The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-09

T
20 De false the cream Of a man mad
lened by his experiences in the Klon-
iike II must come on Then perhaps
] should feel myself a free woman
But it would not come on. struggled
with It and ugged IN vain. then be.
thought me Of using a nail Ole 90 sever
g. This I did. grinding and grinding
az IT till the ring fnally broke. and I
could wrench IL OF and cast It away
out OF sight and as I hoped, out OF
my memotS also I breatked easier
when rid Of this token. yet choked with
terror whenever a step approached the
door | was clad in my bridal Dress
out not in my bridal veil or ornaments.
ana naturally Cora ar1 hen my maid
cnme TO assist me But I would not
let them in | was set upon testing the
secret of the hllgree ball
"'rhe contents OF the ball turned out
to be a small magnifyng glass and the
picture n maze Of written words
dld not decipher Il all. | did not de
cipher the half I did not need to. A
spirit of divinatiou was given me in
hat awful hour which enabled me to
grasp It's full mennius from the few
sentences l did pick out And that
meaning gt was horrible inconceiv
able Murder was taught but murder
from distance. and by an act too sim
pie TO awake revulsion A step iHto the
empty closet yawning so near, an effort
with drawer, a-a- DO not ask me
to recall IT, did not shudder when
the moment came and I stood there.
Then | was cold as marble. Yet I
shall surely take my life before you
see me again, and in that old house.
II Il Is despair | feel then despair will
take me there II II Is repentance, then
repentance VIII suffice 70 drive mo to
the one expiation possible to me-tO
perish where | caused an innocent man
to perish and so relieve you Of wife
who was never worthy Of you and
whom Il would be your duty to de-
nounce II she let another sun rise upon
her guilt
"A message was shouted through the
door-the message for which my ears
had been strained IN dreadful anticlpa-
ton for the last two hours A man
named Pfeiffer wanted to see me be-
fore l went down to be married--a
mat named Pfeimerl
Il looked closely at the boy who de-
livered this message. He showed no
excitement nor any feeling greater
than impatience at being kept waiting
a minute or 80 at the door. Then
glanced beyond him az the people chat.
ting in the hall No alarm there: moth
ing but very natural surprise that
the bride should keep so big a crowd
waiting felt that this fixed the
event He who had sent me thig quiet
message was true TO himself and to
our old compact. He had not publish.
ed below what would have set the
house In an uproar in moment He
had left his secret to be breathed into
my ear alone, I could recall the mo
ment he passed me his word and his
tirm look as he said with bis hand
lifted 10 heaven: You have been good
to me and given me your precious self
while was poor and a nobody In re
turn | swear to keep our marriage
secret TIL 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 dsnth or your permission
shall ever unseal my lips. When
heard that ne was dsad | feared lest
he might have spoken, but now that
had seen him alive knew that I'm 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
ndence In his rectitude determined me
Without conscious emotion, without
fear eyen-the ending Of suspense had
ended all that told the boy To seat
the gentleman la the library Then
ITO turn and turn miserable crank
after those moments Of frsnzied action
and silence-that was the hard part
that was what tried my nerve and drst
robbed me OF calmness But / dared
not leave that fearful thing dangling
there; | had to wind. The machinery
sUuenked and its noise seemed 10 M
the house. but no one came nor did the
door below open. Sometimes / have
wished that II had. should not then
have been lured on. and you would not
have become involved In my ruin.
Il am afraid 10 die. but / am more
afraid Of failing in courage. lshall have
the pistol tied 10 me. this Will make Il
seem inevitable TO use IT, Oh that the
next twenty four hours could be blot
ted out OF time! Such horror cannot
be, / was born Tor 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; I only accuse myself
and my thoughtless grssping after
pleasure
4 want Cora TO read this as well as
you She must know me dead as she
never knew me living But / cannot
tell her that / have left confession
behind me, She must come upon il
Unexpectedly, Just ~ ! near you TO do
Only thus can II reach either Of you
with any power II could but think
Of some excuse FOR sending her 10 the
book where propose 20 hide n. That
would give her a chance OF reading IL
before you do. and this would be best
She may know how TO prepare or con-
fort youl hope 50. Cora il a noble