Middletown transcript., 1900-12-01

roVian venture, Ordway wrote letter tt
ms Wl1e, In which he i1hplored her tt
forget the past and return to him. By
tne beginning of December they were re
umteo IN New York and entered on new
honeymoon, more considerate and de
voted than the first. Neither mentioned
word of d'Alcantara. So, too, Ordway
maoe no mention of his singular en-.
counter with Gustav Holman, though he
longed to ask his wife something about
him.
Shortly before the Christmas holidays
package arrived in New York from
feru. 1t was addressed to Ordway.
run OF pleasant curiosity, he and Elsie
undld 1t. Something inside was care
tully enwrapped in grasses and cloths.
When the object was brought to light,
Mrs. Ordway shrank from it with un-
canny fear, while her husband felt a
strange sinking of the heart.
1t was head, with coal black hair.
The complexion was coffee color; the
features wizened, but grimly proper
| toned
Richard, what is this?" Mrs. Ordway
asked fateringly, turning Mortified face
toward him.
u don't KNOW" he replied, with ner'
vous disgust. He was furtively scanning
the oddly-compressed visage. Suddenly,
grasping the thing in some OF the grasses
he rolled it tremblingly up and tumbled it
In the box, which he pushed away from
! HIM with a movement of adherence. He
had noticed on the narrow forehead a
tiny, glistening line, not the eighth of an
inch j i length. He feared Mrs. Ordway
might recall a certain frontal diagonal
scar if she remarked it.
Whatever it is, we don't want it, that
is su,e," be said with low emphasis.
'tDo we?''
"Want itr' cried Mrs. Ordwsy. II
would as lief have skeleton or deaths
head around. It has given me dread
full turn. Send it to the Museum of Nat
ural History, or somewhere, as fast as
you can. Who could have sent you the
hideous thing?"
A few days later Ordway received a let
ter from Holman. 1t ran:
"You probably know by this time
whether your final remark to me was
startling or not. That in my one sally
from this wilderness l should have met
you of all men, and under such circum-
stances! I have not Huaje to part with
his grim souvenir of our Lima sortie.
He did it very reluctantly. But l
thought it might be good object-lesson
against flirting: Gin eztremis, " as a
last argument against its evils. l don't
think our elegant hidaIago's head would
be recognized on sight, but if introduced
as dissdader it should have tremendous
force. But for Mrs. Ordway, d'Alcsnta =
would not have hated you. If he hadn't
hated you he would not have insulted
you through Huaje. In which case he
would now be wearing his head, instead
OF having it figure es an object-lesson,
after serving for a term as the chief glory
of Hauje's hut. But there is a cel tain
poetic justice in it, isn't tbere?"
Late one evening, as the Robert Gaz-
'ett WIS ploughing its way up to New
York from Staten Island, a man in the
stern of the boat fultively dropped a
small box overheard, as the boat passed
the majestic Statue OF Liberty, with its
flaming torch. The box was packed with
lead and securely tied. As if sank and
the boat forged ahead, Ocdway heaved a
sigh of relief. He had concluded not to
bestow his Indian b,ic-a-brsc on The MI
scum. IT was possible Mrs. 0'dwav
might go there some time and discover
that glistening scar on the small fore
head. Much better that it be anchored
in the bottom of the bay till the Eesus-
rection Dawn. Hofman's object-lessoa
be hoped would never need TO be taught
to Ms. Ordway.
One day when Mrs. Ordway aDd him.
self were ia a very charming mood, he
sud to her: My dear, do you remembe
telling me before we were married tfa5
when you were girl you had once been
engaged to Yale student ct TIE S6ef?''
eyes" said Mis-. Ordway in a low
voice. ''But, Dict, I thought that vas
sealed chapter. Why do you askp'
IT thought that now when we are on
such pc lect understo nding with each
other that you might tell me this fellows
meme. But do not if you have any OBJ
jections." )"
ellis name was Hoffman," said bis
wife "Gustav Holman. 1t is so nai1-
ful to me, because it was only at the lest
moment that got courage to break it oJ.
He took it SO hard that 1 always tbibl
Of of it It with with sefe heart He evidently
thought I was unfeeling. But I could
not make up my mind sooner. What
put this into your head, Dick? You
haven't met him, have your" she in
quired quickly.
"Met him! Iaat is not likely, is it?
I only felt that if this one reserve of your
past were removed we should feel more
no ..ectly in eccord. Thanh vo,, g., IN
ing one. We will never allude to it
arain ,,-The Cosn1onoEinn