Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-08-02

"y AV'e, hc Suiu, WHAT SuOck
this has given you You are white as
aghost."
She thrust his gentle hand away.
II am very WE'LL" she said.
And all the time she was going over
and over in her mind the details OF her
husbands acquaintance with Annie
Hubbard. He had known her from
childhood-long before he met Norlne.
She recollected his telling her they
had gone to dancing school together;
but she had never dreamed that he
was in love with Annie, or she with
him. Now she knew that 1t was so,
since he treasured her letters, her
picture. She understood why he had
locked his desk. he had married her
for her money loving Annie Hubbard
all the time. That fact was patent
and plain.
All day long she went around like .
woman In dream. She was very
pale, and her lips were rigidly set
Her changedappearance and demeanor
her husband attributed to the fright
she had had. And the whole time ono
terrible thought was beating itself In
upon her brain. "You love them both.
You stand in their sunshine. Move out
Of lt.
Toward evening she left the house,
walked to a drug store, entered, asked
for certain powder, at once caressing
and deadly.
The clerk looked at her curiously,
she fancied, as he gave her the package
and her change,
She went home. Harold was out.
She sat down and wrote him few
lines.
"You accused me Of being Jealous" she
wrote. Il don't think | was-I know am l
have read Annie's letters to you. II had
dreamed before married you that you cared
for each other would have done then what |
am about to do now"
1t seemed long time before the
drug took effect, but at last she felt
the desired sense Of Inconsistencies
creeping upon her.
II was almost eleven o'clock when
Harold, who had been on wild goose
chase after the burglars, reached bis
own door A voice out Of the shadows
spoke to him.
Mr. Groves, I've been waiting for
you. I'm Jim Dinand.'
"0h, yes--of course. Wait, and III
get this door open"
mol only wish to speak to you a
moment You did me a good turn last
year, when was miles deep In that
lawsuit, and couldn't pay you, think
I've done you one now. Your wife
came into my drug store tonight She
didn't know me, but knew her. She
asked for morphine an amount that
would be fatal dose, She looked
wild and strange, gave her harm
less sedative powder. may have ben
mistaken in regard to her evident in
tention, but don't think so.
MY God ~ murmured Groves.
"Thank you, Jim he said then.
He let himself In, went quietly up
stairs, noiselcssly entered the room.
Norine lay asleep; the note she had
written was on small table beside
the bed. He took up the sheet
the few calm, desperate words, Then
he dropped the note on the floor be-
tween the table and the bed. 1t was
late next morning when Norlne lifted
her heavy eyelids.
"Wcll, you lazy grill" cried q dear,
familiar voice, "lm tired waiting
breakfast for you. Inevcr knew you
to sleep SO late Ihear they've caught
our intruders. hope although
they didn't get very much. suppose
they thought they had u great find
when they broke open the locked box
which Dave Harding gave me to keep
for him, when his folks broke up the
engagement between him and Annie
Hubbard, and sent him out west, How
ever, In letter got from him only
this morning, no writes me that the
course Of true love is running smooth
ly again, and that he Is coming back
to marry Annie next month, Make
haste, dear. The chops will be like
leather"
He left the room. She looked wildly
around for her note, picked 1t up.
"The draught from the window must
have blown II off the table. Was ever
anything SO fortunate? But how did
that young druggist happen to make
such mistaken OH | have been
wicked-wickedl Forgive me, dear
God, my jealousy, my rash attempt,
both dark sinsl will never again
doubt your love, nor hisr
And, In the sweet humility OF her
happiness, she never did.-Kate Clcary,
In N. Y. Weekly.