Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-10-23

49, - 'o.AN oADA6A
to marry. l have no shattered ideals.
There is mighty little superstition in my
nature. My friends say l am cold blood.
ed and cynical. They are wrong. / AM
merely analytic. So far so good. Now
for the rest Of it.
You remember the snowstorm last
Saturday? Girard asked me to spend the
afternoon ard evening with him. He's q
most interesting fellow-has a magniti-
cent collection Of old books and manu-
scripts. | always was taken with that
sort of thing. | reached the house at 2
p. M. and we lunched at 2:30. l had
lunched there a dozen times before. Mrs.
Girard's place was always set at the
head of the table, and Girard told me his
wife was there. He conversed with her
in my presence, made comments to her
on remarks of mine, laughed heartily at
comments she made in return and repeat
ed them to me. l never could see any
thing, but it occurred to me from the
first that if Girard was merely acting he
was the most consummate actor l had
ever seen ON or off the stage. Almost In
consciously I came to treat the vacant
chair at the head Of the table with defer
entail reverence to its supposed occupant,
but to me it was never anything but an
empty chair. l had not known Mrs. Gil
rard in the life, but Girard insisted that
some time or other I should be able to
see her. There was something uncanny
at first in the spectacle Of a man defer
ring in every point of conversation to al
invisible third party, but in time l be-
came used to it and lost my sense of dis
comfort in the spiritual presence. At 4
o'clock in the afternoon Girard received
a telephone message. 1t related to some
important matter and necessitated his 60
ing at once to the West hotel. l wanted
to go with him, but he wouldn't hear Of
it. I'll be back in IN hour he said, and
we'll have a quiet evening together
"To tell the truth about it, I didn't
care about being alone there. Ordinarily
I am the reverse of timorous. but l had
witnessed such strange proceedings in
that very room that the idea of remain
ing there alone in the twilight was dis
quieting. l believe Girard read my SEN
s%ations, for he said, You're not afraid Of
Margaret, are you?
Margaret was Mrs. Girard. OF course
l was not afraid of her, and I told him so.
A moment later he was gone. The house
was quite empty. The servants We're all
out. The coachman has apartments over
the stable. The clocks licked more loud
ly every moment after Girard had left.
There is a big clock at the head of the
main staircase, and it has a disagreeably
audible hating tick-a-tack that seems al
ways on the point of stopping. There is a
smaller clock in the front parlor and a
still smaller one in the library. There
seemed to be a jealous rivalry between
them that afternoon.
dusk was gathering, and I parted the
curtains to size up the weather. A ter.
rife snowstorm had set in. Already the
walks were heavily covered. 1t occurred
to me that Girard would never get home
in a street car. He would have to take a
hack. As the storm increased in violence
l doubted whether he would find a hack
even.
Oppressed by the loneliness of the
place, | lit a cigar, pulled Girard's big
leather armchair up to the blazing log fire
and sat there smoking. 1t didn't occur to
me to light the gas until, hearing all three
of the clocks strike Z, I was about to
make a light, when the door Of the room
opened, and a woman entered. At first I
supposed one of the maids had returned,
but Immediately the impression was cor
rected. Instinctively l knew that Mrs.
Girard stood before me. She crossed the
room hesitatingly, apparently embarrass-
ed in the presence Of a man she did not
know. 1t may seem odd to you, but
from that instant l had no sense of fear.
A more attractive woman l have never
looked upon. She carried herself like a
princess after the first few steps in my
direction. / rose from the chair in which
l had been lounging, bowed to her and
introduced myself.
"'Oh, yes she replied, I know you
quite well! l should not have intruded
upon you,' she added, but Mr.. Girard
has met with an accident. The car upon
which he was returning has been showed
IN and is now standing on the track at
Fifteenth street. The storm is so violent
that am afraid he will not reach home
tonight unless
"Ill go after him immediately l said.
1t never occurred to me that there was
anything supernatural about the trans
action.
IF you would tell John to harness the
bays to the light cutter, I believe they
could get through easily she said. I am
ashamed to ask it Of you, but it is, oh,
such a storm" and l saw her shudder as
she walked to the window and looked
out.
Il made for the stable with all haste,
told the man to hitch up and went in for
my coat. Mrs. Girard was nowhere to be
seen. | did not await her return, but
started Immediately. l found the street
car precisely in the position she had indi.
Gated. Girard was on it. He boarded the
cutter without comment, and we started
home. didn't say anything, because l
was thinking. After a time he spoke:
odd Margaret send your he asked.
Eyes I said.
John he called to the driver, push
along, Mrs. Girard will be alarmed I
dropped out at T%wenty-fifth street be-
cause it was close to my house, and since
that haven't seen Girard. Wasn't that
a fright Of a snowstorm though Y-Seat.
tie (Wash.) lntelligencer.
Couldn't Work Armour.
One day a man carrying a fuzzy little