Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-11-22

every remembrance OF the days when l.
was known as Antoinette and An
toinette only. For the Klondike was
far and its weather bitter, and men
were dying there every day, and no
letters came q used to thank God for
this), and need not think-not yet
whittier was tending. One thing only
made me recall my real position. That
was when your eyes turned on mine
your true eyes, SO bright with conf
dence and pride. I wanted to meet
them full, and when could not I sud-
denly knew why and Suffered.
II did not accept your attentions nor
agree to marry you without struggle.
You know that. You can tell as no one
else can how held back and asked for
time and still for time, thus grieving
you and tearing my own breast, till a
day came-you remember the day when
you found me laughing like mad wo-
man in circle of astonished friends?
You drew me aside and said words
which hardly waited for you to finish,
for at last I was free to love you, free
to love and free to say so. The morn
ing PAPER had brought news. A tele-
graphic dispatch from Seattle told how
man had struggled into Nome, frozen,
bleeding and without accouterments or
companion. 1t was with difficulty he
had kept his feet and turned in at the
first tent he came to. Indeed, he had
only time to speak his name before he
fell dead. This name was what made
this dispatch important to me. 1t was
William Pfeiffer. For me there was
but one William Pfeiffer in the Klon-
dike-my husband-and he was dead!
That was why you found me laughing.
But not in mirth. am not so bad as
that. But because 1 could breathe
again without feeling a clutch about
my throat. I did not know till then
how nearly had been stifed.
'The week Of our marriage came.
was mad with gayety and ecstatic with
hope. Nothing had occurred to mar
my prospects. But God had his eye
upon me and in the midst of my happi-
ness and the hurry Of our final prepa-
rations his bolt fell. It struck me while
I was at the-don't laugh; rather shud-
der-at the dressmaker's shop in Four
teenth street. 1 was leaning over Ia
bic, chattering like magpie over the
way wanted gown trimmed, when
my eye fell on scrap Of newspaper
in which something had come rolled to
madame. 1t was torn at the edge, but
on the bit lying under my eyes I saw
my husbands name, William Pfeiffer,
and that the paper was Denver one.
There was but one William Pfeiffer in
Denver-and he was my husband. And
I read-feeling nothing. Then I read
again, and the world, my world, went
from under my feet, for the man who
had fallen dead in the camp at Nome
was Wallace, Williams brother, and
not William himself. William had
been left behind on the road by his
more energetic brother, who had push.
al on for succor through the worst
4torm and under the worst conditions
Possible even In that God forsaken re
gion. With the lost one In mind, the
one word that Wallace uttered in sight
Of rescue was William. 1t was Wallace
who had fallen dead, and while William
might have persisted also, and doubtless
had, had no certainty Of it. And my
wedding day was set for Thursday.
"why didn't I tell Cora? Why didn't
I tell you? Pride held my tongue; be-
sides, had had time to think before
saw either Of you, and to reason bit
and feel sure that If Wallace had been
spent enough to fall dead on reaching
the camp, William could never have
survived on the open road; for Wal
lace was the stronger of the two and
the most hardy every way. Free I
certainly was. Some later paper would
assure me Of this. But for three nights
I did not sleep.
"The caprice which had led me to
choose the old Moore house to be mar
ried in led me to plan dressing there
on my wedding morning. 1t was early
when we started, Cora and 1, for
Waverley avenue, but not too early
for the approaches to that dreadful
house to be crowded with people, eager
to see the daring bride. Why I should
have shrunk SO from that crowd can
not say. trembled at sight of their
faces and at the sound of their voices,
and IL by chance head was thrust
forward farther than the rest cow
cred back instinctively and nearly
screamed. Did I dread to recognize a
too familiar face? The paper I had
seen bore date six months back. A
man could arrive here from Alaska in
that time. Or was my conscience
aroused at last and clamoring to be
heard when 1t was too late? On the
corner Of N street the carriage sudden
" stopped. A man had crossed in
front Of 1t. caught one glimpse Of
this man and instantly the tsrrors Of a
lifetime were concentrated into one in
slant of agonizing fear. 1t was William
Pfeiffer. knew the look; knew the
gait. He was gone in moment and
the carriage rolled on. But knew my
doom as well that minute as l did an
hour later. My husband was alive and
he was here.
"You were waiting at the curb when
arrived, and remember how my
heart stood still when you laid your
hand on the carriage door and con-
fronted me with that light on your
face I had never seen disturbed since
we first pledged ourselves to marry. In
terror seized the hand which seemed
my one refuge in this hour of mortal
trouble, and FASTENED into the house
which for all Its doleful history had
never received within its doors heart
more burdened or rebellious. pressed
your hand with mine and smiled. oh,
God! II you could have seen what lay
beneath that smile! For with my