“Tain’t her writing, ma’am, on the envelope,” he said; and his lip trembled as he tore the envelope open clumsily, as people do who don’t often have letters.
He opened it at last and got the letter out, a bit torn in opening the envelope. He looked at it hard a minute; then he dropped it, and his face went blood-red, then deadly white. Then he put his hands up over his face, and cried like a child.
“Tom,” I said, “my poor Tom! Tell me, is she——”
“It’s all right, ma’am,” he said. “I’ve expected it; but it took me a bit aback. She’s alive and well, and she’s waiting for me—waiting to show me that she’s the good, loving little woman of the dear old days—waiting for her husband and her daughter, and the home that she’s going to be the light of and the joy of, please God, for all the rest of her life!”
* * * * *
Tom Dexter and his wife and their little girl—not very little now—are in a happy home. Tom left us, and sorry were we to part with him, and he with us; but it was his wife’s wish that they should be together, and she was housekeeper to the lady who had saved her from ruin, and made a new woman of her, and wanted her always to live near her.
After she left Tom, she had gone away to drown herself, and had been taken by the police for trying to do so, but had given a false name to the magistrate, and Tom had heard nothing about it. A lady was in court, and had promised to look after the poor woman, if she was given up to her, and, after a week’s remand, this was done. Tom’s wife didn’t tell the lady she was married, but said she was a widow; and the lady took her to be her servant, and tried to wean her from the drink. She had lost a sister from it, and devoted her life to good work, as some people do who have a great sorrow.
It was hard work, for Mrs. Dexter fretted about her husband and her lost home now, and the temptation would come, and then, somehow or other, she would get the drink.
But the lady would not turn her away; she was grieved, but she determined to try and try again, and at last a whole year went by and Tom’s wife had kept the pledge she had made.
But she then felt, if she was to go back to her husband, and have her liberty, she might break down again.