The Tragedy of Wild River Valley

ghborhood, took his seat at the supper-table in his own kitchen and looked across it with an e

ers over her forehead; her dress, originally a gayly colored calico, soiled, faded, and torn-a

y," he remarked in a bitter, sarcastic tone. "You used to sl

, what ud be the use o' goin' to all that

g disgust, "to 'low a man to marry you with the idee that he's gettin' a

g she wants, and then, when he's got her fast, turn out mean and stingy and hard, wantin' to force her to work mornin', noon, an

t lookin' decent. You've got clo

fer throwin' myself away on an old codger like you when there was a plenty o' likely young fellers as

t nothin' out o' me, I k

she sobbed. "As if anybody could keep fixed up

she's doin' she's always neat as a pin-hair done up smoot

hadn't mar

mperin' ways. But I wouldn't a been if I'd knowed what a poor fist you'd make at housekeepin' an' cookin', lettin' things run to waste, and how you'd spoil all your go

ar tastes and opinions, as was not surprising in view of the fact that they had b

a petted darling, who would have little to do but deck herself in finery; he, to gratify a sudden foolish

occurrence between them. He presently rose, and with a parting fling at her

doorway, and muttering, "You old tyrant, I'll pay you off one o' these fine days, that I will!"

he door an hour later, she saw her husband walking briskl

e the house to myself for awhile," she said, half aloud, having, from

set to rights her dirty, disorderly kitchen, released her hair from its curl papers, combed, br

changed her dingy, dirty dress for a comparatively new and clean

, which she folded with care and threw over her plump shoulders. Next, a bonnet of crimson cotton velvet profusely trimmed with cheap feathers and f

at on earth was that?" she cried, starting, and turning toward the window wit

in curtain was drawn across the lower sash, completely obstructing her view of any and everything that might be upon the out

e concluded she had been mistaken; it was all imagination;

ch a good view might thus be obtained of all that was transpiring within the room. It was the face of a tall, stoutly built man, ve

hen, softening a little, "But she is a purty crayther, an' it's mesilf, Phalim O'Rourke, that

mselves in smiles, his face darkened with jealous rage, and muttered curses were on his tongue. She was happy with his rival, the man who had rob

the moment. He would not have cared had she come to the window and found him there, yet he

nching the hard, frozen snow in the road on the

whence he could have almost laid his hand on the shoulder of the old

hat hurt him," the intruder said to himself with a bitter l

oor. Belinda heard him, hastily threw aside bonnet and

led. "Keep a man freezin' outside ti

l you I'm not a goin' to stay here alone after d

jeeringly, and eyeing her askance

ajar in her haste, and he seemed to know by intuition that she ha

some time of her new purchases, she wished, since it was su

th a half-terrified

rning on her, his face flushing angri

lf and regarding him with scornful, flashing eyes. "Do you suppose I'm a goin' to c

e in Prairieville and Riverside, Frederic and Fairfield, and tell

ood wages to me or somebody e

n, and threw it into the fire. She rushed after him, and made frantic efforts to

ngeance; she would have a divorce an

world to the first part o' that," h

ouse. Belinda had wept herself to sleep by the side of her now d

rk figure drew near the bed. Slowly and cautiously it turned the light of a dark lantern upon the face of th

r eyes opened at that instant, perhaps she would have died of fright; but she slept on, breathing softly and regula

awing it as his eye fell on the old man on the farther side of the bed, soundly sleeping also, with his face to the wall, and little dreaming that there was but a step betwee

n he cud do it hisself; an' that widout anny danger o' State prison fer sendin' 'em aforehand