Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-02-21
arose and went to his chair.

arose and went to his chair.
NO" he said, calmly. But sleep
on. 1 shall not disturb you again.
And then presently she came, and,
kneeling in sudden abandon before
him, placed her hands upon his shoul-
ders, her face close into his.
II shall not let you leave me think
ing that ! do not trust you," she said.
ooh, sir, kiss me now, my hands, my
hair, my lips if you will. 1 trust i'm
plicitly! l trust you-yes, and
more, T."
?. "Child, child, you do not know what
you are saying!" He covered his face
with his hand.
"Child! No. woman! You do not
understand; it is you who are the
child. Listen. I was not asleep when
you struck match and. turning your
face from me, looked at your watch.
was awake, and I saw your face in
the glass across the room.'
"You should not"
1T was an accident, and / thanked
God, for it has given me living mem
DRY of the kindest friend since mother
died. 1t is not the first time, for your
| picture is in the doctors office. He
did not know that have hung over it
fixing 1t in my mind-many-many
times-oh, will you, will you say that
you wish to see me? Have you no
wish to remember me?"
Remember you? l shall carry with
me forever the sound of your voice,
the touch of your hand, the perfume
of every curl upon your head"
But my face! Will you look upon
that? I release you from all your
promises"
81 cannot! I cannot"
ooh, sir, think what it will mean
to me in all the lonely days to come,
the memory of you and the conscious
ness that you carry in your heart
sometime the face of the girl who"
st must not be. Remember your
husbands honor You promised to
honor him. Is this the way?"
MY husband! my husband" she
cried, half rising, you have said it!"
Frances! Frances!"
"Ah, Frances! Say it all, Frances,
my wife"
"Frances, my wife!" A passionate
cry burst from the girls lips.
"Yes, Frances, your wife. The wom-
an who loves you, who has loved you
from the day she saw your picture
and heard your story! Oh, he never
knew-he never dreamed it. Nothing
can silence those words: Frances
my WIFE I will look upon your face,
and you shall, you shall see mine!
The matches-ah, they are here!"
Hold" he cried, huskily. 81 should
be unworthy of your love and trust il
l could break my sacred promise.
Look upon me if you will, but the eyes
that would weep tears of JOY to see
you will be closed while the match is
burning. Look, if to carry in memory
the living record of one face will help
you, take mine, and with it, right or
wrong, the love of Richard Somers."
She struck the match and held it
above his lifted face, advancing her
own and gazing eagerly upon him.
"Ah, again! again. My husband, my
husband" she remurmured. ut is the
face of an ANGEL" The match grew
short and the fatal red spark was
showing in the fame when there came
flash of light in the window across
the room. the quick, sharp report of a
pistol rang out, and Richard Somers,
ree.ing, plunged through her arms
face down upon the floor.
-f,.l
tragedy was broken at length by the
faint whisper of the dazed and half
unconscious girl.
Speak she said, kneeling over
the PROSTATE form; "why-what is
the matter ?-w'hat has happened?"
Her hands found his head and passed
rapidly over it. "You do not answer
mel" She drew slowly back from
him, chilled with great and un-
speakable horror. Her hands were wet
and slippery. Instinctively she knew
1t was blood. She could not rise nor
cry out; her heart seemed paralyzed,
her throat in the clutch of an invisible
hand. The door opened silently. and
the doctors low voice was heard:
"Somers, Somers, the day is almost
breaking" There was no response.
He spoke again. Then the two figures
became dimly visible. what has hap
pened?" he whispered. bending above
them. He, too, felt the tell-tale blood