Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1880-05-21

tering, took 4 step or two, Cropping blind
" before her with outstretched hands,
and fell. & i : @E:sss s
!, There was . frightened stir among
the ladies In the box. and i could zee
them crowd. about her, bending down
and tanning; then Goldecken and one Of
the ushers coming in, the motionless fig
ure with its rich dress flowing, and its
sunny head dropping like . broken how-
or, was lifted and carried slowly out, leav-
ing the box empty. - -
OF course the adjacent seats started;
but the footllghts flashed mp again, the
orchestra sounded and the curtain rising
upon the midnight interview. between
Samuel Casper, the grim howl, the death
heads and mysterious bullets, soon dis
tIacted the volatile public. 1as. l,sT RS
Fred Rivers came round and laid a
heavy hand on my. shoulder. - =: = :. =
II promised to sup with Silverstring
tonight be. said, quickly, 'fbut you
must make my excuses. couldn't go
it now" ..A,. , r..
sWhat have You done, Fredso I asked
glancing toward the empty box.
His eye followed mine; he started in
surprise.
!.What has become of hera''- =
"Fainted, and was taken out. That
was your work, Hotspur."
"Come out Of this,''' said Fred, hurried
~; '.it IS sitting"
A little crowd was ON the pavement,
and acaniage drove slowly sway .as we
ran down the steps.
"Any thing wronga" we asked a loung
er. - 80 800 :; -
"a lady fainted-G oldecken's wife, the
rich broker who ~
"That will do" said Fred, shortly; adj
ding, as we walked on, II didn't give
her credit for that much feeling"
"You should not have tested het SO
publicly. What did you say to hers''
I. Fted burst out hotly. :,
"Were you watching hef7 Did you
STE how: cool. she was in her purple and
fine linen, her diamonds and her indif.
ference, tanning herself like lazy queen,
when the very sight of a Uniform should
have pierced her like an arrow2 Pc,
Bdcc2ao! I could not stand it.. "What
news from the South, Captain RiversY''
said she, smiling. !".News, madama" re-
turned l. slowly; II have but one piece
of news for you. Harry Singleton is dead,
and you have killed him. With that l
left her. 49,:
And with that he left me likewise; for
with an abrupt "Good-night'' he turned
into the depot, and saw no more of him
for month. Then it was in Washing
ton. We were breakfasting at Willards, q
party of US, Melodius Silverstring among
the rest.
Silverstring had the morning paper,
reading aloud occasional tt-blts, f1tter-
ing through the news in his butterfly
fashion. =
All of sudden he halted with dis
NAL whistle. I was leaning over his
shoulder and saw it before he read it.:
"On the 18th, at Goldecken Villa, of
brain fever, Constance Willing, beloved
wife Of 1ngersol Goldecken, Esq, in the
Both year of her age"
Fred Rivers snatched at the paper and
read it again, biting his lips nervously
and looking unusually flushed.
"Guess who I met at the Capitol Just
now, boysr' cried a young officer, flash
ing in
"Who was it7" questioned half-a-dozen.
"Captain Harry Singleton, no less, :"
said the newcomer, with emphasis.
"What'" Ioared Fred Rivers, springing
to his feet, what! Singletonl Harry
Singleton! Why. you tool, Captain Sin
gleton has been in his grave for a month"
The words "You fooll' were enough.
The young officer uarted at him like q
tiger, swords were drawn, and deadly
combat would have resulted if Singleton
himself had not at that moment walked in.
There was no disputing his identity.
A trifle thinner and p,ler than of old, it
was still our friend Singleton, and no
one else.
I never IN my life saw 9 man 80 stag
gered as Rivers. He was ghastly pale
when he faced round upon Harry, clutch
ing his hand like wise.
as it you or your ghost9" he muttezed,
eagerly. "They said you died of fever
II was low enough with it, to be sure"
was Singleton's answer, but the report
ran ahead Of the truth"
He broke of abruptly and quilted the
room. Singleton looked after him In
surprise. but it was not long before he
understood it all.
As for Fred, the man was never him
self after that hour. His eyes got to be
sunkeD, his cheeks fell into great hol-
lows, and his uniform hung upon him.
He only spoke to me of the dead girl
once. That was on the eve of the second
battle of Bull! Run. I can see his face
now with the evening sunlight falling on
it.
"Poor little Constancel. I dreamed I
met her at the opera last night, but che
had q shroud about her instead of an op-
era-cloak, and her eyes fairly burned me.
"You were very. harsh with me- she said,
and my untimely death cries out against
your, Do you believe in presentiments,
Rufus9, Pshaw! of course you don't.
Let's have. q smoke
Z The next day he went into action and
never came out.