Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-05-26

accepted it because 1t seemed to be
romantic and because it pleased me to
have my own way i'll spite OF my hard
old guardian and the teachers, who
were always prying about, and the
girls, who went silly over him--for he
was really handsome in his way-and
who thought tat least many of them
did that he cared for them when he
cared only for me.
Il have hated black eyes for year.
He had black eyes.
II forgot Cora, or, rather, l did not
let any remembrance of her hinder me.
She was very shadowy person to me
in those days. l had not seen her since
we were both children, and as for her
letters-they were almost bore to me;
she lived such different life from
mine and wrote Of SO many things
had no interest in. On my knees ask
her pardon now. / never understood
her.
1T was oil planned by him-I have
no head for such things. Sadie helped
him-S Sadie was my friend-but Sadie
had not much to say about 1t, for he
seemed to know just how to arrange
it all so that no one at the seminary
should know or even suspect what had
occurred till we got ready to tell them.
He did not even take his brother into
his confidence, for Wallace kept store
and gossiped very much with his
customers. Besides, he was very busy
just then selling out, for he was going
to the Klondike with William, and he
had too much on his mind to be bother
ed, or SO William said. All this | must
tell you or you will never understand
the temptation which assailed me
when, having returned to Washington,
l awoke to my own position and the
kind Of men whom I could now hope
to meet I was the wife-oh, the folly
Of it--but this was known to so few.
and those were SO far removed, and
one even-my friend Sadie-being dead
why not ignore the miserable secret
ceremony and cheat myself into be-
lieving myself free, and enjoy this
world of pleasure and fashion as Cora
was enjoying it antitrust? Trust
what? Why the Klondike! That
swallower-up Of men. Why shouldn't
it swallow one more? Oh, know that
it sounds hateful, but I was desper-
ate; had seen you.
II had one letter from him after he
reached Alaska. but that was before
left Owosso. l never got another. And
| never wrote to him. rode and
danced with you and went hither and
yon. Iavishing money and time and
heart on the frivolities which came In
my way, calling myself Veronica and
striving by these means to crush out
every remembrance Of the days when
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
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 sud
denly knew why and suffered.
Il 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
DO rnrr ntVCYs q n a V
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 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 l could breathe
again without feeling clutch about
my throat. l did not know till then
how nearly had been stified.
The week of our marriage came. l
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. 1t struck me while
/ was at the-don't laugh; rather shud-
der-at the dressmaker's shop In Four
teenth street. l was leaning over Ia
BILE, chattering like a 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 saw
my husbands name, William Pfeifer,
and that the paper was Denver one.
There was but one William Pfeiffer In
Denver-and he was my husband. And
I read-feehng 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