The daily morning Alaskan., 1902-07-13
dER GUILTY SECRET

| HAN''H AANAA WNH NNAa NAANH NaAaaH%rN "-- charming. and Joshua was as proud and happy as lt was possible for him Co be
 At the end of that time Joshua's sus- pIclous dlsposltlcn received a morsel 70 feed on. One day Mrs. Hurd was mlss' Ing from the house. and nobody knew where she waA.
 High and low Joshua sought her. questioning every one be met, but re- celyng no satisfaction. He went in frantic haste around to an the neigh bors. asking for his wife.
 He felt sure that she had eloped just bs the wives do in story books. When he reached home. Mrs. Hurd was work ing In the parlor as easy and contented as 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 ngaln This tlmo it extended over nearly an the afternoon, and JoShuas indignation reached a white heat
 He searched the premises very thor oughly. be cross questioned the scry- ants and made himself obnoxious to everybody he encountered by a relation Of his difficulties, but be got no light on the subject of Mrs. Hurd's mys- tcriOus absence.
 At dinner time she appeared, quiet and serene as ever. and Co an Joshua s indignant cntrcatles that she would tell him where she had been she only laughed and declared be wus the sil. Hest old noodle she ever saw.
 Then Joshua took refuge In diguiaed silence. and his wife kissed him and called him a bear and went or Co 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 red with wonderful regularity.
 Joshua grew nearly Insane with the wild and dreadful suspicious which bad crcpt into hls mind. He felt him- self fully justified In watching his wife closely
 And after two weeks of Che most pcrseverlng surveillance be was able Co trace her Co an uuoccupied chamber over the coachhousc The door was always locked. and the wooden shut. tcrs of the windows always closed
 He sald nothing Co his wife of his discovery. but he resolved to hc quiet oud relentless as the grave the next t'mc she mdulgcd In one of her secret sessions In the chamber ot thc coach house.
 That time soon arrived. Joshua had made conddants of two gentleman friends. old bachelors, who had wUrn' cd him of the evil Co come when he bad married the Widow Bedford.
 There was no method of getting Into that chamber Of secrets except through Che chimney. NIT. Hurd did not want Co effect a forcible entrance. because hc feared In thnt event he should not Gud out his wifes secret
 Mrs Hurd had been closctcd In he. secret chamber not more than half an hour when Mir. IIurd's friends planted themselves In the passage outside the locked door. while Mr. Hurd climbed on a long ladder to the roof ot the c1achhouse and made preparations to descend the chimney.
 The chimney was rather small. and Mr. Hurd was not the leoncst man tn tlc world and the consequence was that after descending about eight or t,n feet Che aperture narrowed. and Mr. Uurd stuck fast.
 Frightened hulf out Of hls senses lest hc should hc obliged Co rcmJu tlerc and perish. Mir Hurd made ylo tent efforts Co cNtrlcatc himself but he vas very soon convinced that it was rseless Co wrigrle ln the expectation ot getting any further down the chm ncy. SO be directed all his efforts Go che aim of going up.
 On the top of the house hc disrobcd himself of an apparel except his under clothes and again cssaycd the descent This time he was more successful than hc had hoped for or even desired, for Che chimney grew suddenly wider just below thc narrow place. and Joshua shot down the opening Ike the Inst kernel of corn through the hopper Of a cr.stmIll
 There was a small Gre on the hearth and Che frantic leap given by our hero Co avoid scorching his feet scattered Che coals lu every direction.
 At sight Of Che sparsely clad. sooty apparition thus suddenly launched up. on her notice Mrs Hurd uttered a piercing scream and fed to the door which she unlocked In mad haste and prccipltatcd herself Into the very arms Of Mir Hurds sentinel friends.
 Don't kill mcr cried Mrs. Hurd. too much beside herself with terror to recognize her husband. "I dld an Co please Joshua. | wanted to keep his love. It was getting gray-and, oh. dear. dear dear. dear" And she burst Into a dt Of passionate sobblng.
 Getting gray" cried Joshua. My love getting grayT The woman is in'