Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1893-08-23

tfiD& How long \ took no % dis
e.se< ~h<re wa< en- unahls - s4y.
Ia r~sli>y was lyfnv Ia rhs lfs<ls s.ss-
tlb4l< - my oEies. fros npon my feet.
opsnsd ths Inner deor and turned sa
fhs efsetrte ltgAa 1ly watch had
ssopp.sd. has f<ola sk< ~rine0r eoaad
sc TIE nunkn2tet alzl In the tower
u clsy hall II was neariy naianiSht'
'sBut vhst midnigktf l bad no idea
WHISTLER ] had besn unDcascsgGs three
dAys or . noatA Ny mia1 wa 20
stupeCs1 fhzt eoaid Rot ascertain ths
date of any II the ways whsch would
have suggested tAeEnseiyes 10 me Ia
my normal condition There was
Newspaper ca my desk. Ny eyes
rested upon ~ without inssnt. bat, at
least. one word seemed - detaeh itself
frona the page. II was the day Of the
week Ia the date line Of the paper. and
that Vas friday thsn II was already
TOO late.
There was pistol n drawer OF
my desk and. somehow, though my
hands trembied - that | could hardly
hold key. managed a. open the lock
and At last a secure the weapon Vet
IL seemed an idle and eswarsiiy thing
10 do. 20 die without u struggle. To- ae-
eept the Consequences OF my fall as
final put tie pistol sato my pocket
and hastenei fruia &c eGiee. Bet ono
thought was ia M mind. - learn tho
worst at once. she would forgive mo
certainly. Even & brother caa claim
seventy times seven. and l with far
more pofent right would plead again.
This fall should he my last
at seemed ! wns at home as X by
magic. Tho ley turned In the street
door. climbed tho dark stairs and
came 70 the third landing breathiess
with my haste. The small key
turned in the lock but the door did
not open There was nothing alarm
ing about that; Alice often used tho
sccond lock 20 make herself more sc.
cure.
"'Alioer called. and shook tho
door. There was no response. lis
tened Surely there was a confused
sound within, q nurmur as OF the
weeping of ono who Is exhausted with
the shedding of tears. 1t was almost
n relief 10 find that she was there. wo
had no friends 20 whAm she could 90
in an emergency. but IL the rooms
were bare she might have taken ref
uge even with comparative strangers.
i spoke her name again. IL seemed as
n the noise within ceased thought
that she was coming TO the door, but
she did not Certainly she had heard
me.
Ibid she deliberately exclude me?
Had she learned OF my debaueh? Had
been guilty Of something more dis
graceful than drunkenness? IN the
three days what madness and folly lay,
forgotten but irrevocabiy written, in
my psst9 But perhaps she was asleep.
made loud noise at the door, as loud
as dared. fearing TO let the other in
mates In the house know of my dis
grace. There was no answer.
Confused, alarmed and utterly sick
at heart. sank down upon the floor
and sat there leaning against the wall,
do not know how long. At times I
felt resentment against her, and then
excused my own fault with weak AZ
gurnents; again, fell into abject
pleading, with my lips almost against
the door. And then. in desperation, 1
thought of the weapon in my pocket,
and was on the brink OF death. Yet
through IL I'll one idea grew stronger
as the Others faded; ionged 10 see her
again Pledges rose TO my lips which
no man could utter and then violate.
which no woman could hear, urmoved,
frora one she loved
"It came into my mind To burst the
door. and had got upon my feet 70
the sound of some person ascending
the stairs below me. had no wish TO
DC discovered in such plight. and SO
put my back against the door and kept
quite still. The hall was as dark as a
coffin did not see the man who
/ passed mo nor did he have q suspicion
Of my presence. lie went up the stairs
90 the next landing and there paused.
waited for the noise OF the doors
closing. but II did not como. Instead
heard Light. peculiar sound, which
even In my miseries aroused fam,
curiosity. remembered suddenly that
the Iawrences who occupied the 1ai
above were away from the city. What
was this man doing at their door2
al assembled the stairs noiselessly
There was n ray OF light above. II
came from q dark lantern IA the hand
OF a man who kneeled before tho dool
examining the lock. In an instant 4
Wild and absurd thought came - me