Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-11-05
AN ONLY QUARREL.

your leCUef ana al JDb ROOQ dQVlCo II
contains. know that when a man has
got into a thoroughly morbid state
ruthlessly candid lecture is often as
good for him as is slap in the face for
a hysterical girl. Your motive is truly
kind, and should be ungrateful if 1
failed to recognize it as such.
You point out that it is now three
years since my dear wife's fatal acci-
dent, and that, closely as we were
united and terrible though the shock
must have been, others have had to bear
blows as severe and have borne them
with pluck and resignation.
My dear Harry, so far as you know
the facts, your criticism is perfectly
just. But until you know them more
fully it is impossible for you to under
stand my feelings Alright. 1 will relieve
my mind by telling you things which
have burdened my thoughts during
these years and have made it impossible
for me to throw off my sadness.
Alice was killed upon the second an
niversary of our wedding day. For two
years our married life had been, as you
are aware, one of unclouded happiness.
What plans we made for that second
anniversary took three-quarters of an
hour to choose a present for Alice, and
a great mystery overshadowed the some
thing that she was making for me. Then
there were the invitations to our little
party in the evening, the great question
as to whether we should ask the rector
or the doctor-they were not on speaking
terms-and the debate ON the happiest
way Of spending the earlier part of the
day.
1t should be passed in the depths of
the country, we both agreed. and after
much pondering over the local time ta-
bles we settled that the ii O'Clock train
should take us to Beechwood, a walk
and picnic tete-a-tete amid the summer
glories Of the forest, tea at the clean
little Barleycorn inn, and so home.
So we settled on the eve Of our wed
ding day, and then we had our first and
only quarrel
The circumstances were trifing
enough. A letter had come to Alice,
asking her to pay short visit, if 1
could spare her, to some friends she had
known intimately before her marriage,
"the day after tomorrow. suppose
was not in the best of tempers-worried
with business, perhaps. and a trife out
of sorts-a bit jealous, too, it may be,
for one of the sons of the house had
been once rival.
AT any rate, when she produced this
letter and told me that she would like
to accept the invitation, some evil spi1-
it tempted me to raise objections.
could see the keen disappointment in
her face, and that increased my silly
petulance and jealousy till l recklessly
launched out in diatribes against her
friends who had sent the invitation.
She defended them hotly-for Alice
was always loyal-and SO the day ended
in cold good night, leaving her panied
and unhappy, and me = thoroughly
ashamed of suspicious / knew to be
groundless and of an i'll temper was
too proud to confess.
/ had wakeful and restless time
that last night. Our disagreement
preyed strangely on my mind, and in
the dark hours assumed a quite exag-
gerated Importance. You see for us it
was new experience. A little rift"
had divided us for the first time, and /
could boast no more that my wife had
never heard harsh or bitter word from
me.
III the morning there was still a cloud
between us. l knew that l was in the
wrong, and yet would not own it even
to myself. Alice gave me one little wist-
full look, expressive of a timid hope
that my mood had changed. I saw that
look, and for moment felt impelled
to fling my arms round her and ask for
giveness. If only had yielded to that
impulse / gave her one cold kiss. To
think that it was the last l ever gave
her, living or deadl
While was dressing my eye fell on
the small case containing the bracelet l
had bought as present for my wife.
picked it up, hid it ir my pocket, took
it down to breakfast and, fool that
was, never gave il to her.
| opened the letters, which were
mostly on the business that was worry
ing me. The rest | pushed irritably
away. | opened them afterward, and
do you know, Harry. that in one Of
those parcels was the gift that my wife
had been working for weeks to make
for me.
We breakfasted almost III silence, but
after the meal was over she rose and
came softly round the table toward me.
Then she put her dear hand ON my
shoulder so lightly as if she feared to
offeTs, and, bending down, she said
pleadingly, Wont you let me go.
Charlie?" And |, or the devil that pos
sessed me, coldly answered, "You may
please yourself 4"
Harry, don't know what you will
think Of me when you read all this.
You cannot condemn my brutality more
than l do myself. Don't judge me too
hardly, Harry. / did not know how
short would be my opportunity.
Half past 10 came. Our trap drove up