The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1896-02-22
THE FELLOWS STORY.

that tomorrow
And as he spoke he paced his cell with
quick, feyerish tread. Bis eyes were fas-
tened on the cold iron floor. Suddenly he
raised them.
Did yan say whyf'' he cried, with a
|ferceness that made us start. did you ask
yhy il was killed her, and she my wife?''
You would have known by his eyes that
.rhere was "a dark shaoow either Of crime
Iur approaching death upon him. Again
8he paced the hard iron beneath him.
And she my wifel Yes, curse her, she
was my wifeI All, how 1 hated heri
With what pleasure crushed the life out
pf her body and heard her last gurgiing
noanr'
He turned suddenly and faced us. Eis
yes were fiery red. But that we knew he
ras sane we might have supposed him to
e a maniac.
You do not know" he went on spas
bodically, "you do not know what hatred
until you have hated the wife whom
ou once thought you had loved, Among
he demons below there Is nothing that
Ian equal it. To live in her repulsive
presence, to calmly endure her little acts
f tenderness by which she hopes-deluded
|ouI-to drive the tempest from your
brow, and to feel the loathed touch of her
krms about you-all this will turn your
heart into a black and burning hell.
Slowly 1t grew upon me, and the poison
was already deep into my soul when first
elt the revulsion Of feeling. One day the
ouch Of her hand was unpleasant to my
brow. 1t had always soothed before. That
vas the first outward sign Of the dark
Ns,k~ hot mn sr,rW II rNrlA 90
blain i'll do not believe there lives a man
who can. She had done nothing to cause
i. She was as true and faithful as ever
wife was, and loved her. / was sure of
that.
But it had come, and felt its 10y fin
gers chill my blood. 1 struggled to throw
It of, but in vain. Day by day she grew
more loathsome, more repulsive to me,
until at last despised her very presence.
She must have seen the dark moods that
came over me, and she tried to dispel them
with kisses that burned and scared and
with whispers Of love that fell upon my
ears like the hiss Of serpents.
lit was an awful thing to hate this
woman as 1 did, and she my wife. Her
Every movement was repulsive, every word
that she spoke was discord to my being,
Every touch of her hand sent a flaming
he'll into my heart.
Soon began to plan dark things, halt
unknowing what it was at first, and the
very thought frightened me when it came
into my brain. 1t was not long before
grew accustomed to 1t, and calmly and de-
/ liberately, yet with gloating pleasure, i
would form plots against the life of this
woman whom hated, this wife of my
bosom.
at was about half past 10 at night, and
a knew by her deep and regular breathing
that she slept soundly. The light was burn
ing dimly, and even in her sleep hated
Der with hatred that belongs to the souls
pf the damned. did not have to muster
bp my courage to do the deed. 1 gloased
1t the prospect and had to restrain myself
pntil the time came.
II pressed my fingers iercely and fran
ically against her throat. could hardly
Feep from shouting when did. She
truggled violently, but held her with a
emOn's grip. With one of her hands she
sught me by the wrist with such forcs
hat had to pull violently to get 1t away.
But soon it was over, and she had ceased
breathing. Even death did not end my
hatred longed for her to be hid from
by sight.
The other parts of my plot were carried
through without a break. The servant
vas arrested before morning, and then /
vas jubilant and happy, though I took
good care to conceal It.
Early the next day several officers were
here looking into the murder. knew Of
ourSe that they could not suspect me, and
was in the room with them as they were
eeking some clew to the crime. One Of
hem looked at me little curiously onoe
twice. and 1t made me Just trif1e nerv-
u.s. but how could he suspect mef
huckled to myself at the idea And II he
id, what proof had he2
Presently, as he was bending over the
cad body Of my wife, he looked round
addenly and glanced, thought, at my
cit hand. But I looked, and there was no
cfatch or mark upon 1t to betray me, and
was reassured. Then he called rs to him
There he bent over the body. In the
iosed and stiffened fingers Of the right /
pand he had found something. With good |
peal Of difficulty and with the help Of the |
Their officers, be forced 1t out. did not 1
Pc what it was, for he held 1t in his hand.