The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-25

he would chan me considerably on my
devotion to my wife. But to my astonish-
ment he said nothing. Only it seemed to
me he was grave and quiet to what he
was formerly.
"You ought to marry, Harry" said
one day, when, for a wonder, we two
were in the garden for few minutes with
out Inez.
He turned and looked at me critically.
ebert" he said, tell me the truth
are you happy"
! "Happy? ' and / looked at him in won
der.
"Why, having seen us together, can
you doubt my happiness? 1 could not
live without Inez."
81 don't think you could" he replied,
slowly "But I'll tell you this, Bert; l
never saw fellow so changed in all my
life as you are.
Changed, Harry?'' l calculated. "In
what way? ?"
"Ahw and he sighed ''in great many
ways. You are a dreamy, doting, soft
headed idiot at the present time, asking
your pardon for thus speaking plainly.
You were never very strong of will. You
had never much antagonistic power in
you, but you had little. Now you have
none at all. You are your wife's slave.
You are under her influence. tell you
| III
firmly, "she has it in her to compel you to
do it"
"Good heavens, Harry What are you
saying?" l drew myself up and sternly
confronted him.
THE truth, Bert, and nothing but the
truth. Look here, my friend, he added,
speaking in low but impressive voice;
'Inez once tried her powers on me, and
failed completely. Take care; she did
not marry you for nothing. She has an
object in view. She is taking the p-elim-
mary steps toward accomplishing that
object now. Bert, | warn you. Resist
her, resist her.
With that he turned away, and not
wishing to quarrel with him, though l
deeply resented all he had said, l went
indoors.
Inez was sitting by the window in
lounge chair. | drew another similar
chair to her side and sat down. How
beautiful she was. How could Harry say
such cruel things of her? Besides, what
did he mean by his mysterious illusions
to her power over me? Was | too
obedient to her slightest wish? Did /
ever exercise my own will? Did I never
act independently? Was l always in
fluenced by her opinion? / began to
think this was so. Yet why should it not
be? She was a clever woman. had
never pretended to be a very brilliant
man. l was her inferior intellectually;
felt ii, and l owned it. Surely, then, it
was right should do as she commanded.
Somehow or other, it seemed to me,
could not do otherwise. l loved her de-
votedly; it was a pleasure to obey her
slightest wish.
One day, after Harry had gone, was
lying on the couch in our pretty little
drawing-room. had not been at all well
for some time. / was weak sand languid.
| refused to have a doctor. | declared it
could only be the hot weather which was
so affecting me.
Inez came in, and kneeling down by the
side of the couch, she put her hand in
mine. She began to talk. Her voice was
soft and dreamy. When she spoke in
these peculiar, monotonous, vet very
soothing tones, she always looked
straight at me with those magnificent
eyes of hers. And the result was always
the same grew dazed and brwildered.
l seemed to have no power left in me.
could not take my eyes from hers. | was
as it were, forced to look at her.
Three days later she came to me with a
letter. Iopened It, wondering why Mr..
Hardy, Freddy Burts guardian, should
have written to me. To my surprise Mr..
Hardy stated that Gin accordance with my
invitation, he would be very pleased to
bring little Freddy to see me, and stay a
few days."
what on earth does he mean,' asked,
blankly, looking at Inez. ''In accordance
with my invitation! Why, / most as
suredly never invited him to bring Freddy
here"
Inez laughed.
You did Bert" she said firmly. "Why,
you wrote two letters, because the first
wasn't very good one and / believe
could show you the one you didn't send
in your desk"
Impossible ~ 1 calculated. 81 tell YOU
lnez, | never wrote to Mr.. Hardy. l
wouldn't have little Freddy here for
worlds. Why, suppose anything was to
happen him while he was here, what
would people say? You must know, my
dear as / have often told you, little
Freddy stands between me and fortune.
l don't want the fortune; ! have enough
for us both to live comfortably on as it is.
hope little Freddy will live to enjoy his
property"
Inez looked at me with surprise l was,
to tell the truth, surprised at myself. /
firmly believe l had never spoken so au-
thoritatively since our marriage, but now
/ reiterated my resolve that Freddy should
not come.
Inez went straight to my desk, and
handed me letter. [ was staggered.
Was my memory failing me utterly or
what? There was a letter in my own
handwriting begging Mr.. Hardy to bring
dear little Freddy to see us and stay few
days.
"Inez," l gasped bewilderedly, Il
couldn't positively have written it. l
bavn't the slightest remembrance of it.
"My dear Bert, you certainly did write
it, Why, whatever is the matter with you
that you cannot remember having written
that letter Don't You remember you were
not very well, and had been lying down,
when l came and cheered you Up little
by talking to you. Then you said you
would like to see Freddy-this little fellow
of six who stood between you and Lins-
farne hall? So you wrote this first; then
you wrote another letter, and posted il. "
/ shook my head, and passed my hand
over my brow perplexedly. l could
not remember having written that letter.
Yet undoubtedly / had written it. What
could be the matter with me? Was this
lassitude and lethargic state in which l
had found myself lately to result in some
brain disease or what? It was very seri-
} Gus matter. Evidently had invited Mr..
Hardy to bring little Freddy to stay with
me, yet could not for the life of me re-