Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1889-11-22

IL ohc tuihtu Vi uTcluuHtls tllcy Dt-
came insignificant, and her themes
in ordinary, were of the prettiest.
Her waist, sir, and my arm had once
been commensurate; now not three
of HOmer's heroes could embrace het.
Her voice could once touch my heart
strings into music; it frayed them
now between the millstones of the
commoa place. Figure to yourself n
man of my sensibility condemned to
live on these terms"
He paused, frightened his grasp On
his knee, and pursued:
You remember, sir, the story OF
the baker in Langius? He narrates
that certain woman conceived a
violent desire to bite the ma ked shout
ders of baker who used to pass I'M
derneath her window with his wares.
SO imperative did this longing be-
come that at length the woman ap-
| pealed to her husband, who, being a
| good-natured man and unwilling to
disoblige her, hired the baker for O
certain price to come and be bitten.
The man allowed her two bites, but
denied a third, being unable to con-
tain himself for pain. The author
goes on to relate that for want of
this third bite she bore one dead child
and two living. My own case" con-
tinued the Rev. William, "wns some
what similar. Lydia's unrelieved
babble reacted upon her bulk, and
awoke in me an absorbing, fascinat-
ing desire to strike her. | longed to
see her culver. | fought against the
feeling, stified it, trod it down; it
awoke again. 1t filled my thoughts,
my dreams; it gnawed me like vul-
ture. A hundred times while she sat
complacently turning her insane
periods had to hug my fist to my
breast lest it should leap out and
strike her senseless. Do weary YOU?
Let me proceed.
THAT Sunday evening we sat. one
on each side of the hearth, in the
vicarage drawing-room. She was
talking-talking; and sat whisper
ing to myself: "You are too fat.
Lydia; you are too fat Her talk
ran on the two sermons had preach
ed that day, the dresses of the con-
gregation, the expense of living, the
parish ailments-inexhaustible, tri-
vial, relentless. Suddenly shelooled
up and our eyes met. Her voice
trailed off and dropped like
a bird wounded in full flight
She stood up and took step
toward me. is anything the matter
William" she asked, solicitouslv.
You are too fat, my DEAR" | an
swered, laughing, and struck her full
in the face with my fist.
''She did not CULVER much-not
half enough-but dropped like half
full sack onto the carpet. | caught
up candle and examined her. She
was quiet dead"
The mailman skipped up from his
bowlder and looked at me with indie
scriable cunning.
II am so glad, sir" he said, chat
you did not bleed when ! struck you;
it was great mercy. The sight of
blood affects me-ahl' he broke off
with a subtle culver and drew a long
breath. "Do you know the sands
by Woeful Ness, the Twin Brothers?'
he asked.
/ knew that dreary headland well.
For half n mile beyond the gray
church and vicarage of Bleakirk it
extends, forming the northern arm
OF the small fishing-bay and protect
ing it from the full set of the tides.
Toward its end it breaks away
sharply and terminates in q dorsal
ridge of slate-colored rock that runs
out for some 200 feet between the
sands we call the Twin Brothers. OF
these that to the south and inside
the bay is motionless and bears the
name of the dead Boy" but the
"Quick Boy" to the north shifts con-
tinually. 1t is guicksand, in short,
and will, as the word goes, swallow
a man in three minutes.
My mind, resumed my compan-
lou, "was soon made up. There is
no murder, thought |, where there is
no corpse. So | propped Lynda in
the armchair, where she seemed as if
mapping, and went quietly up stairs.
| packed a small handbag carefully |
with such clothes as she would need |
for journey, descended with it,
opened the front door, went out to be |
sure the servants had blown out their |
lights, returned, and hosting my wife |
on my shoulder, with the bag in my |
left hand, softly closed the door and |
stepped out into the night. In the |
shed beside the garden gate the gar
dener had left his wheelbarrow. II
fetched it out, set Lydia on the top
ofit, and wheeled her off toward
Woeful Ness. There was just the rim
of a waning moon to light me, but |
knew every inch of the way.
''For the greater part of it | had
turf under foot, but where this ended
and the rock began l had to leave the
barrow behind. 1t was ticklish work
down, for footing and to be
found and Lydia was a monstrous
weight. Pah! how fat she was and
this way and that
Besides the bag hampered me. But |
reached the foot at last and after
short rest clambered out along the
edge as fast as | could. | was sick
and tired of the business.
well. the rest was easy. Arrived
ut the farthest spit of rocks tossed
5he bag from me farinto the northern
sand. Then L turned to Lydia, whom
had set down for the moment. In
he moonlight her lips were parted as
lhough she were still chattering; so |