Wichita eagle., 1888-10-20

When you feel better aantie and will
look for you in the parlor."
Mr.. Bluebeard was unhappy. She was
SO delightful in every way. Why should
it be his hard fate to consign her to on
untinely gravel He waited sadly for the
keys, which. neatly labeled, were brought
to him in small basket Alas the fatal
KEY was not there. As Mr.. Bluebeard hur-
ried with sinking heart to the parlor he
heard his wife reading the evening paper
to her aunt. Upon this sweet picture Of
domestic bliss be must rudely enteri
"Msdamel" he began. furiously, but her
calmly imquFing look constrained him to
continue. Il beg your pardon, but there
Is key-the key-that l do not find
here"
Mrs. Rluebeard put down the paper
and paused q moment. The key7" she
said, reaectively. Let me see. All, yes:
the key. suppose. OF the room that was
not to be entered. You will find it in
the lower drawer (swinging) of my dress
ing case. It was useless to take up room
with key that practically did not exist. I"
Mr Bluebeard tumbled dizziIy up stairs.
Was this whst people call cheek! Would
he find the keys Yesl there it reposed
just as he had been told, the little red
ribbon tied snugly about its neck. as
bright and shiny as If it had never in its
life sworn away the good repute of seven
wives.
There was nothing for Bluebeard to do
but to faint. and be accordingly did 50.
When he recovered he found that he had
ice on his head, hot water bottle at his
feet. q mustard plaster On his spine, an
electric battery ready for use and Mrs.
Bluebeard. calm and self possessed, only
incidentally abiding to the effect the sun
had at that time Of year, while she famed
him with long. steady motions.
OF course, Bluebeard rallied, but those
who had long known and loved him felt
that their old friend was no more. Ee
became a great traveller. always leaving
the fatal key lying about at his departure;
but when he found that it made no differ
ence whether he returned at midday in
his own barouche or crept In the pantry
window at dead of night, Mrs. Bluebeard
was always laudably engaged during the
day, virtuously sleeping in the night, and
the key ensconced in the dressing case.
His health began to fail yisibly.
When he found that it was useless to
attempt to catch her in the act, he devoted
himself to the surreptitious examination
of all boxes. bundles and bottles. whether
of suspicious nature and appearance or
no. So clever a woman would be sure to
conceal openly the marvellous compound
with which she cleaned the fatal stain
from the terrible key.
At last, when he had seen everything
in the house two or three times over, had
driven away indignant and valuable SER
wants by his prying. and seriously hurt
good old Mrs. Zerlina's feelings, he lost
interest in even this. Els beard began to
Written; he lost his air of man of the
world, and became simply nice, respect
able old gentlemen, with a profound and
timid respect for bis wife, cringing when
ever she lifted her eyebrows.
When his daughter was born, he used
to wheel her about the grounds in way
that satisfied even the monthly nurse.
When Zerlina found that it was useless
to deny that he was failing rapidly, she
sent for his lawyer, had all his affairs set
in order, and then set herself to make his
last days as happy as might be.
One day Mr.. Bluebeard lay watching
her as she trimmed hat for the cook, and
at last he said feebly:
''Zerlina, shall not be much longer
with you. Tell me, now l am powerless
to harm you, and it will enable me to die
happy, how did you clean the key?"
Mrs. Bluebeard looked at the thermom-
eter, and then she felt his pulse.
''T'he key7" she repeated. my poor
dear, you surely have fever. What key
do you mean? What was on it9 never
cleaned a key"
Can it be true9" he gasped. II an
dying. What is the use of deceiving me
nowr You must have opened the doori'
Mrs. Bluebeard shook her head mourn
fully. Il will send for baby and aunty."
she said, before you are any worse"
Bluebeard caught her hand as she was
about to touch the electric bell. Il had
a key" he whispered. 1T began long
ago. when first dyed my beard and had
a desire to be thought phenomenon. It
Yves q harmless vanity. 1t hurt no ono.
My wife admired it SO. l always dyed it
in the blue chamber. left her the key
l charged her not to enter. She disobeyed
me. She found out my secret. Her love
for mo was gone. killed her. I left her
there. l wanted to be happy, but the
were all anke-they would go In.
I killed them ALL l didn't want to. but
they were SO curious they forced it upon
ne. And you-you must have gone in.
l tempted you all the time. You are
cannot have resisted-but
you know so much you have found out
something that would clean the key"
Dear, dear, dear" said Mrs. Blue
beard, lis this what has been worrying
you all this timer Why don't men con-
fide in their wives7 l never went in the
room, my dear. was very busy, and you
said it was private. l never thought of
it again. Why in the name Of the COM
mon sense that your former wives seem
to have been quite destitute of, should
waste her time-her precious time
that she has so little of-poking into
places that don't concern her. and where
She isn't wanted? / shall write an essay
on this for the WomaAs club. It's the
best plea for the higher education of
women that / have ever found. I've had
the pleasure Of knowing only one Of your
former wives. Fatims. and she was fool.
Judging the others by her. you certainly
aad reason to distrust the sex. But, be-
ieve me, if even those poor. half educated
wives of yours had had any object in life;
f they'd known how to keep house, how
10 sew, putting brain as well as thread
nto their needles: if they had only pur-
;ued course Of study after marriage. as
Ill the graduates of our college do.
hey'd have had no time or inclination to
ory"-
But her words fell upon unhearing
'ars. The shock of conviction which they
.arried had been too much for the already
franc of the astounded hus-
,and. The eighth wife Of Rluabeasd WAS
us widowi
And this is the real. true and only end
ng to the story of Bluebeard.-Kats
Mich2eis in Boston Herald.