The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-06-09
Ole
FILIGREE BALL:
.By..
ANNA KATHARINE GREEN.
AstAor of I'VE Ntp'erp n AOasha Wsbb.v .
Lost Mans Lons.~ Eto


was mad with gayety and scstatic with
hope. Nothing bad occurred to mar
my prospects But God bad his eve
upon me and in the midst OF my happl
ness and the hurry Of our hnal prepa.
rations his bolt fell II struck rue while
I was at the-dOn't laugh; rather shud.
der-at the dressmaker's shop In -Four.
teenth street | was leaning over ta.
BILE, chattering Ike magpie over the
way | wanted a gown trimmed. when
my eye fell on scrap Of newspaper
In which something hHd come rolled 70
madame. II was torn AZ she edge. but
on the bit lying under my eyes l saw
my husbands name, William Pfeiffer.
and that the paper was a Denver one.
There was bat cne William PfeifYer IN
Denver-and he was my husband. And
I read-feehng 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 by his
more energetic brother, who had push.
cd on for succor through the worst
Storm 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 I'm sight
Of rescne was william 10 was Wallace
who had fallen dead and while William
might have perlshed also and doubtless
had. had no certhinty ~ a. Aud my
wedding day was set FOR Thursday
why didn't tell Corai why didn't
tell your Pride held my tongue: be-
sides, / had had time to think before
saw either of you. and TO reason a bit
and feel sure that If Wallace hnd 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 l
certainly was Some later paper would
assure me OF this. But for three nights
l 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 II was early
when we started, Cora and l. for
Waverley avenue. but not too early
for the approaches to that dreadful
house to be crowded with people enger
to see the daring bride. why I should
have shrunk so from that crowd / can
not say. I trembled at sight OF their
faceG and at the sound Of their voices.
and II by chance a head was thrust
forward farther than the rest | cow
cred back instinctlveiy and nearly
screamed Did | dread to recognize
too familiar face2 The paper ! had
seen bore a date six mouths back. A
man could arrive here from Alaska In
that time. Or was my conscience
aroused at last and clamoring to be
heard when il was too later On the
corner OF n street the carriage sudden
ly stopped. A man had crossed In
front OF It. | caught one glimpse OF
this man and instantly the terrors OF a
lifetime we're concentrated into one in
slant OF agonlzing fear. IL was William
Pfeiffer ! knew the look knew the
gait lie was gone in moment aud
the carriage rolled on. But knew my
doom as we'll that minute as I did an
hour later. My husband was alive and
be was here.
You were waiting at the curb when
arrived. and I remember how my
heart stood still when you laid your
hand on the carriage door ami oou-
fronted me with that light on your
face 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 hastened into the house
which for all its doleful history had
never received within its doors a heart
mors burdened Or rebelliOus pressed
your hand with mine and smiled. Oh.
God II you could have seen what lay
beneath that smilel For with my
entrance beneath those fatal doors a
thought had come. l remembered my
heritage I remembered how I had been
told by my father when 1 was a very
little girl presume when he first
felt the hand Of death upon him that
II ever | was IN great trouble--very
great trouble, be had said, where no
deliveHnce seemed possibleI was to
open a little golden ball, which be
showed me, and take out what should
find inside and hold Il close up before
a picture which had hung from time
immemOrial IN the southwest corner Of
this old house
"He could not tell me what I Should
encounter there-ths remember his
saying-but something that would as
slst NE something which had passed
with good effect from father down 10
child for many generations Only. II
would be blessed IN my undertakings
must not open the golden ball nor en-
deayor to hnd out its mystery unless
my trouble threatened death or some
great disaster Such a trouble bad IN
deed come TO me. and startling cOinci
dence. / was at this moment in the
very house where this picture hung
and. more startling fact yet. the golden
bail needed 10 interpret lis meaning
was round my neck for with such jeal-
ousy WAS this family trinket always
guarded by rs owner Why, then not
test their combined ehectl certainly
needed help from some quarter New
er would william allow me 10 BE- mar
risd TO another while be lived lie
would yet appear. and l should need
this great assistanee-great enough 70
b. transmitted from father ~ son as
none % the MoOrss bad NEEDED Il yet
}hotgah vvhsf IL rvaa fid NOT knoug and