The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1898-12-27

wife had been working for weeks tc
make for me.
We brcakfastcd almost i'm silence
but after the meal was over. she ros,
and came softly round the table to
ward me. Then she put her dear hand
on my shoulder so lightly as if sh,
feared to offend. and. bending down
she said picadinSly. won't YOU ict
me 20. CharlieE' And I. or The inn
that possessed me. coldly answered
You may pleas" Yourself"
don't know what you will think OF
mo when YOU read all this. You can.
not condemn my brutality more thn
90 myself. Don't judge me toe
hardly. Harry. | did not know how
short would he my opportunity.
Half past ten came. Our tran drove
up to the door. The station was near
ly three miles off. ana Alice. who gen
orally was waiting for me. did not an
pCI:.
For few minutes stood tuning
III the hall, delighted with my ri, Ii
grievance. Then l shouted
Alice"
Coming. was returned from the
room above. ana Immediately after
my wife hurried down stairs. fasten-
ing on her hat as she descended.
Alice got into the trap and took the
rCinS. as usual seated myself he.
side her. The man get up behind. and
so we started oil, that last miserable
expedition. Neither OF us sail much.
| looked ut her once or twice side
ways. Never had she seemed SO hand.
some. or in such glowing health. Lut
there was an unnatural deep flush up
on her cheek. ana her lips were tightly
closed together.
When we reached the station. the
train was already In it. rushed to
the ticket Office. bought our two tick.
cts II have them now. for they were
never uScd. seized my change. and
hurried my wife of the platform.
reaching the train Just rs it was be-
ginning TO move.
Get III. for goodness sake | cried
pecNishiT. opening a car door. ana
ihCE-GOd forgive me- gave her n
push, ana YOU know what happened
nCXt.
My poor wife never smoke again. but
us she lay i'm the wnitin.: room. mutt
lated ana dying. sh" just opcrcd her
eyes and looked ut me-. Th,n sad.
sweet smile came over her face. and.
raising her ar@s toward me. rs I bent
over her III an agony CT remOrsa. she
put UP her dear face ror Il kiss. lust
rs Sh" Lad so often done in hammer
days.
stopped down. ana thcn-S9mchow
could rot give her that ST kiss.
Something hrl me back-a feeling of
utter sham" AMI unwo.tli cs:. \
shadow of pain crossed her face. thc
arms fell hac!,. and in Il moment the
opportunity Ea1 passed forever. and
our span of welded l.fa and love lad
ended so.
DO vow remember that awful in
quest Harry: You were good to me
that day. old fellow. No one could
nave proved hins"l trucr friend.
You remember that. when | gave NV
evidence, said that | tried to assist
my wife into the carriage. Well. Won
Know now that | was playing with the
truth, and You will probably dcspisc
me for it. | almost hoped that there
would be verdict of manSIaughtcr-
that | should he sent to prison.
Iher" Is only one thing more 10 tell
you. When the accident became
known. received many kind and
sympathetic letters from my friends
AMI hers. hardly read them, for cac,
or" of them was Il fresh sab to mo
u
kept saying to- me She knows. She
died cursed Ivy my i'll temper. without
II parting Kiss, and if we meet i'm an
other world, what will she say to me
or I to her?
Eut there WAS on" letter that ar.
rested my attention and caused me
lar more pain than all the others mt
together. II was from the lady whose
invitation had caused our fatal quar-
rel 'PcrhapS." it ended. lit may be
some comfort to you TO keep the on
closed letter from her. received il
after her dcath-probably the last she
ever wrote"
Dearest May-Thank You so very
much for your most kind invitation
] should dearly love to come and sec
YOU again. ana have COOL talk over
OLD times. But Charlie cannot vol
spare me al present ana he is 50 good
and Kind TO me anil 80 nice about CIV.
crything that I do not like TO be- away
when hc wants mo.
w" arc Just or for n haunt 10 colo
hratc orr wedding day. ana Charlie
Us calling for me TO start. Your low.
ing lri1d. ALICE.
That is what She WAS writing while
] hullicd in The hall. That is what she
had written. when she silently lis
tened TO my grnmbliug ON the way to
the station Oh. tho irony Of il ain,
Now YOU can understand Harry
why II is that I fake so long getting
over my loss. one thought and ON,
alone. sometimes arises 10 comfort mo
P'rl'aps that last movement of hers
meant forgiveness and pprhaps
when her attempt at reconciliation
failed she sent me that letter rs n
message from beyond the grave.
Seeking Something Appropriate
Mr.. Elykins had been reading HE
newspaper and was looking fhourbi.
fully ai the vacant wall, when his wife
said.
'WcIl have you decided? You know