The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-06-28

.lOOSe the Old Moore mouse TO De mar
led in led me to plan dressing there
IN my wedding morning. 1t was early
when we started, Cora and |. FOR
Nayerley avenue, but not too early
or the approaches to that dreadful
louse to be crowded with people, eager
o see the daring bride. Why should
have shrunk so from that crowd ! cam
not say trembled at sight of their
faces and at the sound of their voices.
and if by chance Il head was thrust
forward farther than the rest cow
cred back instinctivcly and nearly
screamed. Did | dread to recognize
too familiar face? The paper l had |
seen bore a date six months back
man could arrive here from Alaska in I
that time. Or was my conscience
aroused at last and clamoring to be |
heard when it was too late! On the
corner of street the carriage sudden
" stopped. a man had crossed in
front of it. l caught one glimpse of /,
this man and instantly the terrors of a
lifetime were concentrated into one in
slant of agonizing fear. 1t was William
: Pfeiffer l knew the look; | knew the
, gait He was gone in q moment and
the carriage rolled on. But knew my
doom as we'll that minute as | did an
hour later. My husband was alive and
: he was here
"You were waiting at the curb when
". arrived, and | remember how my
heart stood still when you laid your
hand on the carriage door and CON
fronted me With that light on your
face | had never seen disturbed since
y we first pledged ourselves TO marry. In
terror seized the hand which seemed
my one refuge in this hour of mortal
trouble and FASTENED into the house
which for all its doleful history had
never received within its doors a heart
more burdened or rebellious. pressed
your hand with mine and smiled. Oh
God. Ii you could have seen what lay
beneath that smile! For with my
entrance beneath those fatal doors
thought had come. remembered my
heritage. remembered how had been
told by my father when | was Il very
little girl presume when he first
felt the hand of death upon him-that
il ever l was in great troIble-very
great trouble, he had said where no
seliyerance seemed possible was to
pen a little golden ball. which he
bowed me, and take out what should
.fn;! inside and hold it close up before
"a picture which had hung from time
tmmemorial in the southwest corner Of
MS old house.
gE .'Ie could not tell me what should
encounter there-ths l remember his
'saying-but something that would as
? siSt me. something which had passed
with good effect from father down to
child for many generations. Only, il
would be blessed in my undertakings,
must not open the golden ball nor en-
deavor to find out its mystery unless
nv trouble threatened death or some
great disaster Such trouble had 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 colder
ball needed to interpret its meaning
was round my neck. for with such jeal
ousy was this family trinket Away:
guarded by it's owner. Why, then. no
test their combined effect? l certainl.
needed help from some quarter New
er would William allow me to be mar
ried to another while he lived. HI
would yet appear, and | should nee,
this great great enough t
ss bel transmitted from father to SOMA
none of the Moores had needed it yet
Though what it was did not know an,
did not even try to guess.
f'Yet when got to the room did no
nag out the fiigree ball at once no
wen take more than one fearful side
long look at the picture. In DRAWN
Toff my glove 1 had seen his ring-th
FIRING you had once asked about.
50 was such cheap affair, the only on
sN he could get in that obscure little tow
III where we We're married. lied whe
n you asked me If it was a family jewe
lied but did not take it off, perhaps b.
I cause it chung so tightly, as it in II
membrane Of the vows it symbolic,
But now the very sight of it gave me
fright. With Slis ring on my finger
could not defy him and swear his clai
to be false-the dream OF man MAJ
dened by his experiences in the klo
dixie. 1t must come off. Then perhaI
should feel myself a free woma
But it would not come off. | struggle
with it and tugged in vain; then | b
thought me of using nail file to sew
1t. This did, grinding and grindiI
at it till the ring finally broke, and
II: could wrench it off and cast it aw,
out of sight and, as l hoped, out
my memory also. breathed east
when rid of this token, yet choked wi
terror whenever q step approached I
door. / was clad in my bridal Dire!
but not in my bridal veil OF ornamen
ind naturally Cora and then my ma
nme to assist me. But | would Il
let them in | was set upon testing t
secret of the tiligree ball.
1.-THE contents of the ball turned c
to he Il small magnifying glass and
picture a maze OF written words.
4 q