The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-03-30
HER GUILTY SECRET

Joshua Huri married late In life widow of thlrty-fve.
 For space of week after their marriage everything went on lovely Mrs. Hurd was very affectionate and charming. md Joshua was as prouj and happy as 1t was possible for hin to be.
 At the end of that time Joshua's sus. plclous disposition received morsel to feed on. one day Mrs. Hurd was miss ing from the house. and nobody knew where she was.
 High and low Joshua sought her. questioning every one he met, but re- celvlng no satisfaction. He went In frantic haste around to all the neigh bors, asking for his wife.
 He felt sure that she had eloped. just ss the wives do In story books. When he reached home. Mrs. Hurd was work. ing In the parlor as easy and contented us usual.
 Jushua overwhelmed her with tor rent of questions. but she gave him only laughing replies.
 A week went by. and the mysterious absence occurred again This time it extended over nearly all the afternoon. and Joshua's indignation reached a white heat.
 He searched the premises very thor oughly, he cross questioned the serv- ants and made himself obnoxious to everybody he encountered by relation of his difficulties, but be got no light on the subject of Mrs. Hurd's mys' terious absence.
 At dinner time she appeared. quiet and serene as ever. and Co all Joshua's indignant entreatles that she would tell hun where she had been she only laughed and declared he was the sil Hest old noodle she ever saw.
 Then Joshua took refuge in dignined silence, and his wife kissed him an called him q bear and went on to ride with Katie Evans. a young girl favor lte of hers.
 At the end of another week the mys' terious absence was repeated, and as time passed on strange things occur rcd with wonderful regularity.
 Joshua grew nearly Insane with the wild and drcadful suspicious which had crept into hlS mind He felt him self fully justified In watching his wife closely.
 And after two weeks of the most pcrscycriig surveillance he was able to trace her to an unoccupled chamber over the coachhousc. The door was always locked. and the wooden shut tcrs of the windows always closed.
 He said nothing to his wife of his discovery. but he resolved to be quiet and relentless as the grave the next time she lndulgcd In one of her secret sessions in the chamber of the coach house.
 That time soon arrived Joshua had made couddants of two gentleman friends. old bachelors. who had warn. ed hlm or the evil Co come when he had married the Widow Bedford.
 There was DO method of getting into that chamber Og secrets except through the chimney Mr. uurd did not want Co cncct a gorcIble entrance, because he feared In that event he should not lnd out his wlfc's secret
 Mrs. Hurd had been clcsctcd In her secret chamber not more than half an hour when Mir. Hurd's friends planted themselves in the passage outside the locked door. while AIr, Hurd climbed on long laddr Co the roof of the coachhoUse and maGc preparations to descend thc chimney
 The chimney was rather small. and Mir Hurd was not thc lcancst man In the world. and the consequence was that after descending abou, eight or tcn feet Che aperture narrowed. and Nr. Ew. stuck .cst
 F,'-l.rrcd hal: aut of h.s s'uses cs' D. should 10" obliged Co remain '.," rn5 rr'sh. Mr. Uurd made vlo
 .I rror io rN;r.nty himself. hut be ... ..r, s.on convinced that ii was .ras 2, wrIc.lr ,a thr cypgc;utios .-..r. l.r further down ;hc chim
 r le 6r.riel ai u's e.ortS c.
 -',a 1f ro'n" r0
 j. .'. .op o: ,hc house hc diSlo'"o
 tr.t91aonr,l except bls under ....~ aud %. 70 rs Hy.d uc descent .'S trc Ir va. more successful th0i
 l.d h'rrI ftr or even desired. for ... cH.r Yrv c.tW suddenly wider jus'
 ,v ..r aauow place. and Joshun ., down ale onruiu- like the last ..a.l e ,cpn through thc hopper oi ...t e.
 ,.... v2s a small Gre on thc hearth .I i', tJu,'c .0p s'ycn ty our hero
 ay.G sr..,Lus Ais feel @l,'rfcu .c cocls m every direction.
 N s'gnt of il" sparscly clad Soni' ,npartou tiU> suddenly huNcacd up 10 hrr notice Ms Huru uttered Q Y.ctc'u. scream and aed Co the door which .nc unlocked lu mad haste and rrc,in'tatcl herself into the very arm 1f Mr. uasdS sentinel friends.
 Don't kin mcr' cried Mrs uurd. toe much beside herself with terror tc recognize her husbard. l d.j an t' please Joshua wanted to keep h., love. It was getting gray and. oh dear dear dear, dear" And she burs into tit of passionate sobblng
 Getting gray" cried Josma. "My love getting gravy The woman Is in sane.
 "My halrr' screamed she. "lt was my hair tat was gray. and I'm q young woman yet. And l dyed iC knew my husbau1 was draltulI. down on make believes. and wanted