THE HOME IN NEW YORK.
'Tis woman's best and sweetest claim
To bear the honored name of Wife--
But oh, how often is that name
Her bitterest trial throughout life.
It was evening, and the cosy parlor was bathed in rosy light, the
curtains were drawn, and true to their old time customs Mrs. Sinclair
and Stella were seated in easy chairs before a glowing fire.
Stella did not sit at Mrs. Sinclair's feet as she did a few months ago;
oh, no, now she sat in the matronly dignity of her months of wifehood in
the rocker by Mrs. Sinclair's side, while her husband, quite forgetful
of his newly acquired position, was well content to lie at her feet on
the heavy rug and look admiringly up at her lovely face, while little
Elsa romped and tumbled about the room and turned things generally
topsy-turvy in the exuberance of her spirits.
Mrs. Morris, little Elsa's sweet faced mother, seldom sat with the
family during these peaceful evenings, although both Stella and Mrs.
Sinclair had frequently urged her to do so.
She had insisted on performing the lighter duties of the house, and Mrs.
Sinclair, appreciating her sensitiveness on the subject, persuaded
Stella to allow her this as the surest means of keeping her beneath
their care and influence.
Not a question had been asked her regarding the past, as in Mrs.
Sinclair's just opinions, the sin of inquisitiveness overbalances in
nearly every instance the blessing of charity.
With tears in her eyes she had requested them to call her Mrs. Morris,
admitting that it was not her name, but before she could say more,
Stella had placed her arm about her and whispered encouragingly, "You
need tell us nothing; trust in us as we shall in you, and try and feel
happy in our home and I know there will be better days to come. I, too,
have suffered, but you see how radiantly happy I am now," and laughing
from the very overflowing of her joyous heart, Stella kissed her
tenderly and bade her speak no more on the subject.
Dr. Seward's arrival surprised them greatly, and now, as they sat around
the blazing fire they listened eagerly for the news which he hastened to
relate. He told them of his visit to G---- St. and his examination of
the powder, describing his feelings as nearly as possible while under
the control of that peculiar drug; and now that Stella had so thoroughly
overcome her horror of the subject, she also described her experience
and corroborated the physician's vivid description in every particular.
Not until he told them of Lawrence Maynard's secret marriage, did they
relate in turn, the details of Maurice Sinclair's death as revealed to
them by the story of the old Commander.
The physician was completely overwhelmed for a moment at this seeming
verification of his own suspicions. He had felt instinctively from the
first that the man who so completely upset the Lady Van Tyne's composure
on the evening of his first appearance, was not the son of Mrs.
Archibald Sinclair, yet now, in the presence of the unsuspecting woman,
the bewildered Doctor was speechless and disturbed.
At last he felt it necessary to continue the recital, and rallying his
wits he congratulated them sincerely on their fortunate information and
the proof that had so stubbornly denied all possibility of error.
With sorrow for the misguided girl, they glanced curiously over the
certificate and Stella, rising a moment later to adjust the shade, laid
the paper carefully upon the nearest table.
While they were still talking, the portieres dividing the double parlors
were pulled gently aside and Mrs. Morris entered in search of the little
one, as it was long after her usual hour for retiring.
Stella immediately introduced them, but for a moment Dr. Stewart nearly
forgot his manners in the piercing scrutiny of his glance. Somewhere he
had seen that face before, or one resembling it closely, but ransack his
memory as he would, he could not recall the circumstances.
Turning quickly from the physician's searching gaze, Mrs. Morris said
softly, "come Elsa, come to mamma; it is high time little girls were
safely in bed!"
But Elsa was hiding beside Mrs. Sinclair's chair, and that good lady,
with a face as demure as possible, was aiding the little culprit in her
mischief by holding a fold of her gown about the tiny figure.
Mrs. Morris saw the playful ruse and stepped across the room to pull the
little one from her hiding place, but in doing so she had to pass the
table and quite accidentally her glance fell upon the paper which Stella
had just laid down.
For a moment she stood and stared as if she could hardly believe her
senses, then with a sudden bound, she seized the paper, crying, "Oh, my
certificate, my certificate! Where did you find it?"
It was several seconds before any one spoke.
The little one crept from her hiding place and looked with wondering
eyes upon her mother, while the woman, realizing that now all secrecy
was over, turned pale and looked from one to the other with an
expression of piteous pleading in her eyes.
It was Mrs. Sinclair who was first to recover from the painful surprise.
Rising hastily, she placed her arm about the trembling woman, saying in
tones of sympathy and tenderness,--"My dear child, is it possible that
you are Lawrence Maynard's wife?"
"No, no," almost screamed the woman, as she shrank from Mrs. Sinclair's
gentle touch. "I was not his wife, but do pray believe me, I honestly
thought I was!" and she fell upon the floor, cowering at Mrs. Sinclair's
feet in the humiliation of her shame.
Not till her words of self immolation reached their ears, did any one
present dream of the possibility of her ignorance regarding the validity
of her marriage, but now Dr. Seward sprang to his feet and lifted her
tenderly from the carpet to a sofa, while he explained as clearly as
possible, the result of his investigations.
"My poor girl," he said gently, "why are you so distressed? Is it
possible that you have been deceived in this matter? You are indeed the
lawful wife of Lawrence Maynard. I have proven the validity of that
marriage by the clergyman himself. There is no reason why you should not
look us all in the face, and with your help we shall soon be able to
probe this matter to the bottom."
For a few moments Elizabeth could hardly believe the welcome words. She
looked eagerly from one to the other for confirmation of the blessed
fact, then, as her eyes rested finally upon her baby's face, she fell
upon her knees at Mrs. Sinclair's feet and sobbed for very happiness.
As quietly as possible, Stella rose, and taking little Elsa in her arms,
carried her gently from the room and out of the sound of her mother's
hysterical weeping.