The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-04-16

where she was at work getting dinnar
and surprise her with the flowers and
kiss
Softly | opened the kitchen door
There was no sign of any preparation
for dinner-eyorything was in order.
Perhaps Nora has cried herself sick, /
said to reassure myself. I went to the
bedroom-everything in order there, hut
the room was empty. Nervously / hur-
ricd through every room, looked into
every closet, went down cellar, out to
the coal shed, mp to the attic. I didn't
expect to find her i'm any of these places
I was sure she had gone away, but I
must look for her somewhere.
81 went back to the bedroom again
and there found the note she had left
for me pinned to my pillow.
Poor little tear stained letter. Here
it is, worn in the folds and yellow with
age-this is what she wrote:
Don't think 1t Is because / am angry at
what ou did this morning that / go. / cannot
stay, because / cannot make you happy. You
will at least live in peace without me. | love
You. my husband. and I always viii. Think Of
me sometimes and OF how much I loved you.
But, no; II IL makes you sad to think or me, for
get me. God bless you. love You. Nora.
THAT was all. It gave no clew, Was
she living or dead?
IF living, I was determined to find
her. ! searched for her everywhere, adj
vertised, traveled-all in vain. Nearly
three years passed, and not q word had /
heard from her. 1 had almost come to
the conclusion that she was dead. Dur
ing that time it was that my hair turned
white.
II was working as q reporter on a
New York morning paper, gathering
news and searching for my wife.
lone bitter cold night the last week
in January / was sent to report a fire
that had broken out in a large tenement
house in of the poorest quarters Of
the city. The greater part of the build
ing was in flames when I arrived. The
firemen saw that it would be useless to
try to save it and were directing their
efforts to getting out the frightened In
mates. Ibid what Icould to assist them
in rescuing the poor wretches.
"At last, when we thought they were
all out the smoke cleared away from q
part of the building, and by the light of
the flames that leaped mp we saw the
figures of two women in q window. One
of them had q bundle in her arms and
was preparing to leap to the ground. /
motioned her back In a moment q fire.
man moved o ladder to the place ascend
ed and returned with one of the women,
a little hunchback. The other, the one
with the bundle, clasped it convulsive-
~, tottered and would have fallen to the
ground but for the fireman who had
just reached her. Quickly he descended.
bearing her unconscious form.
"'Guess she's about gone. Get n
place ready for her, quick Let me lay
her down. he shouted.
"Of came my o~vercoat, and the fire.
man laid her ON it.
Il stopped to see If she was badly
burned, and also to see what was In. the
bundle. A little child about Q years old,
round eyed and frightened. looked mt me
from the wet, steaming blanket that
was wrapped around it A pretty little
thing, / thought as / disengaged 1t from
the Diistered arms tnat ciasped IL the
woman was badly burned about the
body. drew away the towel that she
mao round her head ana saW--my w1fel
pale and worn' put stlli the same Tea
lures. the same clustering proWn curls ON
her iorenead. Ny wiIe. g1ven Dack 20
me like this! Fr~antically / called for
neip. Tor adoctor. Ihere happened TO be
one III the CROWD.
az Nora's burns ana shook
ms mead mere was no hope. n
Wouid probably Y open her eyes