The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1892-02-15
MY FRIENDS STORY.

insist will give it you.
/ had insisted and bcsought by turns
for half an hour and this concession of
his was the outcome OF series of stra-
tegic movements on my part that would
have done honor to Partisan detective
well, then" said. II insist. Go on
with your story, and If any pledge of
secrecy is in order, just say so and I'll
hold up my hands.
II don't enjoin secrecy" he answered
slowly. "The story is not one you would
care to repeat.
"Oh, very well. very well, +" lbantered,
with mighty affectation of a flippancy
! 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 agow
II said nothing Of the kind, = he re-
piled emphatically. II 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, it burst upon
me suddenly that the silence and SCREEN
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 trihe over thirteen
months ago. / loved her madly, and
she, poor girl. was all a 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 a moment disturbed our
peace and happiness. Previous to de
parting on our wedding trip / had
leased q suite of rooms in q large mp
town fat-you know the place and
when we returned after a 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 Missing, 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 hts head, he turned to me with
apparent effort end as he did SO could
So there were tears in his eyes,
zone evening" he Went on, after
{ had begged him be seated and he had
taken the big cushioned chair by the
hearth, 'ene evening last February my
wife and spent with her mother and
returned at late hour to our apart.
ments. The night was bad one, and
Gladys, poor little girl, was weary and
exhausted when we reached home. Hel
bright eyes had a dull, leaden look, sht
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
"tJohn,' 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 you?
eyes. my dear ! replied, rather pet.
ulantly. For your ownsake 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, john
Yes, 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
Istopped to think. She rose quickly and
passed into our bed chamber beyond, and
as the portieres closed behind her a 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 hesi-
tated q bit and reasoned quickly buried
myself IN my paper and tried to forget
the occurrence. But every few mo-
j, sments the same strange unrest oppressed
me, until finally threw aside the paper
and rising paced the floor, trying to drivt
oil the feeling before retired for The
night. Perhaps ] had been pacing VI
and down for an hour, or it may have
bean but ten minutes lit don't matter
how long it was-when my attention wa
suddenly arrested BY singular move
ment 81 the portieres at our bedroom
doorway, and stopped short, unable
afraid 10 move an inch. Slowly tn
heavy draperies moved as though some