Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-12-01
AN ONLY QUARREL

Many thanks for your letter and all
the good advice it contains, my dear
Harry. | know that when man has
got into a thoroughly morbid state, a
ruthlessIy candid lecture is as good
for him as is a slap in the face for
an hysterical girl. Your motive is
truly kind, and l should be migrate
full if | failed to recognize it as such.
You point out that it is now three
wears since my dear Wife's fatal ac-
cdent. and that, closely as we We're
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 I'M
derstand my feelings Alright. I will
relieve my mind by telling you things
which have burdencd by thoughts dur
ing three years and have made it i'm
possible for me to throw off my sad
ness.
Alice was killed upon the second an
niyersary 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 sec
Ond anniversary! l took three-quar-
terS Of an hour to choose 4 present for
Alice, and a great mystery overshad-
owed the something that she was MAX
ing for me. Then there were the in
vitations 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 bordering over the local time
tables we settled that the eleven
o'clock train should take us to Beech!
wood, a walk and picnic tete-a-tete
amid the summer glories of the forest,
tea at the clean little Barleycorn inn
aud go home.
So we settled on the eve of our we'd
and only quarrel.
The circumstances were trif1ing
enough. A letter had come to Alice
asking her to pay short visit, if l
could spare her, to some friends whom
she had known intimately before her
marriage. the day after tomorrow"
! suppose / was not in the best Of
tempers-worried with business, per-
haps and trife out of sorts-a bit
Jealous, too, it may be. for one of the
sons OF the house had been once L
rival
AT any rate. when she produced this
letter and told ME she would like to
accept the invitation. some evil spirit
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
trends who had sent the invitation.
She defended them hotly-for Alice
was always loyal-and so the day end
eu III a cold good night, leaving her
panied and unhappy. and me-thor-
oushly ashamed of suspicious 1 knew
10 oe groundless and of an ill temper
was too proud to confess.
had wakeful and restless time
HaF last night. Our disagreement
pFeSe0 strangely on my mind, and in
Tue dark hours assumed quite an ex-
"sserated Importance. You see for us
was new experience. A little
~, mad divided us for the first time.
anu l could boast no more that my
"He mad never heard a harsh or Bit
'eE word from me.
IL tne morning there was still 4
t.0uu between us. I knew that was
"e wrong, and yet I would not
"N II even to myself Alice gave
~ o"e little wistful look, expressive
oh umid hope that my mood had
""Ied. l saw that look and for n
SNO felt impelled to fling my
r. around her and ask forgiveness
US! ! had yielded to that impulse.
+h save her one cold kiss. To think
rrtS II was the last l ever gave her,
living or dead,
=, "Nie | was dressing. nv eve fell on
IhoI. ''ii case containing the bracelet
I n, as present for my wife
ON, s''Aet 1t up, hid it in my pocket,
ha, 'ool 'hat l was, never gave it to
mo,. 9peheu the letters, which were
rr,ns vi the business that was wor-
Ss me. The rect 7 nushad irr;ta blv