The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-07-27

thing, or rather, no one gave any
opinion of her, and only when
pressed, said:
"She is strange, don't you Think"
Annora returned none of the calls
but Lucy's; and was only seen at
church, where she appeared with a
regularity which was part of her
strangeness, it struck me-so utterly
out of place did she look there. I
cannot say why; no one could: but
the woman was awful, in an utterly
indefinable manner, and peace and
goodness seemed at odds with every
thing about her. OF her household
and ousekeeping no one knew any
thing Servants they had brought
with them-two plain, middle-aged
women. Her husband we saw beside
her when she went out on Sundays.
And he went up to London-a Jour-
ney of only twenty miles-every day.
He was supposed to be that indefin-
able individual, a business man."
At least, he went to London every
day till the day we were all shocked
and startled by hearing that Mr..
Masters was dead.
fes-dead-suddenly. Lucy's hus-
band went to see him. A London
doctor came down, and together
they carried out the post norton
examination, which was of course
insisted on, and to which Annora
made not the least objection. They
could find nothing, nothing what
ever, to cause death. All was right;
there was no latent disease, no in
jury. The man we had seen alive
and well on Sunday was dead on
Tuesday-that was all.
"From unknown causes" the YER
dict at the inquest ran.
Lucy, in her kindness, went to see
Annora Masters after this, "to COM
fort her." she said. But apparently
Annora would have nocomfort. For
Lucy, whom | met q few days
later, asked me seriously if l had
ever seen Annora Masters close; if +
lowering her voice-thought she was
mad.
She had, Lucy said, grasped her
wrists tightly, and said, when Lucy
tried to say some of the words her
own sweet heart taught her:
death! Sometimes death brings
one what one wants! 1t is life that
is wrong"
Then she broke off suddenly, and,
dropping Lucy's hands, begged her
to come and see her again.
"The oldest thing" Lucy went on,
sis that Harry is sure he has seen
Mrs. Masters before somewhere and
can't remember where. He hates
her," Lucy said, very low. 81 don't
quite like her. She"
"You couldn't, my"
[ had forgotten, | sometimes did,
that Lucy was not my darling. The
thought was often bad to bear, so [
lifted my hat and lett her abruptly.
One warm spring day, three months
later l was passing the old red brick
house, when one of the old maid SER
wants rushed out hastily. nearly
knocking me down.
ooh! she cried, "come in. sir, do,
while | 60 for the doctor. James
tainted, and mistress, she does moth
ing but stand looking at Mrs. Bent,
and doing nothing to bring her
round. Do make her, sir, for mercy's
sake!"
''Mrs. Bent!" said, grasping the
woman's arm like a wise. "What is
it? Tell me!''
"She's tainted, sir, and l can't get
her round, and mistress-there sir,
let me 60"
/ did let her go, rushed up the gar
den, and unceremoniously indoors
and upstairs, into q large room
where | saw-what | can see now
Lucy, white, ashen white, lying mo-
tionless on the dark rug, and Ammo
IA Masters standing by the mantel-
piece, with one arm resting on it,
gazing on the woman at her feet.
| don't know what l did-seized
Annora's arm, | think. Still
less do l know what [ said,
words of intense hate and burning
anger, know-but when she turned
slowly and, with slow, contemptu-
Gus smile on her lips, looked at me,
the flashing red light in her eyes
turned me to silence. l had no more
words.
l, whose love, whose passion lay
dead there, could say no more, could
not speak!
l knelt down by Lucy and hid
my face in my hands. Some
thing so surely male me know that
Lucy was dead-gone beyond power
of our help-that | never tried to
touch or raise the white marble face.
And then-I do not remember any
thing else.
l was i'll, very i'll, for long time
after that. When | got well l asked,
of course, before anything, about
Lucy. Gone, | knew she was; but
when and how? Heart disease, they
said. Heart disease! My darling!
got strong again slowly-a most
annoying thing for an active man,
and | could not believe IN my own