The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-10

one at a time, and have il out with
them Those who took an interest in
the tiresome details told me that the
fantastic will which had made all the
trouble showed up practically the same
as IL had been given to me- and. finally
the. matter was settled somehow on a
comparatively peaceful basis. The uncle
denied everything. of course. but fin
ally disgorged enough. suppose. to sat-
isfy those who were handling the BUSH
ness Anyway. they ceased tormenting
me about it, even DR.. A. whose case
had. Of course. complicated my troubles.
recovered from his miraculously trifing
injuries. and 1 had time to fall back
on the real source of my sufferings.
1t must have been patent to every
woman in the house, from nv sister
down to the meanest scrub woman. that
l was the victim of an engrosssng and
despairing passion: and so my sister
ignored petty filings. the cook did vio-
ience 10 her own past record, the house
maid filled my vases with flowers, and
through all this womanly kindness
stalked untamed. dishevsled as TO ties,
solitary as to habit; a lean spectre of
bridegroom without bride.
1t was apparent to every one that
my bride had no desire for my society,
and. l was made to feel, even by Flo,
that il would be considered a graceful
act for me to take my meals down
town whenever the pretty reciuse had
been prevailed upon to promise she
would leave her ROOM
You see she feels so queer, you
KNOW" my sister would say. with an
inscrutabie smile. And l have prom
ised that we will be alone tonight"
and so l would rush off savagely. take
few wretched morsels of food some
where then sneak home again with
! the unacknowledged hope of surprising
them at the table, only to behold van
ishing skirts melting away behind some
closing door. After that / would fling
away to my room. and commence my
daily task of packing the satchel which
L invariably unpacked before the night
was over.
L fell to absenting myself from the
common hauntS of man, taking long
and dismal walks in the suburbs of the
place. moody and suicidal During ona
of these rambles, 1t was at a moment
when my self-pity was at the keenest.
that l came upon a group of men, one
of whom was in policeman's garb- He
was directing the others with voice and
gesture regarding a MANNED and halt
ing beast that hobbled in their rear.
Take hirnsto the outskirts and shoot
him. he bawled. HE broke a plate
glass window today racing with
street car" and. with this death SEN
tcuCc NdIHl uDUl his upS, ne raced
about to run full against me. as
darted towards him.
Stop them, Stop those men," 1
called, and then, before his fingers
could come cropping for my collar, / eX-
planned more calmly: Il know the
owner of that horse. He will gladly
pay for any damages that it has done.
and agree to see after it more carefully
in the future
1 think he thought was demented:
but the color of my gold was the same
as that of any sane mans, so, after a
decent pause. in behalf of his official
dignity he recalled his vassals, and a
moment later. with the whole crowd
Jeering at me, l had started on my
homeward way, leading the wretched
Outcast. On through. the sloppy road
we went, we two who had made that
dark night race together. He worn and
spent in body. and / with spirit biting
the dust Long was the way but at
length we turned in at the door of a
public stable, where a wondering but
friendly hostler took the, halter from
me, while / told him my desires.
If you don't low to use him none
he can be pulled through all right. /
guess" he said doubtfully But his
legs is as stiff as posts. and he won't
never be good for nothing much but
slow travel and then while he went
for oats and blanket 1 stopped and
looked into the creatures almost hui
man eyes in dumb apology for the /
wrong my passion had done him. "And
1t was all in vain. old nag" 1 whis-
pered, patting his hair with lingering
touch, for his shape was beautiful !.
memory to me; and again. in fancy, 1 !
could see 1t Steaming over the frozen i
road which stretched so long, so long. |
before me, while girl nestled at my |
side. and peril. that made her mine |
to, save, came rushing on behind
Distracted with memories ] hurried |
home in no mood to cope with Flo. |
when she came and gently probed and |
goaded me. until the secret of my heart /
came out in an angry confession that | |
loved the wife who would not even raise |
her eyes to mine. She gave me not a raw
of hope. She even said: Poor boy"
And sullen with despair, 1 flung myself |
from her presence.
| now decided conclusively to leave /
the country. l went down to dinner en-
veloped in a halo of resolves. having
declined every objection which
the courtesy of a host or the affection
Of a relative could urge against my de-
parture. l was a little late, but it did
not matter. l opened the door care
essly, only to find myself stricken in
such confusion as l had not felt since
ny first ball
1t was not the teasing light from Flos
smile which disconnected me, nor yet
he friendly encouragement which radi-
ited from Williams entire person No:
someone else was there someone
dressed in Shimmering white, with a
face, but bright and happy
me; young person whom Flo and
William called "Bernice." with a famil-
arity positively maddening. inasmuch
Is / dared call her at oil
That dinnerI How / got through ii
Without stabbing myself with the i'm
Elements of which l seemed to have
orgotten the use. or scalding myself
With the soup which l swallowed boil
ng hot, no one can tell. / certainly
vas great care to the servants; they
we're kept busy dragging off the small
lrticles | wrecked about me: but no J
me noticed my accidents. They were
IL in the highest spirits. and laughed
t my few suffering remarks as though
were the funniest creature living.
But 1 am sorry you feel that YOU
must leave u.s." said Flo. when we had T.
rot back to the drawing room, catch
ng her train from beneath my feet as
he spoke, and smiling upon me.
Thomas says you have packed I'D
lgain- l wonder that you don't wear
nut your clothing. changing it about
o.. Then she melted from the room,
md William. without even the decent
'retext of an excuse. made haste to
ollow.
l think my companion knew that they
we're going. but when we were fairly
lone her courage failed her. A little
ry escaped her lips. and had / not
quickly placed myself before her she,
90. would have vanished
"Bernice," l cried. and I was on my