Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-03-31

America as fact. She Is the victim of a perse-
cution. They may have discovered our secret,
and prevented her writing to me- How Tar
away is shes Not miles ,s dsysten twenty.
arms, for she is my wife. You know it, Jack,
They may marry her to thousand counts but
she is my wife,
Feeling that the moment was not happy for
the presentation OF views. presented no more.
l agreed to all the absurdities he chose to adj
vance. t-r-F7z-r
that he was going to Fort Garry to consult some
engineers, and would probably be absent about
two months. was to accompany him, and un-
dertook the preparation for the journey
About noon an Indian runner camein on snow
| shoes with an extra mail. There was one letter
for Fitzgerald, and the handwriting was that of
his Wife / sent the letter to his private room.
In about half an hour Knocked at his door, and
he said, Come in"
He was sitting before table, leaning on 1t
with folded arms. As ii anticipating and WISH
ing to evade inquiry. he said, II suppose you
have been getting things ready"
Yes. We can leave at any minute"
81 am undecided about going now. think
will put it off until tomorrow at all events /
am sorry to have given you so much trouble"
Just as you please said. 81 am indif-
ferent."
''What good fellow you are. Jack!" he said.
standing up and looking at me- A casual OBJ
| server might have thought his face only pale
from OverwOrk or want of rest. To me it was
dead, like fine portrait without any light in
the eyes.
thrust my hands in my pockets and shuffied
my feet, overcome by the embarrassment which
words of sincere kindness always excite IN
me.
Cant I help you2 Tell me something to do
for you"
~, The kindest thing you can do is to let me
l sidled to the door.
"Do go, Jack, he burst out, impetuously. II
can't bear to have even you"
Before he could finish his sentence was on
the other side of the door.
felt that Mrs. FitZgerald's letter had merely
cOnnrmed the newspaper report. If the mar
riage which had been but a legal form, could be
annued, suspected that Fitzgerald would do
1t. had no doubt that he would scOrn to strike
the woman who had wounded him mortaly.
When fell asleep that night all nv suspicious
and beliefs had merged into burning anger
against her. and q determination to seek the
| opportunity to intlict on her some imperishable
fell asleep with this one idea in my BRAIN
and was Weakened from that sleep by CRY:
slack! Jack! Help! Help!'
My senses were penetrated by the voice of a
man in agony, crying for succor. crying to me,
and the voice was the voice Of my friend Fitz-
gerald.
tried to lift myself from my bed, but a
heavy weight held me down. l struggled to
| speak, but my tongue was tied. rubbed my
eyes, but the lids seemed glued. At last they
mind has never lost the faintest impression I
was not lying on my bed; was not in the low
square room, with half a dozen I sleeping
about me. was standing on the ,er's brink
several miles below the station, standing there
alone in the awful stiffness Of winter night in
the wilderness. The moonlight was so brilliant
that every object was distinctly visible.
saw not twenty feet from me break in the
ice, and the blue water bubbling up clearly
Above the water rose a mans fair, strong head,
and two hands grasping, trying to lift the body
beneath up to the ice, which broke and crum-
bled away from their touch.
He was dying before my eyes, and could not
stir an inch to save him. saw the beating of
his hands grow feebler and the tension Of his
face relax.
.'spare her, Jack!-spare her!" he cried
was silent.
Then once again he cried, and that sound
think will always echo about the world with me:
"Speak to me. Give me a sign"
forgot my hatred Of her and nv resolve to
hurt her; was sensible only OF his pitiful plead
ing. BY great effort flung up my right arm
as a - of acquiescence.
His lands fell, his head sank backward, and
the blue water sparkled and dubbed in the
moonlight. / shouted "Fitzgerald! Fitzgerald"
seemed to spring forward, when the whole
scene was transformed. was sitting up in bed,
and the watch by the fire was saying, drowsily:
whats the matter3 What are you making
such row abOut2"
''Where is Fitzgerald" said, looking round,
and seeing that his place in the row ofmattresses
was vacant.
"He went out about an hour ago. He said he
couldn't sleep, and was going to skate up the
river to Thompson's station"
got up slowly. and the motion was painful,
for my whole body was numb. spoke with hes
itation, as if the power of speech was new to me-
"Fitzgerald did not 60 up the river; he went
down towards Carter's Station. He has been
drowned six miles below"
My shout had reused most Of the men, They
all exclaimed incredulOusly that 1 had been
dreaming. | stood my ground. and was already
getting ready to 60 out. The logged persist
ence OF such matter-of-fact fellow as i'm
pressed them. and they prepared to accompany
me. When we reached the river we put on our
skates. We could not distinguish tracks, for
we had recently been skating a great deal,
taking advantage ofthe clear ice, rare so late In
the season: led down the river, the Others
following, laughing at my expense. Soon the
Infection of my profound hopelessness spread,
and In ten minutes all were skating swiftly, ST.
lently toward whatever awaited us. When but
a sharp headland lay between us and the spot l
had seen in my vision halted
g He is lying just beyond there. II the Ice is
broken we shall know -
We rounded the point in line The Ice was
broken and thrown up In pieces, and the water
still bubbling.
HdVc HoI 1HuCH more TO tell. IL was AFTER
ward discovered that he had struck one of the
shallow springs on sandy bottom which never
freeze solidly. The water would not have COW
cred him standing but the numbing influence of
the intense cold and the frailness of the sur
rounding ice had prevented his saving himself.
offer no explanation of what have said that
saw and heard, but six men can testify that,
when miles away from him. l saw the dying face
and heard the dying words of my friend Fitz-
gerald and that led them to the spot where
they found him.
He had left q letter for me in his private
room. He said that he was going to take legal
advice and find the quietest means of rendering
void the marriage ceremony had witnessed
He asked me to look after his traps, and as
sured me that as soon as he felt equal to taking
up old associations he would let me know As
read his letter cried like girl.
In his pocketbook found his marriage Ger
tificate and the last letter she had written him.
carefully dried both, and as carefully read the
latter. What weak, miserable. cringing effu-
sion, characteristic of the writer! Pages of
alternate whining and bullying, ending with
this paragraph:
.1fyou force any claim, my church will set it
aside That would make scandal, and have
never been talked about, and should be very
nervous under disagreeahle talk. 1t would DO
rl~v~