that his suspicions were groundless, and reproached him for
his unmanly conduct.

It was all in vain, however, and the family was in as unhappy a state
as before, when they were living with the Captain's mother who had
always taken the part of her daughter-in-law.

At length Overton spoke to Jackson about it, telling him it was better
not to remain where his presence made so much trouble, and offered to
go with him to another boarding-place. Jackson readily assented,
though neither of them knew where to go, and said that he would talk
to Captain Robards.

The men met near the orchard fence, and Jackson remonstrated with the
Captain who grew violently angry and threatened to strike him. Jackson
told him that he would not advise him to try to fight, but if he
insisted, he would try to give him satisfaction. Nothing came of the
discussion, however, as Robards seemed willing to take Jackson's
advice and did not dare to strike him. But the coward continued to
abuse his wife, and insulted Jackson at every opportunity. The result
was that the young lawyer left the house.

A few months later, the still raging husband left his wife and went to
Kentucky, which was then a part of Virginia. Soon afterward, Mrs.
Robards went to live with her sister, Mrs. Hay, and Overton returned
to Mrs. Donelson's.

In the following autumn there was a rumour that Captain Robards
intended to return to Tennessee and take his wife to Kentucky, at
which Mrs. Donelson and her daughter were greatly distressed. Mrs.
Robards wept bitterly, and said it was impossible for her to live
peaceably with her husband as she had tried it twice and failed. She
determined to go down the river to Natchez, to a friend, and thus
avoid her husband, who she said had threatened to haunt her.

When Jackson heard of this arrangement he was very much troubled, for
he felt that he had been the unwilling cause of the young wife's
unhappiness, although entirely innocent of any wrong intention. So
when Mrs. Robards had fully determined to undertake the journey to
Natchez, accompanied only by Colonel Stark and his family, he offered
to go with them as an additional protection against the Indians who
were then especially active, and his escort was very gladly accepted.
The trip was made in safety, and after seeing the lady settled with
her friends, he returned to Nashville and resumed his law practice.

At that time there was no divorce law in Virginia, and each separate
di