The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1886-12-04
4 TOUCHING 8TORY.


so, dear no. Are you sure you
will look at it sometimes, love"
"You wicked doubter! You
known that l should be wretched
without at least such a semblance
of my pet to look at daily and
nightly"
Draw the veil of charity over his
grief and the treachery of one in
whom he had such unbounded con-
tidence,
In brief, she, his only love, his
pet, his wife, had secretly planned
to make him wretched." She had
taken that photograph from his
gripsack, and was gloating over his
misery when he should discover
that only memory remained to him
for the time being of his darling's
looks.
"The dear fellow, how he will
scold me for the trick, she thought ;
shut ! will send him the photo
graph in the first letter l write to
him."
Thus appeasing her conscience,
she waited for his first letter.
1t came from Chicago.
"My hearts delight" it began.
"Got here O K this A. NJ. Have
been wrestling with the trade all
day, and a tough time I've had of
it. Weary and tagged, l have re-
tired to my room, shut out the gid
ed atmosphere of Sin that envel-
ops this terrible city, and taken
from my satchel your sweet picture.
1t is before me as / write. | shall
kiss it when / have said my even
ing prayers. 1t will rest under my
pillow. 1t is my one solace until
/ hold you, my sweet wife, in these
faithful arms again."
Thus far had she read, shen she
toppled over on the floor.
What comfort she found there it
Is hard to say, but a great deter
rinatiOn rose with the striker wife,
who went out an hour later and
sought telegraph Office.
Her husband had been saying
his prayers abroad that evening,
and when he got to his hotel about
midnight his spiritual emotions re-
ceived a rude shock by telegram
from his "only love-"
1t was elaborate for a dispatch,
but under the circumstances one
could not expect an outraged wife
to transmit her feelings by the slow
mail. The dispatch read:
aYou are no longer the only drum
mer who is not liar, as you have al
claimed. Let the fraternity make
you their chief in the art. Had you
taken the pains even to look for
the photograph You say your pray
ers to, you would have discovered
that / had-to tease you-removed
it. Ny faith in you is dead !"
The husband clutched his hair.
"Why, what did l write to her,
anyway"
After a while his face cleared.
by Jove I! / must have been pill
ing on the taffy. That's what a
man gets for trying to make wo-
man feel good. Poor little dear,
what fume she must be in /! Lucky
for me she gave her grievance away.
What geese women are! Bless her
little noddle, her faith shall be res
directed"
Forwith he telegraped to know
ing friend:
"Send me, first mail, a photo
graph of my wife. Beg, borrow,
steal it; get it somehow. NUNS
the word. Will write all the par
ticulars soon."
About a week later drummer,
in dignified martyrdom, stood face
to face with q stern but very wept-
out wife.
She expected to see him meek
and humble, but he gazed upon
her with much scorn and then
passed on to his room in crushing
silence.
She was amazed. With quick
imnulsa she followed. thanking
heaven that he had not locked her
out.
"Well!" she began, with waver-
ing courage, what have you got to
say for yourself now?"
CoIdly, cruelty he looked at her.
ZIP" be queried. Woman, if it
were not the overmastering love /
bear for you / should never look
upon you again."
His face, convulsed with tragic
suffering, was balm to her heart to
witness, but she only sneered:
Scan you explain the deception
you tried to practice upon me?"
sCaE you obliterate the insult
put upon your husband in that un-
womanly dispatch? A women
with so little confidence in her hus-
band would be better off to live
alone. For my part, / am not only
disguised, but Disseminated"
He turned sorrowly away and
buried his face in his hands. She
approached him and laid the letter