Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1893-12-21
HIS wIFE'S MISTAKE.
For Thlrty-Fivo Years Hor Pride
Was Sufficient, and Then

II was n little old village in West
chester county, N. ", not far from the
settlement which the IIugucnots OF the
| French Rochelle had founded.
IL was chill and still and o'crshad-
owed by lush foliage and the growth OF
tall trees much untrimmed. Mrs. Skin
ner dwelt in large white house,
pilastered In front, set back from the
road and screened from the eye OF
casual passers by grove of elms.
Once every day coach, an anti
quated coachman, q pair of fat, sleek,
mild horses drew up before the gate at
the end Of the narrow path, tagged
with white square stones leading to the
door Of the house.
And from that door came tall
feminine figure, erect, clad in robes of
deep black.
On Sundays likewise did Mrs Skin
ncr appear with n majesty of gait old
age and solitude had been powerless TO
impair, walking up the aisle of the
Episcopal church TO the very front pow,
whence, raising her eyes from the
preachers face. she might SEQ in the
left transept the memorial tablets of
three Sldnners, now passed on TO the
silent majority.
On the first Sunday in juno the win
dows were thrown open, the day mild
with the June balminess of fresh-blown
leaf and flower, and the sunshine would
creep In and lie In n golden shaft over
the richest and Oldest tablet of the
three not put there by herself, the one
sacred TO the memory of Egbert
Thomas Hamilton Skinner.
That shaft OF yellow sunlight lay so
to-day, disturbed only as the chcclIered
shadow of breeze-stirred bough shift
cd and docomposed its luminous bar.
and Mrs. Skinner, mayhap Ethel Mary
de Kay, wife OF the Egbert Thomas
Hamilton Skinner OF long years ago
forgot the clcrgyman's text and neg
lected TO follow his discourse. Back
into the past must her fancy have
strayed, for when in its rcroration the
supplied figure lifted up its hand and
the congregation rustled TO its feet or
bent decorous heads upon its hands Mrs.
Skinner, in her black robes, sat inn
movable, and only stirred aud seemed
to wake to consciousness OF external
things when the organ pcalcd forth
and the people slowly, with the re-
licved joyousncss born OF Il sense OF tho
rapture Of all nature without and the
satisfaction of n duty fulfilled, issued
through the vaulted portal TO the south
wind. the restless singing OF birds, the
sun shining in white glare on the
gravel walk.
The house with the white columns
was dusk and cool and filed with
Sabbatarian Stiffness Somewhere the
green blinds had been opened by some
new, impetuous hand, unframed as yet
TO the strict usagcs that prevailed with
the servants of this household.
Mrs. Skinner ordered the light shut
out.
Alone she sat in the darkcncd din
ing-room at her midday meal. An old
servant softly moved in and out Pic
turcs--family portraits of Slsinners aud
De Kays-looked with the fiat surfaces
and wooden poses that characterize
such American art OF the carly years of
the century from furnished frames on
the walls.
Like more than one De Kay was this
old woman's naughty head, with the
high, clear profile.
beautiful had she been, the Ethel de
Kay OF all those years ago. Well had
she known IL, too. Yet what had her
beauty avRiled? would she have asked,
curving in bitter contempt those still
lne. full lips
After she had passed into the draw
ing-room the old servant who had
dressed her mistress hair and hung up
her black dresses these forty years
noiselessly entered.
shall l pack, ma'am?"
Mrs. Skinner was n moment in reply
ing.
"A few things in n valise-ycs. We
shall only be gone two or three days"
The next day mistress and maid were
ascending the steps OF the old town
house in Tenth street 1t had been
carefully closed since the departure of
the last tenant. Though the afternoon
was warm the breath OF the empty
rooms struck against Mrs SINNERS
cheek with a dull chill
shall l let in the sun, ma'am?" said
Hannah.
Mrs. Skinner did not seem to hear.
so they want the top floor, too,
these new tenants?" she said.
40 AAu aiils bulu WHO was
In some wise r-auager of her mistress
affairs as well.
Then everything must be moved
out"
'lf could do anything"
Nothing" was the answer
And Mrs. Skinner slowly assembled
the stairs, while Ham all in silence sat
and kept watch at the foot.
Back INTO the past again walked the
lately old woman Ia black. Slowly
did she unlock the door and move into
the large, old, Uttered room.
For the first time in thirty-five years
she looked upon the objects there. Her
eyes, in the dim light, in the musty
silence which at her entrance haa
broken into a succession OF small, low,
strange sounds, glanced from one to
the other-for tho first time; for the
first time since the day when the trag-
edy of her life had come to her.
The bones Of the past were stirred,
indeed, now. And she had hated them;
she had shut them away; she had tried
TO forget them, to let them lie In their
gravesl A WronOed woman snch M sha