The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-12

For many minutes Philip Watson had
sat notionless at his desk, in the coy,
well-lighted library of a handsome cot
tage in the suburbs of western city,
staring dumbly at the closely-written
pages of a letter that lay open before
him. He had read and reread it until
every word was scared into his brain.
1t seemed too horrible, too monstrous
to be true. 1t must be a dream, a hid
eouse nightmare of the imagination. He
would awaken soon and find her still
there-the bonny, wee bride he had
taken. to his heart and home only a
asflert IL months before.
His Florence gone and left hin-de-
serted him for another man? o, no;
it could not it must not be. And yet,
there was the letter. 1t was her hand
writing, the signature was hers the
words-ah, what bitter, accusing words
they Were-they, too, were hers.
Picking w the letter he read it once
more, in the stolid, hopeless manner in
which a condemned murderer listens to
his death warrant. There was no blaze
of Indignation, no resentment in his
eyes, as he read these already familiar
words-nothing but dumb despair:
My Dear Husband-It would seem
strange to address YOU by any other
term so for the. last time l shall call
you that ! say the last time. and |
mean it, for when you read these words
thefsacred names of husband and wife
wilf1have no further meaning for! US, as
1 shall then be, not in the eyes of the
law, perhaps, but in my heart and in
the sight of the being who alone has
the right to judge me, the wife of an
other
When I stood with you at the altar,
one brief year. ago, and trustingly gave
my future happiness into your keeping,
l little dreamed that l should ever be
driven to take the step / am about to
take. I know what the world will say;
] know that on my weak shoulders will
fall all the blame, while you will re-
ceive only pity and condolences; yet
even that will not suffice to hold me
back. You and 1, at least, will know
the truth; but lest, in the first bitter
ness of your resentment, you should
forget some part OF it, L will here set it
down.
I'm the days of our courtship-a thou
sand years ago, it seems, as / look back
at it tonight--you fed me on honeyed
words and phrases and poured unceaS-
ing fiattery into my willing ear. After
we were welded and you had grown
weary of me, as a child grows weary of
a new toy, the empty huskS of love
would have been grateful to my starry
ing soul, but I did not receive even
them-nothing but neglect. Sometimes
you spoke lightly of love and kissed
me- but not often, and when you did
there was in the touch of your lips none
of the warmth, the joyous electric thrill
of old nothing but the careless and
perfunctory performance of a distaste-
full duty. That was all. Philip: and
though it may have signified little to
you, it meant much to melife, joy,
honor, everything that a woman holds
dear,
"a starving rat in its desperation
will attack even man, the starving soul
of .amishing for love-will
risk all to obtain it. The love, the com
partnership of husband is sWeeter
than all other, but if that be denied her
she must seek elsewhere for the love
and sympathy which her heart Graves.
1 did not seek it: it came to me I'M
sought, and as [ possess no longer any
share in your love, l must needs ac-
cept that.
| 1T was you who trampled on the
tender buds of womanly affection in my
bosom, by studied Indifference and
neglect, and then lett him to bind then
up and watch over and coax them into
bloom.
Yes, Philip, it is all your own do
j ing, and although it may humble youl
/ pride somewhat to find that [ have al
last taken you at your word (unspoken
it is true, but none the less a reality,
believe and trust you will be happier
without me. AS for myself, whateve,
my future may be, 1 cannot be more
miserable than I have been for the pas
two months-neglected, and shall I say
despised-by the very man who haC
4 vowed to love, cherish and protect me
through life.