Rocky Ford enterprise., 1899-01-19
MY POOR WIFE. !
BY j. P. SMITH. s
~ ge8f .Gi Ya$
:: ;:
CHAPTER XIII.
BY P. SMITH.


It was dawn-a cold, misty dawn
MS I stepped. with a mufied tread, to
my dressing room. l stopped and
looked at my sleeping wife, and. as
looked, the ghastly idea struck me that
was not looking into the features OF
4 sleeping. but a dead woman. The
stony rigid repose, the waxen color OF
the skin. the fixed look of pain about
the drawn mouth. all seemed to con-
fiyE my fear until. leaning closer.
flint breath famed my cheek and she
moaned feebly. ! stole away, swal-
lowed glass of brandy, threw myself
upon a couch in my dressing room and
soon sank into an uneasy dose. Hell
ems sleeping face haunted me.
dreamt that she was lying dead on the
cliff where we had so often sat togeth-
er. and that when / stopped to lift her
body in my arms n pair of bony hands
closed fiercely round my throat, stran-
Cling my cries for mercy, dragged me
to the edge of the cliff, where fierce
ly struggled for my life. The hands
i knew belonged to old Molly Griffin;
but the face glowering over me was
young William Hernshaw's. distorted
with passion. At last. with violent
wrench. l freed one arm, and seizing
the hand pressing my throat, awoke
to and Helen leaning over me, drag
gins her wrist from my clutch.
looked at her stupidity for n sec
ond.
II am doing You no HARM" she
said. her eyes fiickerins and glarins at
me .tealthily. Il came to see why
why-you had not come to bed. Let
me go. let me go, say-you hurt me-.
at once dropped her hand, and she
ran quickly away to her own room.
1 did not see her again until break
fast, when she appeared in lively
talkative mood and civilly disposed
towards both Edith and me, though she
never once looked us in the face, but
kept her eyes almost closed or fasten-
ed to her plate. After giving some
household orders she went out, and,
standing by the window of my study.
watched her for some time pacing a
retired corner of the kitchen garden
with n swift, monotonous stride; at
last the movement became SO repug-
nant to me that. scarcely needing what
was doing, threw open the window
and called out to her:
"Helen, I'm going to the club this
morning: haven't you any shopping to
do? The dog cart will be round in
half an hour.
mo, none" she answered. after a
moments pause. Besides. have an
I engagement this afternoon. Ask Miss
Stopford: she is sure to have some
shopping to do" .....-
She had, and we started presently,
returning very hot and dusty late in
the afternoon to find that Helen had
failed to keep her engagement, which
. Edith casually informed me was a
drive to the Flower Show at Briers-
wood with Sir William Hernshaw.
''It was SO hot, I felt too lazy to
dress: / hope you had pleasant
drive" she said drowsily, her eyelashes
still sweeping her cheeks.
(, Almost unbearable coming back"
answered, throwing myself upon a
3 seat by the open window. "I am near
, iy choked with dust; / feel l could
swallow quart of claret and soda
I'll get some," said Helen, going to-
returning with a cool, frothing tum-
b. uleI, WHICH Sut lduueu TO NE anu
then stood behind my chair. &C.,
turned, laid my hand on her arm,
and said gently:
'Heler,. tell me what is the matter
with you. Why will you not look at
me-wtfe?"
She did not move or answer a word,
though I repeated my inquiry almost
coaxingly, as one would question a
pettish, wayward child.
withdrew my hand and lifted, sigh
Ing wearily the glass, when suddenly,
with loud cry, she dashed it from
my lips. the liquid squirting up into
my fac, flowing down my shirt and
collar and streaming onto the carpet.
where the glass lay broken.
Stung to the quick by the insulting
violence of the act, 1 sprang to my
feet, g;aring speechlessly at her until
Edith, whose presence was not aware
of, ran eagerly towards me and passed
her handkerchief over my wet face and
neck.
"How dare you?" I stammered
hoarsely. What do you mean? Are
you mad?"
Helen burst into wild loud laugh.
"Yes, yes, mad-mad as a March
are-mud-mad-the maddest wife
ever a true husband had. Oh, my
poor head-my poor head-it aches
it aches. A breath of sea air would
do it good-a breath of sea air!" she
noaned, listlessly moving away.
I went too for even Edies soft
touch and plying eyes were more than
L could bear. Ordering my horse, I
gave him his head, rode across country
as IL following the swiftest hounds that
ever ran a fox to earth. I knew not
whittier or how far I went; 1t was