Evening star., 1903-07-09

you repeat the same sweet words in our
old age. in just such a tone and with tust
such look 1 was innocent at that mo-
menr, innocent and good. L am willing that
night. ~
when 1 think Of him lying cold and
oead In the grave 1 myself dug for him.
my heart Is like stone. but when / think of
you
L am afraid to die: but am more afraid
OF tailng In courage. I shall have the pjs-
toi tied to me: this will make Il seem in
evitable to use 1t. Oh! that the next twen-
g-Iour hours could be blotted out OF time!
Such horror cannot be. was born for joy
ana gaiety; yet no dismal depth OF misery
and fear has been spared me! But ali on
account OF my own act. I do not accuse
GOO: ! DO not accuse man: 1 only accuse
myself. and my thoughtless grasping after
pleasure.
Il want Cora to read this as well a, you.
She must know me dead as she never
Knew @ me living But cannot tell her that
L have left confession behind me- She
must come upon 1t unexpectedly, Just a.
mean you to do. Only thus can 1t roach
either OF you with any power. II could
to the book where propose to hide It! that
would give her chance of reading 1t be-
fore you do. and this would be best She
may know how to prepare or comfort you
i hope so. Cora Is a noble woman, but
the secret which kept my thoughts in such
whirl has held us apart.
You did what I asked. You found
place for Rauschers waiter in tho
were at the interest 1 expressed in
him. you honored my first request and said
nothing. Would you have shown the same
anxious eagerness If you had known why
carriage door? Why, I could neither rest
nor sleep till he and the other boy were
safely out of town?
II must leave line for you to show to
fhnx xr,I,r InA
myself so soon after my seemingly happy
marriage. You will find IT in the same
book with this letter. Some one will tell
you to look in the book-I cannot write
any more.
Il cannot help writing. 1t is all that
connects me with life and with you. But
have nothing more to say. except forgive
forgive
DO you think that God looks at His
wretched ones differently from what men
do? That He will have tenderness for ono
SO sorry-that He win even find place.
But my mother is there! my father! oh.
that makes me fearful to go-to meet-but
1t was my father who led me into this-only
he did not know-There! I will think only
of God.
Goodbye -good-bye-good-"
That was all. 1t ended as II began. with
out name and without date-the final heart
throbs OF a soul. awakened to its own act
when 1t was quite too late. piteous
memorial which daunted each one of US az
we read II. and when finished drew us all
together in the hall out of the sight and
hearing of the two persons most Intimately
concerned In It.
Possibly because all had one thought-a
thrilling one, which the major was the first
to give utterance to.
'srhe man she killed was buried under
the name Of Wallace. H0w's that. IL he
was her husband. Wiliiamr'
An officer we had not before noted was
standing near the front door. He came for.
ward at this and placed q second telegram
In the superintendents hand. 1t was from
the same source a. the one previously re-
ceived. and appeared to settle this very
question.
II have just learned that the man mar
ried was not the ono who kept store In
Owosso but his brother William. who
afterward died In Klondike. 1t IL Wallace
whose death you are investigating"
what snarl is here?' asked the major.
81 think understand" ventured
to put In. Her husband vast the
one left on the road by tho
brother who staggered into camp for aid.
He was a weak man-the weaker of the
lace, after seemingly collapsing. recovered.
This last she did not know. having failed to
read the whole OF the Newspaper slip which
told about IL, and 30 when she saw some
one with the Pfeiffer air and figure and was
told later that Mr.. Pfeiffer was waiting
to see her she took II for granted that 1t was
her husband, believing positively that Wal
have changed to look moro like his brother
In the time that had elapsed"
"A possible explanation which adds great
ly to the tragic aspects OF the situation.
She was probably q widow when she touch
ed the fatal spring. Who VIII tell the naA4
inside there? It VIII be his crownlng blow.
Go be concluded tomorrow.>