Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-08-02

for a weeks engagement before dis
banding for the season, / found that
the Chicago branch of my business re-
quired my immediate personal atten-
ton.
had been in Chicago about month
and the Refectors, forwarded from
home. had been accommodating unopened
on my desk, when in an idle half hour
| thought would see what was going
on in the theatrical world. / glanced
through the reports of the out-of-town
correspondents in the latest number
and found them pretty dull reading
was about to throw the paper down
in disgust when familiar name in the
personal column caught my eye. | read
the paragraph. So Gloriana was to
have the leading role in Henry Arthur
Clyds new drama, "A Dead Mans
Shoes" and in meanwhile was resting
near Buffalo, y. Y-At her cousins,
of course.
cally accomplished, and could see no
reasons for delaying the return beyond
the end of the week. If / left Chicago
Friday afternoon. | should be passing
through Buffalo Saturday morning, due
to arrive in New York late that after
noon and forty hours before the office
opened Monday morning. Why not
spend those forty hours IN Buffalo? Il
is beautiful city and | had not been
there for a long while. Then, | might
run out and make little call on
Gloriana. Really, | had not treated
her with ordinary politeness of late. 1t
is one thing to drift gradually out of a
PERSONS life, as / had undertaken to
do, another to steam away at full speed
under forced draught. as | had figura-
lively done. had been guilty not only
or rudeness but of cowardice. l owed
it to myself as we'll as to Gloriana to
make this effort to see her.
| went to bed early that evening, but
spent a rather restless night. Those
high Chicago winds certainly do work
on ones nerves, after a while.
| awoke at early dawn. hours before
rising time. AS | lay there thinking,
it occurred to me that it would be fool
ish to stop off at Buffalo unless l was
sure of seeing Gloriana.
So l decided to send her few lines
telling her | was coming and asking if
she would be at home. To pass the
time away, composed the note l should
write when l got up. 1t was quite
little masterpiece in its way, bright and
friendly, not too apologize, wool of
playfulness. that seemed to make the
closing sentence at once truthful, ap-
propriate and non-eommittal.-'1 have
not seen you for many moons, but l
love you just the same
Whereupon | promptly fell asleep
again.
Immediately I dreamt that | was in
court and on the witness stand. He
had sued me for countless millions for
alternating the affections of his vile,
| was conscious that a letter had been
produced from somewhere and marked
for identification. Out of the corner of
my eye | could see it lying on the
clerks desk. No allusion had been
made to the nature of its contents, but
there was something hauntingly famil-
lar in it's appearance.
do you love this mans wife,"
1t was the counsel for the plaintiff
who asked the question. Like a flash
the whole hideous plot was revealed
to me. If | said Yes l stood convict
ed out of my own mouth; | lost the
case. | could see it in the triumphant
face of my interrogation, l could see it
in the anxious expression of my own
counsel, in the judges sober mien, in
the eagerly expectant attitude of the
jury.
If said NO" there was that fatal
letter! l recognized it now. l could
read that discriminating sentence right
through the envelope from where |
stood as if it were written in letters
of fire-'I love you just the same!"
The mental shock was so severe that
l woke up.
Now / am not a superStitious man,
nor am l believer in dreams and
portents; but on thinking the matter
over, it struck me with considerable
force that to write such a letter as /
had composed to Gloriana would not be
the best way to drift gradually out Of
her life; and if my love for he was 70
be of the truly self-sacrificng variety,
| had better pass through Buffalo
without stopping. 1t was with this
pious resolve that l went to the office
and took up the mornings mail.
There, right on the top of the pile of
letters was an envalop addressed in her
dear, scratchy, little fist! 1t had been
sent to me in New York, and forwarded.
| opened it hurriedly and a single news
manor Ginning IFS only contents fut-