Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-22
know. But to the story. Your wife,

know. But to the story. Your wife
| you said. died year ago."
Il said nothing Of the kind" he re
piled emphatically. Il told you I los
| her a year ago" Then he rose and
crossing the room, emptied the ashe.
from his pipe into the fireplace ant
| helped himself to another round O
| tobacco. As he stood for momen
silhouetted against the f1aring Goals il
the CRATE, silent. calm, serene, it burS
| upon me suddenly that the silence ant
| serenity which in him l had long re
| garded as most offensive and unpar
donable were nothing other than the
dignity of sorrow. and l felt ashamed
| of myself; not the first time, perhaps
that 1 have had the same feeling, but
never mind that now. At last. having
lighted the new pipeful. he turned and
said simply:
'You insist?''
By this time l realized that l was
in for it whatever it might be, and
I answered promptly. ''Yes.''
And then, still leaning on the chin
neypiece, he began in a hesitatins
way:
CAS- you already know. Gladys and
| were married a trifle over thirteen
months ago. l loved her madly. and
she, poor girl, was AL a wife should
be or could be. We were very happy
together; no clouds ever darkened the
clear heaven of our mutual love. nor
troubles for a moment disturbed our
peace and happiness. Previous to de-
parting on our wedding trip | had
leased suite of rooms in a large up
town fiat-yOu know the place-and
when we returned after short tour
those rooms became our home and
our paradise So things ran on for
nearly two months, and then-then
came the end-the end
Here he paused, and turning away
from me looked into the kissing. splut-
tering little fire a moment Somehow
] did not feel like breaking the silence
e. / realized that he was not thinking
If: me then, and to speak would have
been ObtruSion if not sacrilege. At
length, raising his head, he turned to
me with apparent effort and as he did
so [ could see there were tears in his
eyes.
"One evening" he went on. after
had begged him be seated and he had
taken the big cushioned chair by the
hearth, zone evening last February
my wife and l spent with her mother
and returned at a late hour to our
apartments. The night was a bad
one, and Gladys, poor little girl, was
weary and exhausted when we reach
ed home. Her bright eyes had a dull,
leaden look, she was pale, complained
Of a headache and said strange things
as if her mind were wandering for
the moment, and I recommended that
she retire at once and sleep off the
i'll effects of her Over-eXertion. She
was very 10th to take my advice for
some reason or other, and when |
had lighted my pipe and drawn my
armchair up to the table she came
and knelt beside me and took my hand
in hers.
john said she-ah. how well / ,
her words, spoken in her
piquant. half reproachful way-'John.
you don't mean TO send me away |
from you, do you? !
Yes, my dear l replied, rather
For your own sake [ do.
You need sleep and rest. | am per- /
fectly safe here with my paper !
''She rose and turned away, but had !
aiken only a few steps when she re-
turned and took my hand again.
"'You want me to leave you, John?'
eyes, yes, my dear: so to sleep
and get a nights rest; it will do you
more good than anything else under
the sun Her caresses somehow made
me feel strangely cold and nervous.
and l spoke more harshly than j
should have done ha / [ stopped to
think. She rose quickly and passed
into our bed chamber beyond, and as
the pOrtieres closed behind her a feel ,
ing of unutterable loneliness over
came me. my heart beat hard and
fast and / breathed with difficulty. It
was all absurdity, of course, and when
| had hesitated a bit and reasoned |
quickly buried myself in my paper and
tried to forget the occurrence. But
every few moments the same strange
unrest oppressed me, until l finally
threw aside the paper, and rising
paced the floor, trying to drive off the
feeling before [ retired for the night.
Perhaps l had been pacing up and
down for an hour, or it may have
been but ten minutes-it don't mat
ter how long it was-when my atten-
ton was suddenly arrested by sin
gular movement of the pOrtieres at
our bedroom doorway, and [ stopped
short, unable, afraid to move an inch.
Slowly the heavy draperies moved as
though some one was pushing them
aside and passing through; then they
closed as quietly as they lad opened.
1.-The unaccOuntable thing filled me
with terror, and l as about to spring
forward and tear the curtains down
when l was again transfiXed by fear.
The ponderous oaken door which led
from our apartments into the public
hallway swung slowly on its hinges,
as if some one were going out. Then
came a faint sound, like a woman
signing. and the door closed and latch
ed itself. Nothing had been visible
but the moving of the curtains and
the door, and yet my soul was filled
with a harmless horror that l dared
not dwell upon. Rousing myself Il
leaped forward. and tearing aside the
portieres rushed to my wifes bed
side There she lay, her eyes closed