Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-10-05

must not open the golden ball nor en-
deavor to find out its mystery unless
my trouble threatened death or some
great disaster. Such q trouble had in
deed come to me, and, startling coinci-
dence, l was at this moment in the
very house where this picture hung
and, more startling fact yet, the golden
ball needed to interpret its meaning
was round my neck, for with such jeal-
ousy was this family trinket always
guarded by its owner. Why, then, not
test their combined effect? l certainly
needed help from some quarter. New
er would William allow me to be mar
ried to another while he lived. He
would yet appear, and should need
this great assistance-great enough to
be transmitted from father to son-as
none of the Moores had needed it yet,
though what 1t was did not know and
did not even try to guess.
"Yct when got to the room did not
drag out the filigree ball at once nor
even take more than one fearful side
long look at the picture. In drawing
off my glove had seen his rlng-thc
ring you had once asked about. 1t
was such cheap affair, the only one
he could get in that obscure little town
where we were married. l lied when
you asked me If it was family Jewel,
liod but did not take 1t off, perhaps be-
cause it chung SO tightly, as If in re-
membrance Of the vows 1t symbolized.
But now the very sight Of 1t gave me q
fright. With his ring on my finger /
could not defy him and swear his claim
to be false-the dream Of man mad
dened- by his experiences in the Klon-
dixie. 1t must come off. Then perhaps
should feel myself a free woman.
But 1t would not come off. struggled
with 1t and tugged in vain; then be-
thought me of using nail file to sever
it. This did, grinding and grinding
at it till the ring finally broke, and
could wrench 1t off and cast it away
out of sight and, as I hoped, out Of
my memory also. breathed easier
when rid Of this token, yet choked with
terror whenever step approached the
door. l 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. was set upon testing the
secret Of the filigree ball.
1.-THE contents Of the ball turned out
to be small magnifying glass and the
picture maze of written words. I
did not decipher it all; did not de-
cipher the half. 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 l did pick out. And that
meaning! 1t was horrible, inconceiv-
able. Murder was taught, but murder
from distance, and by an act too sim
pie to awake revulsion. A step into the
empty closet yawning SO near, an effort
with drawer, I'D do not ask me
to recall it did not shudder when
the moment came and stood there.
Then was cold Us marble. Yet I
shall surely take my life before you
see ME again, and in that old house.
If 1t is despair feel, then despair will
take me there. If it is repentance, then
repentance will suffice to drive me to
the one expiation possible to me-to
perish where l caused an innocent man
to perish and SO relieve you of wife
who va. never worthy of you and
whom 1t would be your duty to de-
nounce Ii she let another sun rise upon
her guilt.
"a message was shouted through the
door-thc message for which my ears
had been strained in dreadful anticipa-
ton for the last two hours. A man
named Pfeitfer wanted to see me be-
fore went down to be marricd-a
man named PfeifferI
II looked closely at the boy who de-
livered this message. Hc showed no
excitement nor any feeling greater
than impotence at being kept waiting
q minute or so at the door. Then
glanced beyond him at the people chat
ting in the hall. No alarm there; moth
ing but very natural surprise that
the bride should keep SO big crowd
waiting. | felt that this fixed the
event. He who had sent me this quiet
message was true to himself and to
our old compact. He had not publish
ed below what would have set the
house in IN uproar In q moment He
had left his secret to be breathed into
my ear alone l could recall the mo-
ment he passed me his word and his
firm look as he said. with his hand
lifted to heaven: You have been good
to me and given me your precious self
while was poor and nobody. In re-
turn swear to keep our marriage o
secret till great success shows me to
be worthy of you or till you with your
own lips express forgiveness of my
failure and grant me leave to speak.
Nothing but death or your permission
shall ever unseal my lips When I
heard That he was dead 1 feared lest
he might have spoken, but now that 1
had seen him alive l knew that In no
other breast save his. my own and
that of the unknown minister in an al
most unknown town dwelt any knowl-
edge of the fact which stood between
me and the marriage which all these
people had come here to see. My con-
fdence in his rectitudc determined me.
Without conscious emotion, without
fear even-the ending of suspense had
ended all that-I told the boy to seat
the gentleman in the library. Then
ITO turn and turn miserable crank