other women after he married my mother.'

"At this Mr. Brown broke out in a long, loud laugh, and when he finally recovered breath enough he said, still laughing:

"Oh, Clara, this is really too much from a girl who is brought up in polygamous surroundings and under as loose a marriage system as your own.'

"Loose marriage system' retorted Clara, hotly. It never before occurred to her how little he understood of the sacred principles of her religion.

"Don't you dare to fling ridicule at what you are unable to comprehend,' she cried in a broken voice. She had advanced threateningly toward him and her eyes flashed with indignation. He stood motionless, and gazed wonderingly at her a second, forgetting his cigar, which he held between his large, white teeth. Then he said coldly:

"Are you trying to imitate Mrs. O'Brien? Well, the role don't suit you, Clara, and furthermore, I will let you know that it don't suit me either, and I won't have any more such scenes; I warn you not to repeat it.'

"He picked up his hat and slowly and deliberately he walked out of the house. In jealous anger Clara flew to the window to see which way he went. He had not proceeded far down the street when he met Mrs. O'Brien, who smiled her sweetest under her towering scarlet feather and her frowsy black crimps. Clara fell

on her knees in a passion of tears, and tore and tossed her hair about her head till the violence ofher grief and anger had worn off. Then she began to think more calmly, and she found a ray of hope in the thought that perhaps it was her own sickly fancies that had conjured up this belief that he was becoming ensnared in that woman's meshes. She pondered and pondered how she had better do. What couse to take how she was most likely to win him back again. How she wished she could have gone to her mother, but shame held her back. She could not expose her husband's fault to those who had warned her strongly against him, and, worst of all, she had not the faith in God she once had; she did not take her troubles to Him, but tried to bear them alone. She resolved at last to try and be patient and bear what she believed to be her husband's temporary coldness with dignity. She would not dissolve in tears, as he had so scornfully alluded to; that was a home thrust, she knew she was rather apt to take refuge in tears when things went against her.

"Now you know, my dear girls,

ral times what he was doing, and he had always told her it was law papers, and she fancied perhaps he was fitting himself for a lawyer. She was ignorant in some things, you see, and very trusting -must have been very trusting. He had formerly always had always had plenty of money, and she never once questioned the source of this ready supply. But when trouble came in shape of unpaid bills and her husband growled at the rate at which everything cost and complained of her extravagance, she began to wonder secretly why he did not seek some work, and she then also began to feel a desire to know whence he had obtained his money so far, as well as the cause of the stop in the flow. But somehow she could not bring herself to ask. In her heart's most secret recess was dawning a fear that all was not as it should be, but the feeling was

before Clara was about to be confined a second time, she had been taking a short stroll in the orchard before breakfast, and stood leisurely gazing down the street over the fence, watching without interest a man who came running at full speed from an opposite direction toward her. As he encountered passers-by he stopped a second, pointed excitedly up toward the hilly side of our town, gasped out a few words and sped on again, leaving the others to stare stupidly, first in the direction he had pointed, then after the running man, and finally hurrying off up the hill. A vague consciousness that something terrible had happened overcame Clara and she walked hurriedly indoors before the man should have reached her, for fear the excitable news might be too great a shock for her unsettled nerves. She sank down in a chair and exclaimed breathlessly to her husband, who was obscured behind an immense paper, he had opened to its utmost capacity:

"John, I believe something dreadful must have happened up on the hill, there is a great deal of excitement in the street; I saw people hurrying in that direction, and do go and see what it is, John.'

"For a moment her husband did not answer, then finally, rattling the paper at a great rate, he merely observed: 'Oh, I guess t is only your imagination; what should have happened?'

"Just then the trampling of many

feet on the pavement and loud talking outside was heard, and on hastening to the window they saw a great crowd moving up the hill, while excitable exclamations and shouting made it impossible to hear anything of the cause of the agitation. Clara noticed that even her husband had turned pale, and seizing his hat he left the house without a word and joined the swelling crowd.

"Before an hour was over Clara had been cautiously told by a neighboring woman that a murder had been committed; that the victim was an old man by the name of Smith, who lived alone in a log house on the hill. He was quite old, and people had called him a miser, everybody being sure that he was concealing a great deal of gold and silver in his old tumble-down hut somewhere; and it was of course greed for his gold that had led to the perpetration of this terrible deed.

"Well, I won't try to picture the excitement that prevailed; the public pulse beat high with rage and indignation at the villain or villains who had stained the fair fame of our peaceful community with this bloody deed-a thing unheard of in our midst till then. And not being at all versed in criminal court proceedings, I will not attempt to describe the trial that followed.

"Mr. O'Brien having been seen go into the old man's house the day previous to the murder, was arrested with his wife on suspic

ion, and as a consequence of being very intimate with them, Mr. Brown was also arrested, whether on suspicion or merely as a witness I cannot say.

"As there was no other individual on whom the least suspicion could fall, and as there appeared no evidence of guilt against Mr. O'Brien, the jury rendered a verdict of not guilty and the case was dismissed till further evidence

should appear. I believe that's the way they put it. I'm not sure though; however that don't matter.

"Clara had been much troubled over the occurrence of her husband being subpoenaed or arrested what you may call it, and had spent the day in weeping, and was much worn out when her husband came home in the evening, pale but more cheerful than she had seen him for many a day. After supper he went out in town again after telling her he should not be long. Clara put her little boy to bed, gave her servant a few directions about breakfast, and feeling the air inside oppressive strolled out in the garden under the softly swaying poplars. It was warm, being in July; there was no moon and night was spreading her wings gently over the quiet landscape, and everything seemed to settle comfortably to rest and sleep; only the leaves whispered mystically as the warm summer wind stirred softly among them. Clara wandered slowly down to her favorite nook, the green house, but looking in it seemed to her lively fancy that flitting shadows

ral times what he was doing, and he had always told her it was law papers, and she fancied perhaps he was fitting himself for lawyer. She was ignorant in some things, you see, and very trusting -must have been very trusting. He had formerly always had always had plenty of money, and she never once questioned the source of this ready supply. But when trouble came in shape of unpaid bills and her husband growled at the rate at which everything cost and complained of her extravagance, she began to wonder secretly why he did not seek some work, and she then also began to feel a desire to know whence he had obtained his money so far, as well as the cause of the stop in the flow. But somehow she could not bring herself to ask. In her heart's most secret recess was dawning a fear that all was not as it should be, but the feeling was so remote that it did not even shape itself into thoughts."

Aunt Ruth stopped, heaved a sigh and rested her head in one hand and sat musing a while.

before Clara was about to be confined a second time, she had been taking a short stroll in the orchard before breakfast, and stood leisurely gazing down the street over the fence, watchi without interest a man who can running at full speed from opposite direction toward her he encountered passers-by stopped a second, pointed citedly up toward the hilly s our town, gasped out a few and sped on again, leavi: others to stare stupidly, firs: direction he had pointed after the running man, ar hurrying off up the i vague consciousness ti thing terrible had happe came Clara and she w riedly indoors before. should have reached he the excitable news m great a shock for h nerves. She sank dow and exclaimed breat! husband, who Wa behind an immens had opened to its ut "John, I belie dreadful must hav on the hill, there i excitement in the people hurrying and do go and John.'

"For a moment not answer, then the paper at merely observe

is only v should

parents.

"One bright morni