The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1897-01-15

train was already in it. rushed to the
booking Office, bought our two tickets
q have them now, for they were never
used), seized my change and hurried
my wife off the platform, reaching the
train just as it was beginning to move
Alice hesitated
Get in, for goodness sakep' l cried
peevishly, opening a carriage door, and
then-God forgive mel gave her a
push, and you know what happened
next.
My poor wife never spoke again, but
as she lay i'll the waiting room, mutt
lated and dying, she just opened her
eyes and looked at me. Then a sad,
sweet smile came over her face, and,
raising her arms toward me, as | bent
over her in an agony Of romorse, she
put up her dear face for kiss, just as
she had so often done in happier days.
l stopped down, and then-somehow
could not give her that last kiss.
Something held me back-a feeling Of
utter shame and unworthiness. A shad-
ow of pain crossed her face, the arms
fell back, and in a moment the oppor-
tunity had passed forever, and our span
of welded life and love had ended-so.
Do you remember that awful inquest,
Harry? You were good to me that day,
old fellow. No one could have proved
himself truer friend.
You 1emem Der that, when / gave my
evidence, l said that tried to assist my
wife into the carriage, Well, you know
now that | was playing with the truth,
and you will probably despise me for it.
almost hoped that there would be a
verdict Of manslaughter--that l should
be sent to prison.
There is only one thing more to tell
You. When the accident became known,
l received many kind and sympathetic
letters from my friends and hers.
hardly read them, for each Of them was
fresh stab to me. IF they only knew!'
my conscience kept saying to me. She
knows, She died cursed by my i'll tenn
per, without parting kiss, and if we
meet in another world what will she
say to me or | to her?
But there was one letter that arrested
my attention and caused me far more
pain than all the others put together.
1t was from the lady whose invitation
had caused our fatal quarrel. "Per-
haps " it ended, cit may be some COM
fort to you TO keep the inclosed letter
from her. | received it after her death
probably the last she ever wrote"
DEAREST MAY-ThanlS you so very much for
! your most kind invitation. ! should dearly
! love to come and see you again and have a
! good talk over old times. But Charlie cannot
well spare me just at present and he is so
! good and kind to mo and SO nice about every
thing that do not like to be away when he
| wants me.
| We are just off for jaunt TO celebrate our
wedding day, and Charlie is calling for me to
start. Your loving friend. ALICE.
That is what she was writing while I
bullied i'll the hall That is what she
had written, when she silently listened
to my g1umbling on the way to the sta
ton. Oh, the irony of it all!
Now you can understand, Harry, why
it is that l take so long getting over my
loss. One thought, and one alone, some
times arises to comfort me. Perhaps
that last movement of hers meant for
giveness, and-perhaps-when her at
tempt at reconciliation failed, she sent
me that letter as message from beyond
the grave. odds and Ends.