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

ate; had seen you.
Il had one letter from him after he
reached Alaska, but that was before |
left Owosso. | never got another. And
never wrote TO him. rode and
danced with you and went hther and
yOn. lavishing money and time and
heart on the friyolities 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,
tonette only. For the Klondike was
far and its weather bitter, and men
were dying there every day, and no
letters came Il used to thank God for
this), and | need not think-not YETI,
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. | 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 Il
day came-you remember the day when
you found me laughing like mad wo-
;,, tN.in ,,F NfClt NI d.
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 telc-
graphic dispatch from Seattle told how
man had struggled into Nome, frozen,
bleeding and without acCOutermcnts 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 pfcificr For me there was
but one William Pfetfer in the Klon
dike-my husband land he was dead.
That was why you found me laughing
But not in mirtl. am not SO bad rs
that But because could breathe
again without feeling n clutch about
my throat did not know till then
how nearly had been stided.
THE week Of our marriage came. |
was mad with gaycty and ecstatic with
hope. Nothing had occurred to mar
my prospects. But God had his eve
upon me and In the midst Of my happi.
ness and the hurry of our final prcpa,
rations his bolt fell 1t struck ne while
I was at the-dont laugh; rather shud.
| der-at the dressmaker'S shop in -Four
tccnth street. | was leaning over Ia
bic chattering like n maggie over the
| way | wanted n gown trimmed, when
my eye fell on a scrap of newspaper
| in which something had come rolled TO
madame II was torn at the edge. but
on the bit lying under my eyes | saw
MY husbands name. William PfciIfcr,
| and that the paper was Denver one.
There was but one William Pfeiffer in
Denver and he was my husband. And
| read feeling nothing Then | 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 Ivy his
more energetic brother who had push
cd on for succor through the worst
storm aud under the worst conditions
possible even in That God forsakcn re-
gion. With the lost one In mind, the
one word that Wallace uttered in sight
of rescue was William. II was Wallace
who had fallen dead. and while William
might have persisted also, and doubtless
had. | had no certainty OF il, And my
wedding dag WAS set for Thursday.
"Iyhy didn't tell Cora? Why didn'
| tell you? Pride held my tongue; be
sides. had bad time TO think before
saw either of you, and to reason hi
and feel sure that if Wallace had beer
spent cuclgh to fail dead on reachini
. tile camp, William could never hay
survived on the open road; for WA
lace was the stronger of the two an
the most hardy every way. Free
certainly was. Some later paper woul
assure me of this. But for three night
did not sleep, GO
THE caprice which had led nc I
choose the old Moore house to be mai
ried in led me TO plan dressing thef
on my wedding morning. Ii was carr
when we started, Cora and !. io
Wayerley avenue. but not too earl
for the approaches TO that dreadft
house to be crowded with people. cage
10 see the daring bride. Why ! Shout
have shrunk SO from that crowd J cal
! not say. trembled at sight of the
faces and at the sound Of their voice
, and if Ivy chance a head was thru'
, forward farther than the rest ! Gov
, cred bsck instlnctivcly and near
, screamed Did / dread 20 recognize
, TOO familiar face? Tue paper | la
, seen bore Il date six months back.
:. man could arrive here from Alaska
: that time Or was my conscien'
I aroused at last and tiamoring TO
. heard when il was too lateE ON Il
corner of \ street the carriage sudde
Q ~ stopped. \ man lad crossed
- front of it. caught one glimpse
t,r nj