The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-05-16

me and the marriage which all these
people had come here to see. My CON
tidencc in his rectitude determined me
Without conscious emotion, without
fear cven-the ending of suspense had
ended all lhat-I told the boy to seat
the gentleman in the library. Then
ITO turn and turn miserable crank
after those moments of freuZied action
and sleuce-that was the hard part
that was what tried my nerve and first
robbed ME of calmncSs. But | dared
not leave that fearful thing dangling
there; had to wind The machinery
squeaked and IFS noise seemed to fill
the house, but no one came nor did the
door below open Sometimes | have
wished that it had, | should not then
have been lured on and You would not
have become involved in my ruin.
II am afraid to die but ! am more
afraid of failing in courage. Ishall have
the pistol tied to me; this will make it
seem inevitable to use it. Oh, that the
next twenty-f0ur hours could be blot
ted out of timel Such horror cannot
be. was born for joy and gayety, yet
no dismal depth Of misery and fear has
been spared me. But all on account of
my own act. do not accuse God; do
not accuse man. only accuse myself
and my thoughtless grasping after
pleasure.
~ fnttR TO 81 rs a & VOL OG
you. she must know me dead as she
never knew me living. But | cannot
tell her that ! have left a confession
behind me. She must come upon 1t
Unexpectedly just as mean you to do,
Only thus can ii reach either of you
with any power If | could but think
of some excuse for sending her to the
book where | propose to hide it. That
would give her a chance of reading it
before you do, and this would be best
She may know how TO prepare or com
fort you'll hope So Cora is a noble
woman, but the secret which kept my
thoughts in such whirl has held us
apart.
"You did what asked You found
4 place for Raucher's waiter in the vol
unteer corps. Surprised rs you were ut
the interest | expressed in him. you
honorcd my first request and said moth
ing. Would you have shown the same
anxious eagerness if you had known
| why ] whispered those few words to
him from the carriage door, why /
could neither rest nor sleep till he and
the other boy We're safely out of town.
IL must leave line for you TO show
to people if they wonder why | killed
myself so soon after my seemingly
happy marriage You will find 1t in
the same book with this letter. some
one will tell you TO look in the book
| cannot write any more.
IL cannot help writing It is MI that
connects me now with life and With
you. But have nothing more To say
except forgye-forgive-
40 you think that God looks at his
wretched ones differently from what
men do? That he will have tenderness
for one so sorry that he will even
find place But my mother IL there
my father Oh. that makes it fearful
to go-to meet but ii was my father
who led me into this only he did moi
know There, | will think only OF
God.
"Goodby- goodby good
That was all. 1t ended, as it began
without name and without date-thc
final heart throbs of soul awakened
to its own act when it was quite toe
late. a plteous memorial which daunt
ed each one of us as we rend II, anC
when finished drew MS all together ii
the hell ont of the sight and hearing OF
the two persons most intimately con
cerncd in it,
Possibly because all had one though
"A thrilling one. which the major was
the first to give utterance TO;
"1he man she killed was buried I'M
der the name Of Wallace. llow's that
if he was her husband. William
An officer we had not before noteC
was standing near the front door. IN
came forward at ihis and placed
second telegram in the superintendent
hand. 1t was from the same source
as the Que previously received and ap
pearcd to settle this very question.
Fl have Just learned that the mai
married was not the one who KEEP
store in Owosso, but his brother WI
liam. who aftcrward died in klondikC
II IS Wallace whose death you are II
. yesligating."
"What snarl is hereY asked tn
major.
81 think / understand" | venture
, TO nut in. "Hcr husband was the on
l left on the road by the brother VIII
staggered into camp FOR aid. lie wa
! weak man the weaker of the TIVE
+ She said and probably died, Will
, Wallace, after seemingly colapsing, r.
covered. This last she did not know
G having failed 10 read the whole of ii
; newspaper slip Which told about
t ana so when 4eilc saw some one wit
y the pfpiffer air aud figure and W;
; told later that Mr.. Pfeiffer was wal
Il ing TO see her she took il for granite
that It was her husband. belieyir
2 positively that Wallace was dead. III
0 lattcr. moreover. may have changed
II look more like his brother in the tin
: that lad elapsed"