Evening star., 1903-07-07

and when she lay quiet again and her face
resumed its old sweetness in the moonlight
l found myself staring at her almost as if
1t We're true-what she had said-that word
that awful word which no woman could
use with regard to herself, even in Dreams
unless-Something. an echo from the dis
cordant chord in our two weeks married
life. rose like the confirmation of a doubt
in my shocked and rebellious breast From
| that hour till dawn nothing in that slowly
Frightening room seemed real. not her face
lying buried in its youthful locks upon the
pillow. not the objects well-known and
well-prized by which we were surrounded
not myself-most of all. not myself, unless
the Icy dew oozing from the roots Of my
lifted hair was real. unless that shape,
fearsome, vague. but persistent which hoy
cred in the shadows above us, drawing a
line of eternal separation between me and
my wife. was thing which could be
caught and strangled and-Oh! 1 rave!
chatter like a madman: but did not rave
that night. Nor did rave when in the
bright. broad sunlight her eyes slowly un-
closed and she started to see me bending so
near her. but not with my usual kiss or
glad good morning. 1 could not question
her then: 1 dared not. The smile which
slowly rose to her lips was too piteous-it
showed confidence. l waited till after
breakfast Then. while she was seated
where she could not see my face, 1 whis-
pered the question: DO you know that you
have had horrible dreamT She shrieked
and turned. l saw her face and knew that
what she had uttered in her sleep was true.
II have no remembrance of what 1 said
to her. She tried to tell me how she had
been tempted and how she had not realized
her own act. till the moment l bent down
to kiss her lips as her husband. But 1
did not stop to listen-I could not I few
Immediately to Miss Tuttle with the violent
demand as to whether she knew that her
sister was already wife when she married
me. and when she cried out Nor and show
ed great dismay. 1 broke forth with the
dreadful tale and In nj
guish at her feet, and went mad and lost
myself for a little while. Then l went
back to my wretched wife and asked her
/, how the awful deed had been done. She
told me, and again l. did not believe her
and began to look upon 1t all as some wild
dream or the distempered fancies of a dis
ordered brain. This thought calmed me
and spoke gently to her and even tried to
take her hand But she herself was raving
now. and clung about my knees murmuring
words of such anguish and contrition that
my worst fears returned, and, only stopping
to take the key of the Moore house from
my bureau, 1 left the house and wandered
madly-I know not where.
1 did not go back that day. I could not
race her again till / knew how much of
her confession was fancy and how much
was fact. roamed the streets, carrying
that Key from one end of the city to the
other, and at night I used it to open the
house which she had declared contained so
dreadful secret.
Il had bought candles on my way there
but forgetting to take them from the store
I had no light with which to penetrate the
horrible place that even the moon refused
to illumine. I realized this when once in.
but would not go back All 1 nave tod
about using matches to light me to the
southwest chamber is true, also my coming
upon the old candelabrum there with a
candle in one of its sockets. This candle
I Lit. my sole reason for seeking this room
being my desire to examine the antique
sketch for the words which she had said
could be found there
IT had failed to bring magnifying glass
with me. but my eyes are phenomenally
sharp. Knowing where to look, / was able
to pick out enough words here and there In
the lines composing the hair to feel quite
sure that my wife had neither deceived me
nor been deceived as to certain directions