River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-30

go somewhere, but that he would re-
| turn in time for dinner, which was ar
ranged for three o'clock.
| Il sat upstairs to my bedroom, my
heart ready to burst with modification,
and had good cry, My friend did all
| she could to console me and to put a
cheerful face upon matters, aud after
| while rallied little, and went down
stairs and sat down to the piano, and
| played and sang to pass away the time.
Three o'clock came and passed, and
| still he did not return. Then his
friend who had remained with us, said
he would go in search of him.
in about half an hour he came
back, bringing Arnold with him He
hfterward told me that he had found
| aim playing cards, and rccklessly treat
ing everybody who entered the room
at tavern used by the actors. | al
ways possessed a great deal of self
control, and kept myself quite tran
quill.
at had been arranged that we
should sup at my friends lodgings and
/ thith er after the performance for we
! played that night we went. There were
| only four of us-present at the cere-
mony. Arnold was dull and sullen,
and at times seemed scarcely conscious
of where he was, for, when addressed,
he would start and look yacantlv about
him, like one suddenly aroused from
a doze
at was , o'clock in the morning be-
fore we turned our faces homeNard.
Silently he pursued his way; and | was
too proud to speak. But, oh, the
agony, the shame, the humiliation |
endured that night When we arrived
at our lodgings the fire was out. 1t
was a very chilly night, and he com
planned of being cold, and said he
should rekindle it. While he went
away seeking some wood in the kitch-
en- | ran up stairs to my room and
went to bed.
"At last my aching swollen eyes
closed, and | fell asleep.
'When | awoke the cold gray daw
of the spring morning was just stealing
across the darkness of my room. |
awoke with start, and sat bolt up
right, with sense of irreitable horror.
Had | been dreaming? l could not re-
member Yet there was upon me all
the terror which is left by some ghast-
ly nightmare.
81 leaped out of bed, huddled on q
dressing-gown and with bare feet
hurried down the stairs. 1t was i'm
pulse, nothing more, for | had no
thought in what / was doing, | open
ed the parlor door and looked in All
was dark and silent
He has gone to sleep upon the sofa,
was my reflection. My woman's pride
prompted me to return to my chamber
but some other feeling held me rooted
| to the spot The chinks of the shutters
were penciled with faint lines of light.
| crossed the room, unbarred and
threw them open, and looked up a
the sky. The waning moon was high
in the heavens over which a faint
roseate flush was just stealing, and the
wild chorus of birds in the trees close
by alone broke the deep stiffness of the
early morning.
81 stood gazing upon the picture for
some seconds not because | felt its
beauty, but because / dare not turn
my head.
"When after time, 1 summoned
up resolution to do so it was slowly and
by degrees. First my eyes fell upon
the sofa; that was empty; then they
travelled toward the hearth. The fire
had burned into a great hollow, gray
and brown within, black above. |
could see only portion of the CRATE as
an easy-chair was drawn in front of it.
There was something in the chair,
something lolling sideways; And there
was a coat-sleeve with hand
dangling across one arm. | could feel
my hair bristle and my heart stand still
as l crept up to it, and saw hud-
died heap of clothing, III which was
half buried livid, hair-strewn face
cit was my husband-dead."
NoTE-This story is not only founded
upon facts, but.the events happened alz
most exactly as they are related here.
Temple Bar