Evening star., 1896-12-19
A PRETTY WIDOWS STORY

despair. nor did she show any signs of
those other dreadfullyS woe-begone condi-
tions which are sometimes attributed to
the state of widowhood not only in Amer
lea and its environs. but pretty generally
over the entire earth's surface.
On the contrary, she was as bright and
vivacious as a summer girl, and she was
talking to the major in seventeen languages
all at once. At least. it so seemed to him,
for he hadn't the slightest opportunity Of
introducing word into the conversation
side wise. evea much less introducing it, ac-
cording to the ordinary rules of collo4ny.
DO you know, ma ajor.' she was saying as
fast as she could. and with little gasps for
breath between, as women DO When !he'r '1r
conversational locomotive hegins to run
wild that 1 had perfectly dreadful ex-
perience once in my life?'
The major wanted to say that he could
not understand how such a charming wo-
man could have any kind of an experience
that was not as lovely as she was, but he
wasn't quick enough
We'll. 1 did, she ratified away. and.
you know, it was during dear Georges life-
time and il was perfectly awful. My, my,
this with half sigh, you wouldn't think
had been a widow ten years. would you!
The major was on the point of saying
that she seemed to him more like radiant
sunbeam. or something like that Tor the
major has a fiattering tongue: but before
he could carry his wish into execution tha
widow was five lengths ahead.
Very few people do she twittered. DO
you think | look very old?" and she canteu
her head to one side, and locked at the ma
jor as a bird looks at a bug 1t wants for
dinner.
The major was about to say that he
thought she was summer girl before some
one told him she was widow, but, as De-
fore, he was left at the post.
But, as 1 was saying, she continued
Il had this perfectly awful experience.
You know that dear George, during the
last two years of his life, was suffering
with some peculiar brain trouble tnat
quite changed him. HIS haliucinat1on
was that he was some other person, aud
that while l vas his wife, | was not the
same wife he had known in his sanity. inns
seemed to be the only pecunarity ol MS
madness for on all other points ne was
quite sane enough to deceive even experts.
OF course, had to watch him all the time,
for the physician said his disorder might
develop at any moment, and he might 90
something desperate, though II was not
probable that it would take such turn
"One morning he slipped away from his
attendant and escaped to train that was
just leaving the station. The man hao
grown careless, because George was SO
rational all the time, but when he lost him
he realized that he had been neglect1ui,
and at once came after me TO know What
to do. / was not at home, and did not come
in for two hours, and the man was so silly,
or something, that he didn't go TO the
physician, but just waited for me- When
he told me of Georges escape L sent Tor
the physician and private detective, ana
as soon as possible the detective followed
my husband. The physician encouraged
me greatly by saying that George was per
fectly able to take care of himself, that
he had no suicidal tendency, and that he
would very probably find him at some of
the nearby resorts, as it was summer, and
the hotels We're all open. If he did not re-
turn of his own free will in few days.
He had quite snug sum of money with
him, and l felt easy on that score, for he
could meet all his expenses, and knew very
well how to handle money. Still. was
dreadfully nervous. and excited, and, as
could not sit at home l used to go out on
short trips looking for him. The detective
was also out constantly, but he had met
with no success in his search and at the
end of two weeks I determined to sound
general alarm, so to speak, and give the
story to the newspapers. when, on one of
my expeditions, l Unexpectedly found him
in remote little town. where there were
very few summer visitors. He had been
there since his departure from home. and l
soon discovered that he was on excellent
terms with everybody. He was very glad
to see me at first, and took me around TO
meet his new friends. OF course, 1t wasn't
customary for a lady to call first. but !
was thinking about George, and not social
usage, and would have done anything he
asked me. --"i
The townspeople were extremely fond of
him, and he had been SO generous In his
charities that he was looked upon as a
public benefactor. To have told them that
George was a 1unatic. however mild, would
have resulted in my being thought one and
during the afternoon of my arrival l kept
my own counsel and telegraphed at once
for the physician and the attendant No
train due until next morning, and all
l could do was to wait and keep quiet.
There was no trouble with George until
just after we had taken our supper at the
little hotel where he stopped, and had gone
to his room. There something l said must
have indicated to him in some way that I
had some designs against his liberty. or
SC netting, 1 don't know what and he be-
gan to act queerly and show that he was
suspicious of me.
i had been under such a dreadful strain
for so long that l was completely unnerved,
and now that 1 had found him / felt my
self relaxing and verging upon Mysteries
l tried to control myself and get him to
thinking about something else. but sudden
ly and without any warning, he caught me
and began to choke me. OF course l
screamed, and screamed with all my might
and in a minute or two people came rush
ing to the room, inquiring what was the
matter. AS they came in George held me
struggling in his arms, but he was cooler
than any one in the party, and was talking
to me like a mother to a fretful or fright
ened child. and doing all he could to soothe
me. But by this time I was go wrought
up that I could not keep still, and when
demented and became extremely violent at
times lasting for months, they believed
him and asked what could be done.
"He asked that a physician and q police
man be sent for, and a messenger went fly
ing. and soon came back with them. They
held a council over me. and upon Georges
suggestion that be put in a safe place for
the night, l was taken to the woman's cell
in the town prison and locked up in charge
of woman nurse, who had volunteered
her services. as she had had experience
with lunatics. Wasn't that perfectly aw-
full? l. sane woman, to be locked up
charge Of lunacy brought by lunatic?'
- The major was anxious to say that he
had never heard of such an outrage per-
petrated I'm civilized land, but the widow
over him and went on.
well, it was awful, and the more tried
to convince the woman that it was my hus-
band who Was crazy, the more she shook
her head kindly and told me she knew it,
and that l was put in there only to protect
me from him. That made me worse, and
would so off into Mysteries again, and l
rcver slept a wink all night. When morn
ing came I was more nearly a raving mani
ac than the real lunatic was and when
George in to his emotions