Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-01-10
DAILY SHORT STORY
A Prelude to the Marital Kiss
lOriginal.1

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to give him a kiss, as was her daily
custom. He was disappointed. Going
into her boudoir he threw himself ON a
lounge for awhile, then concluded that
he would write a letter. In the bou-
doir was an antique desk in which
Mrs. Wharton kept her papers and her
; correspondence. Sitting at this desk
Mr.. Wharton penned his epistle. ad-
dressed it and set about hunting for a
stamp. In the effort, opening and
shutting tiny drawers. punching here
and there, suddenly he was astonished
to see a drawer fly open from Il place
where he had never known there was
Il drawer. In the bottom were several
papers. Taking one up, he read:
Dearest-I was not able to come to you
| on Munday. my Horse had gone lame.
1 will see you as soon as possible. but L
| cannot tell exactly what day.
GEORGE.
"Can it be from one of Laura's old
| lovers? She's had this desk for twenty
years and doubtless has used this
'rawer. Upon my word, never sup
posed my wife could have associated
horse with a capital II and Monday
with u"
He glanced at the next paper:
Dearest-I was frightened today at
meeting you in company with Stranger,
especially since ! have heard reports
about you. Do relieve my anxiety as soon
as possible. q.
The next had been addressed on the
back. but the name had been erased:
Dearest-You say that you still love me.
but that fate separates us forever. Is il
possible that you can think of marriage
with another? YOUR LOVER
At this point Blakely began to de-
YOUR the missiyes greedily and with
terrible anxiety. Some of them had
dates and other features to give mea-
ger information about them. but he
was too eager to get the story to notice
anything except the facts stated. The
next note was postmarked, but to this
Blakely was oblivious:
Oh my darling, how can you submit to
this tyranny? You know you are my
Wife in the sight of God, and yet you
are going to marry another Man. stab
bling me and him at the same time. Turn
before it is too late. YOUR HUSBAND.
Blakely's heart seemed suddenly to
freeze. 80 Godr' he moaned and, sink
ing on a lounge, buried his face in the
cushions. In this position his wife
found him q few minutes later. Sur
missing that he had fallen asleep, she
went to him and, sitting on the sofa
beside him, put her arms about him.
go awayr' he cried.
why, Blakely, what's the matter?''
Go away, tell you! l have discov-
cred ALL"
Great heavens! What all?"
"Bigamist,''
By this time BlakeIy Wharton was
standing in the center of the floor. gar
ing like Il lion.
''Oh. Blakely, what does this attack
mean? Be calm. You have been over
strained by the loss of your suit in
court, but the appeal will be decided in
your favor. Do lie down and let me
pet YOU
And you have been living with me
ten years, the wife of another man.
You were not even married to the first.
He calls it a marriage in the sight of
God We all know what that means"
The wife stepped to the electric but
ton.
what are you going to do?" cried
her husband.
Send for the doctor. the police. some
body, anybody. 1 can't take care of
you alone"
Hold! 1 am as sane as you. 1 sat
at your desk to write a note. Acciden- |
tally a drawer flew open, and l found |
notes that you have been treasuring, |
hiding where you supposed they would |
never come to light. They prove con-
clusively that when you married me |
you were the wife of another. an in |
the sight of God wife Mt that"
Il never knew of that drawer"
The notes were either on the desk or |
on the floor. Mrs. Wharton gathered |
them up and ran them hastily over |
Then her brow lowered. For the first |
time since their marriage her husband |
saw her angry.
"Blakely, you are a fool"
Her action warned Mr.. Wharton that |
perhaps he might have been hasty.
do you suppose anybody nowadays
spells nouns with capitalist"
Il didn't know anybody ever did"
"Or Monday with q up
81 noticed that. / thought you'll
mean the fellow-must have been I'M
educated"
Did you notice these dates?"
mo; was too cut up
''Do you suppose I'm hundred and
years old?"
mo. my dear. You're only thirty
two"
"Thirty-one. If this note was for nee,
must be century and quarter old,
FOR it was written in 1777."
you don't mean itp'
"And this postmark on the back
10 you suppose a man even ten years
lgo would have written me a letter
ind sent it through the post without
he envelope?"
"Wby, no."
Mrs. Wharton started to leave the
Dom. "My love-" called her husband,