Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1878-08-22

staining its threshold"
Victory l said suddenly, "before we
kgo Oh this1ourhey, tell ND of yourself
Of all you have been doing" :
"Of myself2 What is there to teil9' no
questioned, with rising psss,onin his voice.
"Of wha: I have been doing I shall indeed
tell you! Working for this hour, shaving
for it, enduring for it, with but one ambi-
ton IN the wretched struggle they call
life-to meet you face to face, to look in
to your eyes as they rested on your work,
to tell you Of the burning brain which
could find no relief in tears, the weight Of
itpn breaking ah6 keart oh which your
hand has placed it. Ah!Sit IS a little
hand, white and fair cfaspiug it within
his own--"even to lift so monstrrous a
weight; yet you placed it well, not miss.
ing asi1gle nerve -slender, pretty fingers,
but O 50 cruel! Elsie, have you no re-
morse2"
"Victor, you are the cruel one; you do
me an injustice unworthy of yourse'f":
| "Ay, ipjusticel What do you know of
the word2 You, who sit here in your
beautiful home. and let the world go by
UNDECIDED and uncared for, what memory
| had you for tho man you had doomed,
whose strugs les, whose agonies you could
xatch as,thA cit playing with tho mouse?
saw him kiss you last night, the, man
you call your husband, forgetting my
right to the titie-forgetting, in the sight
Of Heaveo, that you are my wife. You
rested in his arms, you laid your head
upon his shoulder looking with adoring
eyes into his face! You whispered
words of love in his ear, but for the last
time! i would have killed him, but
that wanted you alone in the world to
which we are gong. Elsie, darling, you
doSnet: fear'me2" his voice suddenly sink
ing from frenzied anger to its old tender
ness.
At any moment he might draw the
concealed weapon from his pocket at
any moment plunge the dagger into my
heart. A scream, q struggle, would but
make sure my fate. What was to be done2
.%:Xictor," I said, with cunning match
Ling his own, ''let us not die, but live. In
death all is uncertainty; in life we have
each other and love-"
He glanced with keen suspicion into
my face.
"And you love me2" he questioned.
EsHow dare you. then, give your kisses to
that other-the kissea which belonged to
| n1aa Listenl We have no time to spare.
| ALREADY they are on my track Tonight
INV them, but their eyes failed to find
me-. Nor do find 1t such difficult task.
Yet IS once they scheme, they will bear
me bar& the place from which Lifted {;
t.but; not. Alixez-O net s,ivel See, sElsie!'
Ithrsssting hack his coat, and disclosing
Ethe long, narrow gleamings biadeshe had
concealed there. First your heart, then
mine! You grow pale; you tremble. It
will SOON be. over. 4 moments pang;
| etefn4l happiness-ns i
| His arms are thrown fight around me.
! am powerless even to struggle in his
iron clasp. His words fall Kissing, one
by one, on the still air. Darkness is
gathering around me-the darkness of
despair. ,, :
Tie little clock upon the mantcl chimes
eleven, and remember, with thrill of
horror, it is the last time shall ever hear
1t strike, when outside sounds cherry
whistle, and step I recognize as my
husbands upoR the pavement.
Its firm, manly tread is unmistakable.
] I can fancy his glancing up at the lighted
|
him. Z" Another momen: his latch-key
will oe in 'hs door.
'sVictor" I exclaimed, IL hear them
coming He, the spy, is on your track.
Conceal yourself where you were before:
I will mislead him and return to you.
For my sake, be quick
! At these last words his hold relaxes.
The old cunning leaps t. his eyes.
Fer your sake" he whispers.
With sudden spring he is again hid
den behind the folds of the curtain, and
in that moment my husband entered the
room, and rushed to the shelter of his
armss Behind him follow two men.
.'bfy darling, what III it?''' Will ex-
claims. "What has happened2 I found
these men watching the house, and they
insist mailman entrusted to their care
has entered bere. H.. of course, have
given them permissiohit to search"
I try to speak, but cannot. The words
die in my throat as point, trembling, to
the curtain where I can discern, peering
through, Victor's cleaning eyes. 5
'Traitress!'' I hear hinr> exclaim; and
as the men spring forward there follows
Z dull fall.
Poor fellow! He has taken his sad
journey alone. In his frenzy he had
plunged the steel through his own heart,
loyal unto death and madness.
+ xFpl weeks I; too, lowered on the
era7es lrinls bntn husbands tender
love and care won ME back to life; and
together we always visit one solitary
mound in the church-yard, where we
ever place fresh flowers, With the prayer
that he who sleeps at last has found the
journey, even as he thought, "but one
step in eternal happiness"