to come between hlmatelfand wife - not even hia heloved niusic- siince he carne so near loting her.- Farmer and Manufacturer.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat