Evening star., 1903-07-09

ing-but something that would assist
me. something which had passed with
good effect from father down to child Tor
many generations. Only. II l could De
open the golden ball nor endeavor to find
cut its mystery unless my trouble threat
ened death or some great disaster. Such a.
trouble had indeed come to me, and-start-
ling coincidence was at this moment In
the very house where this picture hung.
and-more startling fact yet-1he golden
ball needed to interpret its meaning was
round my neck-for with such jealousy was
this family trinket always guarded by its
owner. Why then not test their combined
effect? I certainly needed help from some
quarter Never would William allow me
to be married to another while he lived
He would yet appear and should need this
great assistance (great enough to be trans
mitted from father to SOM as none Of the
MOores had needed it yet; though what 1t
was did not know and did not even try
to guess.
Yet when 1 got to the room I did not
drag out the fligree ball at once nor even
take more than one fearful sidelong look
at the picture. In drawing off my glove
l had seen his ring-the ring you had once
asked about. 1t was such a cheap affair;
the only one he could get in that obscure
little town where we were married. l lied
when you asked me ii it was a family
jewell lied but did not take it of, perhaps
because 1t chung so tightly, as If in re-
membrance of the vows 1t symbolized But
now the very sight of it gave me fright.
With his ring on my finger l could not de-
fy him and swear his claim to be false
the dream of a man maddened by his expert
ences in the Klondike. 1t must come off.
Then, perhaps, / should feel myself a free
woman. But 1t would not come off. 1
struggled with it and tugged in vain; then
l bethOught me of using a nail file to sever
it. This 1 did, grinding and grinding at it
till the ring finally broke. and I could
wrench 1t of and cast it away out of sight,
and, as hoped. out of my memory also.
1 breathed easier when rid of this token,
approached the door. I was clad in my
bridal dress, but not in my bridal veil or
ornaments, and naturally Cora, and then
my maid, came to assist me. But would
not let them in. I was set upon testing the
secret of the f1iigree ball and so preparing
myself for what my conscience told me lay
between me and the ceremony arranged
for high noon.
Il did not guess that the studying out
of that picture would take so long. The
contents of the ball turned out to be a
small magnifying glass. and the picture
maze OF written words. 1 did not de-
cipher it all: did not decipber the half.
l did not need to- A spirit Of divination
was given me in that awful hour which
enabled me to grasp its full meaning from
the few sentences I did pick out And
that meaning! It was horrible. inconceiv-
able. Murder was taught; but murder from
a. distance, and by an act too simple to
awake revulsion Were the wraiths of my
two ancestors who had played with the
spring hidden in the depths Of this old
closet. drawn up in mockery beside me
during the hour when I stood spellbound
in the middle OF the floor, thinking OF
what had just read. and listening-listen-
ing for something less loud than the sound
OF carriages now beginning to roll up In
front or the stray notes OF the band tuning
up peiows-iess loud. but meaning
what? A step into the empty closet
yawning 30 near-an effort with q
drawer = a Do not ask me
to recall 1t. I did not shudder when the
moment came ana stood there. Then was
cold as marble. But I shudder now in
thinking OF 1t till soul and body seem sep
aracng. and the horror which enyelops
me gives me such fOretaste of hell that
wonder can contemplate the deed which,
II It releases me from this earthly anguish,
Will only plunge me into a possibly worse
hereafter. Yet shall surely take nv life
house. II 1t is despair feel. then despair
will take me there II 1t Is repentance,
then repentance will sufflce to drive me to
the one expiati0n possible to me-to perish
where caused an innocent man to perish,
and 80 relieve you OF a wife who was never
duty to denounce IL she let another sun rise
upon her guilt.
'T did not stand there long between the
wraiths OF my murderous ancestors. A
message was shouted through the door--the
message for which my ears had been
strained In dreadful anticipation for the |
last two hours. A man named PfeifIsr |
married. A man named PfeafHer!
''f looked closely at the boy who delivered |
this message. He showed no excitement.
nor any feeling greater than impattence at