The record-union., 1895-08-28
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gled violently to reply, to clasp her in
my arms, and in the effort awoke.
The moon was shining through the un-
curtained window like red lurid eye
and there were voices coming from the
next room-a mans voice and
woman's. For time listened, catch
ing a Tragmentary bit of conversation.
and feeling vague sort of resentment
against them that they would not let me
sleep. 1 lay there idly for awhile and
presently dozed off again. l was sud-
denly aroused to full consciousness by
woman's pitiful sobbing and a mans
grutf harsh tones. l sat up and listened.
The man, as far as I could make out. was
urging upon the woman to make some
sort OF confession or admission, OF just
what nature l could not learn, while she
was sObbing hysterically and trying in
vain to convince the man how wrong
were his suspicious.
This continued for some time-the
mans voice growing harsher and louder
bing sank into little gasping means.
Presently the door was unlocked and l
heard heavy footsteps going down the
hall in the direction Of the offlce. Then
long silence, which was broken by the
report of a pistol, which rang out sharp
and clear upon the stiffness Of the night,
followed by wOman's shrek and q
heavy fall.
l leaped from my bed, snatching my
clothes as l did so, and entered the next
room. The light was turned on in full
force and there. stretched upon the floor,
with the smoking pistol still clutched in
her hand and with her face turned from
me, lay the body OF woman. She was
still dressed in her white bridal robe and
in her hair nestled fragrant orange bios
SONS.
There were other people crowding in
the room by this time, drawn there by an
unaccOuntaDle curiosity to view death
no matter in what form. Tender hands
helped me to turn the body over and as
we did So merciiul heavens! The pallid
face, with tho fast glazing eyes and the
gaping wound in the breast, from which
The life blood was slowly ooZing drop by
drop, dyeing the orange blossom dark
crimson stain The face of the woman
had loved and lost was revealed TO me.
| must have tainted then, for when |
came TO L was lying on my bed. 1t was
broad daylight and the doctor was bend
ing over me. l looked about me help
lessly, not knowing how | came there,
when memory reasserted herself and all
the hdeous events of the past night were
brought vividly before mo. L shuddered
and groaned in my agony, covering my
face with my hands. l turned toward
the wall and wept great, hot, scalding
tears, which welled up from my heart
and scared and branded like drops Of
blood.
For hours lay there torn with grief,
until spent with the excess of my own
emotion | slept. When | awoke il was
noon my head was heavy and my hands
and feet like Lead but l crawled from
my bed and slowly and painfully dressed;
then [ went down stairs, and seek
ing the landlord ask ed permission to visit
the dead. He readily granted my re-
quest. and together we entered the abode
OF death.
The blinds were tightly closed against
the glaring midday sun, but long beam
of yellow light shone about her head as
she lay in her coffin in the center of tn @
room. Her waXen hands were crossed
upon her breast, while upon the fourth
finger Of her left hand glittered narrow
golden circle, her wedding ring. a Asmile
of ineffable peace and holy joy lit up her
countenance.
Long and earnestly I gazed upon that
beloved form. Hot and bitter were the
tears which fell upon her pallid face.
knelt by the coffin and reverentially, for
was l not IN the presence OF the bride of
death? l placed a kiss, the first and only
one l had ever given her. upon her cold.
marble brow, and then placed bunch of
great red roses upon her breast, just over
her fresh young life.
Down stairs the landlord told me the
sad story Of how they had met that night
for the first time III several years, the
bride beautiful and refined, the groom
coarse, brutal and vulgar but the woman
never taltered. She had given her sacred
promise to the man before he had be-
ceme hardened and calloused. She would
abide by that promise now, come what
may. SO she did. But the landlord said
that convulsive shudder passed over her
slender frame as the golden tetter was
slipped upon her finger. and the minister
pronounced them man and wife.
When they went upstairs for the night
the man began to talk OF the past. Not OF
his past, that was too black, and would
take too long time in the telling, but of
hers. He seemed to take q tendish de-
light in wounding the woman who now
belonged to him. lie forced a confession
from her that she had once had a lover, a
man who was honorable in every respect,
and who had asked her hand in marriage.
With willful malice her husband mis-
construed her statement and attempted to
wiring from the tortured girl a confession
OF guilt, but in vain; she was innocent,
she swore it, but the man would not be-
| lieve. He told her that unless she con-
fessed all in writing he would publish
her to the world as an abandoned
woman.
1t was in vain that she begged and
pleaded with the hardened brute for
mercy; he was obdurate. Leaving the
room he sought the office for the neces-
sary writing materials. Left alone, with
ruin staring her in the face, for who
would believe her word against his, her
eye fell upon the pistol; she seized it as a
drowning woman clutches at a straw.
Here was the one way which appeared to
her distorted Imagination the only way
out of her troubles. Without a second
thought she turned the weapon upon her.
self and solved the problem.
And the husband? He left the body of
his bride to be shipped to her old home.
disappeared and was never heard OF
again
l accompanied the body to it's last rest
ing place, saw that it received proper
burial, then left the city, and have be-
come more of a wanderer than ever.
Sometimes the thought comes over me
with sickening force that perhaps l was
the unhappy cause OF my darling's tragic
fate, but as | look into the clear vault of
heaven | think | see her eyes shining
down upon me, through the stars, and a
sweet, low voice whispers into my ear
that l am forgiven.
Virginia is not so wealthy as before the
war. mt least i'll the estimate OF the first