The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-06-24
wife, but then he would confess It all
/,

afterward and ask her forgiveness
Thus there could DO no further harm
attaching to his plan, and he would be
freed of all difficulty and be ablo to de-
scribe tho scene with powerful realism.
Ho could not understand why the idea
had not occurred to him sooner. It was
so simple and so natural, and there
seemed to be absolutely no other escape
from his difficulty.
Thank goodness the time was now
approaching when he would DO able to
hear the bitter protest of the innocent
and illuminated wife
Forthwith he was anxious to execute
his design, but his heart beat little
faster at the thought of it. With diff
Guilty he wrote few lines in an al
tered handwriting, which interpreted
i'll a pitiablc way the accusation of the
wife whom he adored and loved And
i'll order to make the deception moro
complete he added thereto the initials
Of the name of her supposed lover and
traducer.
For this purpose he selected the name
Of tho young apothecary who had only
a few minutes before como to his house
on visit.
ut is true, 1 know, that my wife
cannot endure him, he said to himself,
'but what of that? The scene will be
all the more natural and powerful "
Yet somehow as nc wrote the adj
dress on the envelopc-his own address
"A sad feeling stole over him
Some things cause pain even in
joke, he murmured to himself. elbow
thankful | am for my wifes stainless
characterr'
And with trembling fingers he finish
ed the writing Then no weighed care
fully in his mind what the next step
should be and finally carried it to the
postoffice himself.
ALI was going splendidly In the
evening they intended to go to the the
alter, so that she would find this letter
on which so much depended, among her
other papers and letters when they got
home again. The whole scene would be
acted ut night just as in real novel II
was splendid.
When they came out of tho theater, it
was already late
''After midnight, remarked Frank
as they passed the tall clock in the hall
He asked the maidservant who open
ed the door for them if there were any
letters, and she gave him those that had
como while they had been at the the
alter.
While his wife sank with n tired sigh
into an armchair and united her veil he
remained standing and ran his eve over
the addresses.
SrlIn,,1x-
him He raised his eyebrows slightly,
and casting stern glance III the direc-
ton of his wife tucked the correspond
encc under his arm, babe her good
night and went abruptly into his study
The young wife observed him mar
rowly, drew a deep breath as her Gus
tom was and shook her head She did
not ask him whether there Were any let
tiers among his own, and he of course
did not tell her.
Then she took her candle from the
servant girl and walked slowly toward
her bedchamber.
Once in his workroom Frank INDUCED
i'll contentcd little laugh. At last the
goal was in sight. III few moments
he would know all he wanted to know!
Yes. all. and he laughed again Then
it would be easy for him to describe the
scene from beginning to end in mas
terly manner.
Just little more patience, and her
maid will have left her Going up and
down in his room, he calculates what
effect will be produced on the world by
his novel, drawn i'll the most realistic
manner from nature itself
Il wonder what makes her so slow
tonight hc said to himself.
In the stiffness of the night he could
hear the sounds of their voices Then
he heard her lay down her rings OH the
marble slab of the dressing table
Thereupon the clear sounds Of her merry
laughter floated through the air to his
ears
To-day of all days she seems to take
so long = he nurmnred to himself.
a little while longer he walked up
and down the room with excited brain.
Then he heard the opening and shutting
OF the door and steps dying away in the
distance.
AT laSt!' he exclaimed, with "a sigh.
Softly and with great caution he
pressed the door handle, walked lightly
through the toilet room into the sleep.
ing room and entered with such sudden
ness and violence that the young wife
cried aloud with fear and establishment.
How you frightened met Have You
gone crazy
He made 10 answer, but stood in 81
lcncc, watching carefully every gesture
that she made and every change of cx-
preston that crossed her face
Then i'll measured steps and with
pale earnest face he approached her.