Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-11-02

could scarcely believe my senses She
who was so timid-she who Wby
no, II could not be. went about the
house calling her Igrew alarmed, and
fearing TO find her lying In a swoor
somewhere, carried the lamp low and
looked in the garnet, the cellar, the lii
tie kitchen where cooking was done In
summer-everywhere, in fact.
She was gone, and so was the cloak,
that usually hung in a certain place,
and hood she wore about the grounds
on cold days What could have taken
her out2 Had she heard our pony
Adgeting inhis stall or the peep Of some
stray chickcn2 Was she anxious about
the day-old calf2 We had all these
rural belongings in the small boundary
Of our little summer-home.
II so, why did she not mention II TO
me? II was, no doubt. that cold OF
mine, which had made too much fuss
about She went herself rather than
/ to expose me. tossed on my water.
/ proof coat, pulled an old hat over my
ears and went out upon the porch
The lantern was gone.
"Fleda" cried, lifting my voice,
"Fleda, sayl Where are you, Fleda2"
| heard no sound, but shortly, far
along the road. | spicd yellow blur
waving near the ground, and knew,
when | had watched 1t for some time.
that IL was lantern carried by some
one TO light her steps along the irregu-
lar fOot-path. say her" because
shortly | could see the drapery Of u
womans dress 1t was my wife, re
turning home. was certain of that
now, and called to her at once:
"Flcda, why on earth are you strag-
Cling about in the storm? Why didn't
you send me TO do what you wanted
dunc2 The wind Is strong enough to
carry you over the hills I've been wild
about you"
81 did not know the wind was SO
strong"
And asked no more questions. My
anxiety for Flcda swallowed up every
other thought However, she was per-
fcctly well next day, though curiously
depressed and distracted.
have not yet introduced myself.
am Henry Darlington. My business
was that of cashier with the Dayton
brothers. My wife and lived simply
in a tiny out-of-town cottage in SUM
mcr; in timer Hat in winter | had
never been extrayagant, and my only
great folly had been to risk certain
sum of money, left me as legacy, at
the races backed the favorite and
lost every dollar Flcda was very
much distressed when | told her the
news
Not at the loss OF the money
Henry" she said, but that you should
risk IL at the races My uncle once en-
ployed n young man who became dis
honest and was finally arrested because
Of going 10 the races and betting and
all that. Pray, pray, be careful"
The week passed quietly. Pay night
came again. 1t often happens that the
same night is stormy for several sue
cccding weeks This night, however,
was not as bad as the one on which my
story opens However, II was much
more comfortable indoors than out.
And yet, just as | was in the middle of
n paragraph ! was reading to her from
the evening paper, looked up and saw
that Fleda had vanished. Again |
searched the house. Again found
that she had left IL. Again the yellow
light of the lantern told me of her re-
turn. She was not out OF breath this
time, but she was pale and trembled
n little. She shook her head when /
asked her where she had been, and said.
Nowhere. The house felt close.
wanted little air. That is all"
You did not find what was reading
Interestingly" said |.
II assure you" she began, then
broke Off suddenly. Don't talk about
III" she cried DON'T DON'T | pray,
don't talk about III"
did not talk, but thought good
deal, and had reason to think. Day
by day noticed that Fleda was gradu-
ally growing thinner and paler. Her
spirits were deserving her. And when
the same day of the week came around,
she left the house as mysteriously as
before. The presence of guest pre-
vented me from following her; but /
discovered that, in order TO keep the
knowledge of her absence from the
house from me, she entered the store
room, climbed out of the window mt
the risk of her neck and returned in the
same manner Moreover, discovered
on the sill few scattered coins--a ten.
cent piece and two pennies-which told
me that she had dropped portion Of
some money that she had taken with
her. All this made me very unhappy.
detested mysteries, and II was evil
dent that one OF the sort which had
always thought unnatural when intro
duced into the pages of novels had
arisen in my quiet little home.
remembered that had met my wife
by chance; that our introduction was
ance, who really knew nothing OF
either of us; that she was alone in the
world, without any living relative, or
claimed to be so; a teacher of music,
with few pupils, making hard struggle
for life. Very possibly a disreputable
father or brother had turned up, to
whom she was obliged TO give assist
ance, and whom she did not wish me to
know. II was n pity, but ! would have
no more Of this. ! would get at the
truth and help her II could. Then a
terrible thought occurred to me. What
II II should prove that she had married
early In life; that q worthless husband
had returned, and that she was trying
TO get rid of himp In that case what
goose would be 20 NEEDLE and force
upon myself terrible knowledge which
might avoid.
II was cowardly, perhaps, but loved
Eledn sn daariv that I had rathar Ia