The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-26
MY FRIENDS STORY

tell to very few persons, ana yet II you
insist will give it you"
had insisted and besought by turns
for half an hour and this concession Of
his was the outcome of a series of ssra-
tegic movements on my part that would
have done honor to Partisan detective.
"Well, them said, Il insist Gro on
with your story. and if any pledge of
secrecy is in order, just say SO and III
hold up my hands"
81 don't enjoin secrecy" he answered
slowly ''The story is not one you would
care to repeat"
"Oh, very well, very well, bantered,
with mighty affectation of fippancy
did not feel. II can close my mouth
as tight as any one you know. But to
the story. Your wife, you said died a
year ago?
II said nothing of the kind" he re-
piled emphatically 81 told you lost
her a year ago." Then he rose and,
crossing the room, emptied the ashes
from his pipe into the fireplace and
helped himself to another round of
tobacco. AS he stood for moment sill
houetted against the haring Goals il the
CRATE, silent, calm, serene, it burst upon
me suddenly that the silence and seren-
ity which in him had long regarded as
most offensive and objectionable were
nothing other than the dignity of sor-
row, and felt ashamed of myself; not
the first time, perhaps, that have had
the same feeling, but never mind that
now At last, having lighted the new
pipeful, he turned and said simply:
"You insist
By this time realized that | was in
for it whatever it might be, and / an
swered promptly, Eyes"
And then, still leaning on the chimney.
piece, he began in hesitating way:
''As you already know, Gladys and
were married a trife over thirteen
months ago. | loved her madly, and
she, poor girl, was all wife should be
or could be. We were very happy to-
gether; no clouds ever darlened the
clear heaven of our mutual love, nor
troubles for d moment disturbed our
peace and happiness. Previous to de-
parting on our wedding trip | had |
y
town fiat-you know the place-and |
when we returned after short tour
those rooms became our home and our
paradise. So things ran on for nearly |
two months, and then-then came the
end-the end"
Here he paused, and turning away
from me looked into the kissing, splut-
tering little fire moment. Somehow
did not feel like breaking the silence
realized that he was not thinking of me
then, and to speak would have been
obtrusion if not sacrilege. At length
raising his head, he turned to me with
apparent effort and as he did so could
see there were tears in his eyes.
'One evening" he went on, after
had begged him be seated and he had
taken the big cushioned chair by the
hearth, lone evening last February my
wife and | spent with her mother and
returned at a late hour to our apart
ments. The night was bad one, and
Gladys, poor little girl, was weary and
exhausted when we reached home. Hell
bright eyes had dull, leaden look, SHE
was pale, complained of headache and
said strange things as if her mind were
wandering for the moment, and / recon-
mended that she retire at once and sleep
off the i'll effects of her overexertion.
She was very loath to take my advice
for some reason or other, and when
had lighted my pipe and drawn my arm
chair up to the table she came and knelt |
beside me and took my hand in hers.
john said she-ah, how well re,
member her words, spoken in her
piquant, half reproachful way-'John.
you don't mean to send me away from
you, do your
eyes, my DEAR replied, rather pet
ulantly. For your own sake do. You
need sleep and rest. am perfectly safe
here with my paper
"She rose and turned away, but had
taken only few steps when she re-
turned and took my hand again.
"'You want me to leave you, JohnY
eyes yes, my dear; go to sleep and
get a nights rest; it will do you more
good than anything else under the sun.
Her caresses somehow made me feel
strangely cold and nervous, and | spoke
more harshly than should have done had
lstopped to think. She rose quickly aud
passed into our bed chamber beyond, and
as the portieres closed behind her feel
ing of unutterable loneliness overcame
me, my heart beat hard and fast and
breathed with difficulty. 1t was all alb
surdity, of course, and when | had hest
tated a bit and reasoned l quickly buried
myself in my paper and tried to forget
the occurrence. But every few mo-
ments the same strange unrest oppressed
me, until | finally threw aside the paper.
and rising paced the floor, trying to drive
off the feeling before retired for the
night Perhaps | had been pacing up
and down for an hour, or it may have
been but ten minutes-it don't matter
how long it was--when my attention was
suddenly arrested by a singular move
ment Of the portieres at our bedroom
doorway, and | stopped short. unable,
afraid to move an inch. Slowly the
| L. IL