The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-29
AN AMPLE PREPARATION.

"Abner Wilcox, what have you done
with my husband"
The voice was stern and menacing. She
stood in the center of the small, plain.
carefully kept room. A shapely forefnger
was shaken at the dropping figure that
stood. hat in hand, in the doorway. A
shaded lamp was on the small table at the
side of the room: a few framed photo
graphs and prints on the walls; carpet
with red figures on the floor; shining
cooking stove at the chimney; above it the
small mantel shelf with few ornaments.
He saw it all. and yet it was as if he saw
nothing. His face was turned to the floor.
Signs of uncomfortable emotion were on
him, and his frame shook and his hands
trembled in the agony of his soul
He saw the picture before him, and yet
his mind was full of another picture that
seemed as if it would possess him for ever
more. He saw small fishing schooner
beating in for Pollock Rip, on the Massa-
chusetts shore. The night was dark and
squally. The tide was sweeping out to sea,
and until it should turn the progress was
slow. The skipper was at the wheel The
small standing stayssil had been taken
ia, and the husband of the woman, James
Hallett, had gone aloft in the dark to furl
it. The skipper threw the schooner in
stays while he was coming down the fore
rigging. Just as he reached the rail,
"Draw away" came from aft, and then a
rush of the great jib as it few to leeward
on the traveller. The block of the sheet
struck him fairly and hurled him into the
Il, 81 hnn Ntlno-y
knew that when he had let go the tail of
the sheets he had made this woman a
widow.
Movable articles were thrown overheard;
boats were in the water almost instantly,
three or four of them, the handy dories Of
the fishing service, and search was made
everywhere, but in vain; James Hallett
was gone. When the boats returned from
their fruitless search, Abner Wilcox was
found insensible on deck. He came out of
this swoon only to rave of what he had
done and to rehearse the scene in his de-
Grium. The skipper ran his vessel for
Boston, and the delirious man was sent to
the hospital, and rough but feeling hearts
broke the sad news to the bereaved wife.
Ahner Wilcox and James Hallett had
been boys together on the sandy shores of
Cape Cod. They swan, fished, boated,
dug for clans, and followed all the occu-
pations peculiar to their class and sur
roundings, and both fell in love with the
same girl Abner was silent, reserved,
rather awkward young man. He loved
Mary Crowell with all his heart, yet before
he could muster courage to tell his love
James, bright, gay and light hearted, had
sought and won the prize She knew how
it was with him. She had seen his shy,
ardent looks, the faint flush that had
tiuged his cheeks in her presence, his awk-
ward embarrassment when she spoke to
him, and her woman's soul delighted to
torment him, and she did so.
When James Hallett married Mary
Crowell, Wilcox had a terrible despairing
time with his own soul. Out upon the
sandy beach, alone in a terrible storm, he
fought and conquered, and new nature
came upon him and man was born again.
He loved Mary Hallett still, but with a
purified love that was devotion. Her two
little girls he idolized. He was their abject
slave. He wrought and toiled for them,
saved and kept for them, and he loved
them well. Now, what had he done? His
hand had, although unwittingly, bereaved
these whom he loved so well, robbed them
of husband and father, made their house
desolate indeed unto them. After a vast
ing illness he regained his senses and some
strength. He would gladly have died, but
his life was not his own. 1t must be de-
voted to those whom he had so injured,
and in his heart of hearts he so devoted it.
When sufficiently recovered he went to
the sandy cape again. He could not muster
courage to approach the house until after
night fell, and so it came to pass that he
stood in the door at eventide and looked
for a moment upon the young widow.
And she-in the violence of her pain and
bereavement, her passion broke forth in
uncomfortable fury.
You enemy, you murderer, you false
friend, how dare you come into my pres
ence' Did you think that after you had
killed my husband | might smile on you?
Do you suppose, Abner Wilcox. that will
ever believe that you did not let that lib
sheet fly on purpose?- Did you think that
might ever love you? You were never fit
to clean the shoes of the man you killed
that night, you false wretchr'
This was more than he had anticipated.
He writhed and trembled under the fierce
invective. He shuddered, and felt as if his
heart would break; but the very fire of the
vindictive passion of the young woman, as
well as the utter injustice of the attack,
claimed him somewhat, and he answered at
last: Mary, God knows my heart, and it is
very sore, but your husband or any one
dear TO you would never knowingly re-
ceive harm from me. Your husbands
death was an utter accident, although it
came from me-"
"Abner Wilcox" she answered, eff an
angel from heaven came to tell me that
you were innocent, would not believe
him. You stand in that door, wretch that
you are, where my husband ought TO be-
Living or dead, Will never forgive you
for the wrong you hsve done me-" She
paused moment, almost breathless with
her wrath. Then, with inpious passion
she continued, go down to the bottom of
the sea where my darling IS lying and
bring him back to me again alive and well:
then win forgive you and not before"
Holding his hand before his face, as if to
ward eli a Threatened blow, Abner VIII
cox turned away, softly closed the door
snc weDs out in the gloom of the night
and came back no more. And Mary Hal
lett, her fury spent, sank sobbinc ON her
knees before her chair and prayed God TO
pardon her for her burst of inpious wrath.
The sloop-of-war Pilgrim had sailed from
Boston for South America, and was run
ming cut the south channel with brisk
northwest wind and smooth sea. 1t WAS
the morning watch. The lookouts lad
been called in. the running lights extin-
guished. a man sent TO the masthead. and
Lieutenant Parker, the officer OF the deck,
brisk. alert and commanding. was issuing
his orders, trimming sail and preparing to
give the ship her morning bath and toilet.
Suddenly from the masthead came the
he;