Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1898-12-23

not write your letter. I don't feel like
myself tonight, somehow am mote
like the foolish Mary Rollins you used
to know. Perhaps IL was the play
You know l never go to the theater ex-
cept when l come down here to Ne"
York once year The play wPs a sad
one; the story of 1t was someti Ing like
my own life-you know, AnLa dear,
People here call me prim, aensible.
matter-of-fact; they don't kn3w hog
silly / am They don't UNDERSTAND
why / run away from myself every
year because | am not strong enough
to live through the holidays Wen,
you know dear, how I come down here
and take this way TO fight D.y little
fight with fate-then go back and take
up the life which for so ma1.y years
has been mere existence.
at is twenty years tonight since
Howard and I married. All,
never told that before, not even to you
it is the only secret l ever kept from
you. Annal We were married in Phil
adelphia that time went to visit Nsl-
lie Ames-do you remember? He
made me promise not to tell: his peo-s
pie would be very. angry, he said; they
wanted him to strdy law, to establish
himself well before settling down.
Then his uncle sent for him to come
to California-ir was such a good
chance for him-he would come back
in two years and claim me- You know
how / waited. Anna Just before
father died l tried to tell him. but he
was too i'll. so. having no mother.
kept my own counsel and no one ever
knew. Then, when Howard wrote that
he was coming home and that we
would be married on Christmas Eve.
made my preparations, sent out my in
yitations and looked forward TO a very
happy Christmas. Christmas came and
went, but no bridegroom, Weeks
later letter came, saying he had been
injured, had fallen from his horse; he
had also lost his positioH-he had
given up the law-he would wait a.
year, perhaps, then he would have a
home for me. AS time passed. people
whispered that my lover had Tilted me.
/ never told them it was worse than
that-that my husband had deserted
mel / was motherless girl and there
was no one to sympathize. except you,
dear, and was too proud TO tell you
all / left the little town that had
known my humiliation and went to
Radville. where have lived ever since,
where they know me as Miss Rollins,
the little old maid, and they don't
know I ever had a romance in my life
Tonight it all comes over me till
am angry with my own weakness
In the room where l am writing is
trunk with his initials on one end-a
mere coincidence. of course, but
would like to blot out those letters
my eyes keep turning to-them and
Miss Rollins laid her pen down
moment: her hand was tired and she
stopped to rub it little Then she
heard a slight noise-was it the closet
door? Oh, how foolish, 1t was nearly
one o'clock and she was tired and
nervous-she would let the letter go
for tonight and finish ii in the morn
ing
She took the paper from the desk
and started to rise, then sank back
with a little scream and the paper
fell from her hand Before her stood
q tall man with smooth shaven face
and iron-gray hair; he was very pale
and a stream of blood trickled down
one side of his face, He was stand
ing perfectly still, looking at her; he
made no move, and after that one lit
tie scream she could not have uttered
a sound. How she reached the door
she never knew. but she managed to
get to her room and lock herself In
THE ghostI" she whispered to her
self, "have I seen the ghost, or was
it Imagination? My nerves must be
in a terrible state-I ought to have
gone to bed: no. it was not Imagination
Il surely saw something. a white
faced, bleeding man, Oh. 1t was
dreadful, He never moved-just stood
there looking at me with piercing eyes
and the blood triekling slowly down
his face. I shall never forget it,"
She lay awake for hours and was
too i'll TO rise in the morning. Kate
brought her some breakfast and. see
ing her white face. exclaimed:
''Lor'. Miss Rollins. you look like
you'd seen the ghostl"
81 have.'
The words came Of themselves al
most, but she went on:
'T was nervous and tired and
thought / saw something last night,