The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-09-16
MY POOR WIFE.
BY J.. P. SMITH.
CHAPTER XIV.
BY j. P. SMITH.

anu ner-ner daughter, o mean
to say she inherited-you mean IL
married "a"
Her daughter" she interrupted Gag
erly, grew up in me keepin' like every
other child reared; there was nothin'
particular about her, except that she
was a bit quieter an sister to mind
than most babies maybe. When she
was three year old, her ranny took
her from me; whether because she was
touched with remorse or because of the
ill-will and sharp tongues O. the neigh
O. the daylers at broom
league refusin' to buy the praties she
sent into MARKET can't say; but, at
any rate, she took her and KEEP her I'M
til you came"
Molly, Molly, you mean to tell me
you saw no signs of the mothers
disease-that you believe her to be
free-free from-Oh, for Heavens sake
hide nothing from m now! l have
been used basely enough among O
all. You must tell me everything now
-everything!" l cried, roughly seiz-
ing her hands.
81 saw nothing wrong about her
nothing, I tell you, until-until, as bad
luck would have it, when she was a
slip of a girl of fifteen, she heard her
mothers story, N it certainly
won't decaive you, sir-preyed on her
a sight. She had a bad fever, an raved
a lot, always talkin' about the say and
the shore, wishin' she was a mermaid
under the water, and a lot like that.
She several times tried to get out of
her bed and go outside; an we had
some trouble in houldin' her down. An
when she recovered she told me she
was sorry she didn't die, as she was
no use to any wan in the wurld, an her
granny was disappointed she didn't die
too. Well, for some time afther. | must
say, a sort of a SILVER always came
over me when | saw her walkin' too
close to the edge of the cliffs; but by
degrees the feelin' wore away, an she
became almost herself again"
Then, Molly, Molly" l whispered
~piteously, "you-you have no fear
about her now! You feel she Is safe
~safe-only hiding from me in a fit of
temper. II will be sure to zeal from
her in a day or two at the farthest;
you have no apprehension-no-"
l stopped, for Molly turned her head
away, and, with her hands shading
her eyes, stared mutely out to sea.
remember feeling the ground surge
strangely under me, seeing the stony
beach where poor Nora's mangled body
lay move slowly out with the reced-
ing wave, and a lurid darkness creep
ing wei the clear sunlight; it was only
for a moment. / shook off the diZzi-
ness, staggered to my feet, to find a
ragged boy holding IN orange envelope
toward me.
"a telegram! She is found!"
"She is OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES"
gasped Molly, Selling my arm.
1T does not say. The message is
from my ho~usekeeper telling me they
have news; l am to come at once.
That's ALL"
Twenty-four hours later I was stand
ing in the hall at home, Mrs. Murray's
hand resting on my shaking arm.
Hush, hush!" she said in answer
to my incoherent inquiries. "In a mo-
ment-in a moment I'll tell you all.
Come into the study, Master Paul. I've
a letter o must read first"
l followed her in; she laid an en-
yelope, directed to me in my wife's
writing, in my hand.
1T was found inside your desk a
few hours after you left. II don't
know how you missed seeing it."
I broke the seal and read the fol
lowing slowly twice through
paul, l followed you last night into
the wood when you thought 1 was
sleeping quietly in my bed. | saw in
your arms the woman you love, | heard
you begging her to give up home, for
tune, fame, and fly to the other end
of the world with you, for you could
not and would not live another day
apart from her. And as | listened tc
you the curse which had hung ovel
me even before 1 came into the world
suddenly fell.
1.-THE dark still air became thick with
a thousand faces l had never seen be-
fore, yet which | seemed to know as
we'll as l knew yours, voices whispered
in my ears; lights, red, blue, yellow
danced before my eyes; a breath OF
rushing %buoyant life filled my body; ]
felt as if l could have flown round the
world for ever and know no fatigue
all the fever, anguish, struggle and
horror of the past week died in me,
a horrible exultation took their place
II felt that the supreme moment OF
my life had come, the moment for
which l had been born, lived, and suf-
fered until then. | felt that IL l could
not kill you my brain would burst
I rushed forward blindly, stumbled
over the trunk of a tree, and came to
the ground, where I lay stunned for
a few moments. When l rose, you
had gone.
81 went back to my bed, slept for
some time, and awoke at dawn with
the murderous fever on me fercer than
before. l stole into your room, Pau
I, your wife, the nameless daughter
Of a mad mother, who had deceived
you basely, robbed you of peace, hap
piness, honor and love, yet who had
received nothing in return from you
but countless benefits, infinite forbear-
ance, noblest patience. / leaned over
you as you slept, a razor pressed to