The suburban citizen., 1900-10-13

close TO nlIOs Anu l, hON Nhu' ny III
temper had been given rein, thought
only of the curt refusal he had given
to my request, not remembering how
quickly he had softened to me when
| showed him that l was hurt.
After little l took his coat and
sat down to mend it. Something fell
out of the inside pockct-a letter, l
picked it up. 1t was a woman's hand
writing, and not mine!
Something whispered;
TT is not yours Put it back. Trust
him. and he will tell you about it in
good time
Something else whispered.
Read it. If he is false to you, you
want to know 1.-THE sooner the bet
ter"
I tore it wildly open and read
MY Darling Tom-How glad am
to say can see you again. Meet me
at Goffs station, on the 26th, at the
500 train. l know you will be as glad
to see me as to see you, dear boy!
Until then, l am your loving
TEENIE."
I was struck dumb. Something
seemed to be choking me, to be grip
ping my very heart. thought was
going to die then and there.
"Teeniew I had never heard Of her,
Whom was this woman whom Tom
was going to meet? And why had he
not told me? Oh! 1 saw it all. !
knew why must not go to the station
with him. To-day was the 26th To.
night he was to meet "Teenie." Very
well. He should have his house in
which to receive her then.
l verify believe l was insane as I
rose and made preparations to leave
the little house which for two years
! had been paradise to me. Tom had
| two hundred dollars in one Of our bu-
reau drawers-mOney l had helped
| him to save by close and pinching
economy that summer, towards paying
the only note that he had out against
him. l took the money and hid it in
my bosom. Then 1 wrote a note and
left it on the table-precisely as other
women have done when about to
wreck their happiness in a fit Of jeal-
Gus anger
Dear Tom" q said)-"There isn't
room in so small "A house for You and
me-and 'Teenie.' l have taken the
money to go home with, but will send
it back to you as soon as l get there"
That was all. Not even a good-by,
| was so angry,
Then l started on foot. l could take
train at six o'clock, precisely for the
East. 1t was now three o'clock, and
the distance was seven miles. l was
good walker in those days, and
could, l thought, easily make it. Oh,
how miserable l was as l plodded
along that hard, dusty road! How old
and worn l felt, and how anxious to
get to my mother, where 1 could die
in peace!
Only once did it occur to me that
Tom would come in, by and by, from
his work, and find my note; that he
might be in despair; that his heart
would be broken, and he would hurry
after me to bring me back. But
pshaw! This was foolishness I told
myself. He would be glad to go and
meet his "Teenie' and have her tC
himself How l could have been SC
wicked | cannot understand. My good
and noble Tom. | am sure l was TEN
porarily insane.
The sun grew very hot, and found
1t much harder to walk that sever
miles than l had anticipated But
would not give up. It was probably
about five o'clock, and l had some two
miles to go, when, looking up l saw
terribly black cloud coming straight
towards me from the west. Cyclones
were not common in those days, anC
did not know what it meant; but
was frightened, nevertheless, an(
looked for shelter. had left the prai
rie now, and was on a road whicl
t skirted a ravine, wild and rugged. TO
wards that l ran, as there was no
! n house in sight, My terror knew M
bounds. l cried, I screamed,I shrlekeC
A: for Tom, 1t was, Of course, utterly
useless. A strange, hoarse rumblinl
hlled the atmosphere which wal
strangely quiet. Net a leaf stirred
] not n bough tremblcd. The birds haC
hidden themselves, and all natur,
, seemed crouched in sudden terror be
t fore the leap Of the awful monster.
e Straight along It came, growing
Pol larger and baCker and more funnel
shaped every instant. In my mad run
r ming l struck my foot against a ston
Y and spraincd my ankle Then / faint
T. ed from pain and terror, falling int
sheltered spot beside n split rock
e When l came to myself, rocks an
1 sticks and stones were flying in ever
= direction. a dreadful sickening roa
I rang through and through me;
thought the end Of the world ha
/. come.
MY God, my Cod l cried, "forgiv
|. mel Let me see Tom once more, an
die in his arms"
T. / could not expect this prayer to b
n answered; but strange enough at tbs