The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1899-03-26

- - ERAED GIRARO % reGnrdnd bv
III peoOse who don't know him - 8
MI freak. and By those wac do know
him a. person % b avoided
nfser lArk. Cirard u not his name. Mt
4 = - much like his name that sh0sa
~ care 70 DO 20 may Identity the gem
fa9man and establish TO their own setts-
action whether or not he u justified in
- sxtraordinary beliefs. One man In
This town, bon viyanf q the csubsand
Aai. Who DOESN'T believe Ia anything spe-
al, felt himself attracted to 63rard be-
naHse he found cut tnas 0irara beltsyed
fhsl - no pan dared credit II he valued
n own peace Of mind, and moreover
that ~ was ready 10 demonstrate the COR
soctness Of his theories 10 any one suf1f-
asnfiy interested. The man about town
Interested himself In Girard because the
sstky fellows Of his own set told Queer
street. stories thai sayored OF Boccaccio
Int lacked IN that raconteurs artistic
nerfta Girard. on the other hand. seldom
TALKED at all unless directly adore SEED, bat
when he did tell = story one evening Il
made everybody creepy and uncomfortable.
becAuss Girard's mode OF expression IL
b0ribay convincing. HIS dicfton il dellher-
"A almost ponderoas. Ia fact. He makes
10 effort wins sever 10 convert others 20
his convictions. Indeed. he appears utter
" indifferent TO skepticism. Open scon-
N - Impossible where Gsrard In con-
cernsd, because he never permits himself
: 70 be engaged In conversation unless BY
those With whose characteristics he liz
somewhat familiar. There are various
! Ways q avoiding persons who wear dia-
0ond studs and frock coats at 10 o'clock
IN sshs morning. and Girard manages his
social Amitauons with infinite skil,
The story Girard told at the club was
shout his wife. who died four years ago,
eut who stu lives with Girard in the big
oouse ~ built when he came here from
Chicago. 0irArd and his wife were COM
pAnions In the sense that few married
people are. She was frAii and he was
strong. yet until the very day OF her
death he bad not contemplated the horror
- separation. He failed Of . proper
regard for the carefully worded prepara-
toTy phrases of his medical adviser aud
understood only when conventional ea-
phemism was abandoned and the plain
truth stared him In the face that the
woman. whose future he had built and
planned In common with his own. would be
dead In an hour. Then he went and sat
beside the bed and stared at she little
white face. at the darkiy scirc.ed eyes
closed In htful sleep. He realized then
tina. The deep lines between the brows
we're fearfuliy deep. that the gaaping
shortened breathing might cease AT any
instant. that nothing on earth could stay
the inevitable loss OF her. his Idol.
He stroked her hair and the tired eyes
opened. She smiled and family whispered
his pet name. He bent over her and .ept
such great heaving sobs as come from
tho breast Of strong man IN mortal
trouble. but tho dying woman smiled
through her tears and bade him grleve no
more.
II shall bc with you always" she said,
always In the evenings We will sit to-
hAp xrAtn a,zA r. - -
ever"
When Girard raised his head from the
pillow he realized with a calmness that
surprised him that his wife was dead
He closed the weary eyes. crossed ths
thin hands. kissed the blooaiess forehead
and went cut. Three days later they
buried her. and people remarked that
Girard didn't seem much affected HE
even INDUCED In ore or two sedate jokes
on the very day OF tho funeral. That
evening. also. Girard dined a. usual at
the little table whereat he and his wife
had dined tete-A-tete every evening daT-
Ing their two years OF married life.
You will understand he said to the
servants. shat Mrs. Girard IL stiii here
that dinner viii be served every evening
For both OF us ~ usual; also that Mrs.
0irard's apartments will bc maintained in
their usual order" Frous that time to this
0trard has referred 10 Tsse. not as ora
dead. but - the con- .at companion OF
his daily life. Fur these vino doubt hts
aessrtions he has merely n shrug of his
Dig o1euldsgn. One or two men have dined
With 0irard since his bereavement. how
ever. and these gentlemen DO not care 10
talk about their experiences. Only one
man has had the courage TO 60 twice and
thrice 10 The Cirard table. That man is
tho bon vivsnt He has found something
that interests him. and men WITH wncm
he was formerly hail fellow we'll met. for
want Of better diversion. say he isn't half
the decent sort he used to be Last night
] asked the bon yivans TO tell me the story
he had ted to one OF his friends about
ard TIE friend repeated the stcry and
those - whom he told II said that the bon
vivant had wheels.
Look here he said. what do you
want with this s,ory7 II you propose 10
make enc Of your feeble jekeiets out Of (,
you will merely write yourself down an
ass. II you will print the hare truth -
tell II. both you and may he accused OF
unacy BY n coierie OF iunaties. but what
does that NATTER As for Glrsrd he -
totally Indifferent to puaiic orsrsfon con-
corning either himself or his beliefs. Now
hare are the facts:
II am 50 years old. In sound health phys
tcAliy ana mentally. Ny father and meth
er both died when was child had no
Arofhers or sisters. I have never expert
oncea anything whica could possibly In
Characterised a. q great grief. have
Assn known from my hcyhoed 49, An indi-
@nossoo ns,pan M ornlN0rn