River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1889-08-08
Mrs. CadwaIlader smiled with fine

Mry. Cadwallader smiled with fine
sarcasm.
"Oh, Iwrote it myself did /? II il
so very like my hand Oh. how has
such clumsy deceiver contrived to
hide his true self from me during all
these years.
81 confess The handwriting is better
than yours" coolly replied her nus
band, who was now thoroughly angry;
but | am not aware Of any one else
who is privileged to sign herself in
that Manner
Monster! eau you taunt me with
my handwriting at such time? Oh.
what heart OF stone you must have!'
Mrs. Cadwallader, noting the change
in her husbands mood, was about to
weep.
Henrietta, If, as you gently init
mate, you did not write me to meet
you here, some one has been playing a
practical joke on Us. II will not help
matters for Us to stand at bay at one
another on the highway of this re-
spectacle village. I am going to
catch the next train back to Philadel-
( phia- ] advise you TO come with me.
Mrs. Cadwallader felt that if she
did not comply he would walk off and
| leave her standing there, which would
be most undignified situation for her.
II will accompany you, sir. for the
sake Of appearances, she said, but
forbid you 10 speak to me. =
Mr. Cadwallader obeyed her to the
letter. He lit "a cigar, and Henrietta
walked by his side in dignified silence.
Arrived at the station he inquired
when the next train left for Phila-
delphia.
In three-quarters of an hour, sir.r
replied his friend of the lantern. did
you find the wilder. cir. or ma'amP"
Without replying to the question the
husband and wife entered the waiting
room. Il was empty. How could Mr.
Cadwallader stand three quarters of an
hour alone in the room with that
sphinx-lilze figure, who. he felt, was
regarding him with reproachful eyes
from behind her vail? II he only had
newspaper. Stay, there was Gym
thia's letter, which he had put in his
pocket. thinking he might read it on
the train. He could consume fifteen
minutes over that. He moved over to
the other side OF the room under a
lamp and took out the letter Henri
eta sat mOtioniess as before. Then
for awhile there was no sound but the
ticking OF the clock and t4sArustling of
the paper rs Dir. Cadwallader turned
the pages.
\ whistle from her husband caused
Henrietta to start. He stood up and
came toward her. No, she would not
speak to him.
My dear he said, in dry tone. IL
think that never before during the
eight years of our marriage have | had
occasion to remind you that you had
predecessor. Though there is nothing
to regret in this fact, it is. / think,
deeply to be deplored that a sister OF
my first wife still survives. Will you
kindly glance over this page of letter
| received from Cynthia this afternoon
which | have read for>the first time
this momeut?''
Henrietta thought to herself: Il
shall pay no attention to him. Then
she took up the letter. Mr.. Cadwal-
lader had opened it so that the passage
about the little sole leather trunk was
uppermost. Henrietta read:
While looking over some sacred mementoes
which had long been cherished there ! found
thought you ought to have. 1 well remember
the day when she and Annie Brown went down
to Short HIS II the very day old Mr..
Widgeon had his stroke Of apoplexy, coming so
sadly sudden as IL did. The two girls were
there az the time, and Helen returned alone
shortly after, and / remember hearing her tell
how Mrs. Widgeon carried on
Why, Hiram, then this note was
from"
Yes. this is the note Helen wrote
me at the time, though don't remem-
Der word about it. It must have
dropped out OF Cynthia's letter"
And to think of the base suspicious
harbored! Hiram, | can never for
give Cynthia ODDS for this. | believe
she dill it on purpose. can't tell you
how / suffered since found that letter
on your table"
Don't wrong poor Cynthia, my
dear. I'm sure you must have been
very much upset to apply such epithets
TO your husband as bigam-"
Hush, hush!' she said. soothingly,
laying her hand on his lips. "Oh.
Hiram. forgive me! If / were sure
that nobody was looking. I'd
Francis NJ. Livingston, in The Epoch.