Pawtucket tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 1890-189?, 1892-02-10
MY FRIENDS STORY.

49, ~ 'Nss sN' kSsSOAof esaa W ~ yOe
insist ! will give II you"
had insisted and besooght by turns
for half an hour and this concession OF
his was the outcome Of a series Of stra-
tegic movements on my part that would
have done honor to Partisan detective.
"Well. them" said. Il insist. Go on
with your story. and II any pledge OF
secrecy Is In order, just say SO and Ill
hold up my hands,"
81 don't enjoin secrecy" he answered
slowly. The story is not one you would
care to repeat"
"Oh. very we'll. very well" bantered
with a mighty affectation of Hippancy
did not feel. IL can close my mouth
as tight as any ono you know. But to
the story. Your wife, you said. died a
year ago."
81 said nothing of tho kind" he re-
piled emphatically. ~ told you lost
her 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 faring Goals in the
CRATE. silent, calm, serene. II 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 I was in
for it whatever 1t might be, and an
swered promptly, Yea"
And then. still leaning ON the chimney.
piece. he began in q hesitating way:
"As you already know. Gladys and ]
wsro married trihe over thirteen
months ago. loved her madly. and
she, poor girl. was all q wife. should be
or could be. We were very happy to.
gether; no clouds ever darkened the
clear heaven Of our mutual love, nor
troubles for . moment disturbed our
peace and happiness. Previous TO de-
parting on our wedding trip l had
leased suite of rooms in a large up
town fat-you know tho place-and
when we returned after q short tour
those rooms became our home and our
paradise. So things ran on for nearly
two months, and thcn-then came the
end-the end"
Here ho paused, and turning away
from me looked into the kissing. splut-
tering little fire q moment Somehow
did not feel like breaking the silence-l
realized that he was not thinking Of Inc
then, and to speak would have been
obtrusion il not sacrilege. At length
raising his head. he turned TO me with
apparent effort md as he did 30 could
see there were tears in his eyes.
"One evening"" he went on, after 1
had begged him be seated and he had
taken the big cushioned chair by the
hearth, "ono evening last February my
wife and spent with her mother and
returned at late hour to our apart
ments Tho night was bad one. and
Gladys, poor little girl. was weary and
exhausted when we reached home. Her
bright eyes had dull. leadon look. she
was pale. complained Of a headache and
said strange things as il her mind wert
wandering for the moment. and recon-
mended that she retire at once and sleep
of the i'll effects"of her overexertion.
She was very loath to take my advice
for somo reason or other, md when
had lighted my pipe and drawn my arm
chair up to the table she camo and knelt
beside mo and took my hand in hers.
John. said she--ah. how well 70.
member her words, spoken in her
piquant, half reproachful way-'John,
you don't mean 10 send me away from
You, do youT
"Yes. my DEAR replied. rather pet
ulantly. For your own sake do. You
need sleep and rest. | am perfectly safe
here with my paper
"Sho rose and turned away. but had
taken only a few steps when she re-
turned and took my hand again.
"'You want me to leave you, Johny
"'Yes, yes, my dear; 60 to sleep and
get a nights rest; it will do You moro
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
Istopped to think. She rose quickly and
passed into our bed chamber beyond, and
as the portieres closed behind her feel
Ing Of unutterable loneliness overcams
me. my heart beat hard and fast and
breathed with difficulty. II was all at-
surdity, Of course. and when | had hesi-
tAted bit and reasoned 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 tho floor, trying to drive
of the feeling before | retired for tho
night. Perhaps ] had been pacing up
and down for an hour, or 1t may have
been but ten minutes-it don't matter
how long it was-when my attention was
suddenly arrested by singular move
ment Of the portieres at our bedroom
doorway. and | stopped short, unable,
afraid to move an inch. Slowly the
heavy draperies moved IA though some