The daily Alaskan., 1905-12-02
A Mysterious V,si or
[OrgiNall

| MT. Kelsey Opuyke went nOLle Liun The opera late. Opening the front door w.th his night key, be entered tle Llll llmly lighted by a gas jeS, and was | passing the drawing room door when ne caught sI sht of a man in evening dress also passing to the rear. There was not sufficient light to see what the man looked like, and what there was was turned off the moment Mir. Oplyke | caught sight of the intruder. Then | came a sound as of some one sCamper- Ing through the back room and q crash | denotlng the falling of a table mingled with the breaking of glass. Mir. Op- ! dyke knew that the fugitive had upset a small stand covered with brlc-a-brac.
 Mir. Opdyke hurried after the man to the rear rooms and finally the kitchen. No one was to be found. The doors and windows were all locked except one window, and Mir. Opdyke cOnclud" ed that the fugitive had escaped through this window. After q thorough search Mir. Opdyke made up his mind that the intruder had gone, and then for the first time 1t occurred to him that sneak thieves or burglars dO not go about in sYeuing dress. He dropped Into a chair, with terrible sinking at the heart. His wife must be unfaith- | ful to him.
 He arose and went upstairs, when for the first time he noticed that the light from above had not been com pletely shut off. There was plenty of light in his wife's bedroom, the door of which was open. She came out to meet him and asked what accident had oc- cured downstairs.
 And whO," he asked Sternly, was your visitor"
 What vlsitOr|
 "The gentleman I found when l came in making for the rear of the house, the man you turned out the hall gas to screen"
 My dear, what do you mean? l turned out the hall gas since you so often forget it. I opened my door to light you"
 Mr. Opdyke had too much self con- trol to give vent to the fire burning in his breast. He simply stated the facts as they had occurred. Mrs. Opdyke sug- gested that perhaps a burglar had put on evening dress the better to escape detection. This sounded reasonable, and they agreed to look over their val uables to discover what might be miss ing. After an examination everything was found in its place.
 Mir. Opdyke would not accuse his wife without more definite proof. Nev- | ertheless 1t was plain that he had strong suspicious. Both passed an un- comfortable night, and when day dawned neither had slept.
 The next morning MT. Opdyke disCov- cred his wife bandaging the foot of her poodle that had evidently been cut | by the broken glass on the floor. He was mentally occupied with the man who had upset the table, she with the wound, and they did not discuss either. For a long period they lived together | as strangers-wOrse than strangers, who do not necessarily wear on each other, while Mir. and Mrs. Opdyke illus trated the words of the poet:
 To be wroth with one We love Doth work like madness on the brain.
 Mir. Opdyke spent his evenings at the club and carried a revolver in case he should again meet the man he had found In his drawing room. One night he drag l ged himself up the steps of his house, entered and, passing the parior door, saw the dim figure of the intruder, For Mir. Opdykc to draw his weapon | and fire was the work of a moment. l He was no quicker than the other, who fired simultaneously with him. Mir. | Opdyke felt something warm trickiing down his check and. pJttiug up his | hand, felt warm blood. He was sur prised to see his enemy do the same. | There was q quick step in the hall above, the gas was turned up. and Mrs. Opdyke came hu.1ying downstairs. Seeing her husband wip.ng blood from his face, she cried:
 "Oh, heavens! Are you killcdE
 "No, my dear; l an not The fool l killer has not yet taken ue in"
 And what's the matter with the mir ] TOT? Who broke it:'
 'I did. I was trying to kill your lover. I saw his reflection there and fired at him. A bit of glass flew at me and caused a sight wound
 Mrs. Opdyke saw it all. Her husband had twice mistaken bis own reflection for visitor during his absence and had literally tried to k |. his own i'm age.
 For months she had been suffer 1 ing from this ridiculous blunder, and now in addition to the suspicion and | cold treatment she had endured the long and valuable pier glass, her pride, had been shattered by her husbands absurd attempt. It was too much for her equanimity. She turned on her 1 heel and walked upstairs. Not even her husbands wound sudiced to de- tain her He, poor man, went to the bathroom and after stanching the blood bound-up the cut and went to l ha1