The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1905-06-14

that slowly Frightening room seemed
real, not her face lying buried in it's
youthful locks upon the pillow, not the
objects well known and well priced by
which we We're surrounded-not my
self-most Of all, not myself, unless the
icy dew oozing from the roots of my
lifted hair was real, unless that shape.
fearsome, vague, but persistent, which
lowered in the shadows above us,
drawing line of eternal separation
between me and my wife, was thing
which could be caught and strangled
and Oh. l rave! l chatter like
mailman, but did not rave that night
Nor did l rave when, in the bright.
broad sunlight, her eyes slowly unclos-
ed and she started to see me bending
so near her, but not with my usual kiss
or glad good morning. l could not
question her then; l dared not. The
smile which slowly rose to her lips
was too piteous-it showed confidence.
waited till after breakfast. Then,
while she was seated where she could
not see my face, whispered the ques-
ton, DO you know that you have had
a horrible dreamY She shrieked and
turned. saw her face and knew that
what she had uttered in her sleep was
true.
II have no remembrance Of what l
said to her. She tried to tell me how
she had been tempted and how she had
not realized her own act till the mo-
ment / bent down to kiss her lips as
her husband. But did not stop to
y listen-I could not l few Immediately
to Miss futile with the violent demand
as to whether she knew that her sister
was already q wife when she married
me, and when she cried out, No. and
showed great dismay l broke forth
with the dreadful tale and covered in
nnmanly anguish at her feet and went
mad and lost myself for a little while.
Then l went back to my wretched wife
and asked her how the awful deed had
been done. She told me, and again
did not believe her and began to look
upon it all as some wild dream of the
listempered fancies of disordered
brain. This thought Gained me, and 1
spoke gently to her and even tried to
take her hand. But she herself was
raving now and chung about my knees
murmuring words of such anguish and
contrition that my worst fears return
ed and, only stopping to take the key
of the Moore house from my bureau,
left the house and wandered madly-
! know not where.
II did not go back that day. l could
M I hny
much OF her confession was fancy anC
how much was fact. l roamed the
streets, carrying that key from one enc
Of the city to the other, and at nigh
used it to open the house which sh
had declared contained SO dreadful
secret.
II had bought candles on my wa,
there but, forgetting to take them froI
the store, had no light with which t
penetrate the horrible place that eve
the moon refused to illumine. realize
this when once in, but would not 6
back. All | have told about usin
matches to light me to the sOuthwes
chamber is true, also my coming upo
the old candelabrum there, with a candl
in one of ITS sockets. This candle
lit, my sole reason for seeking thi
foom being my desire to examine III
antique sketch for the words which sll
had said could be found there.
II had failed to bring magnifyin
glass with me, but my eyes al
phenomenally sharp. Knowing whel
to look, l was able to pick out enoug
words here and there in the lines con
posing the hair to feel quite sure tn:
my wife had neither deceived me NJ
been deceived as to certain direction
being embodied there in writing Sha
en- in my last lingering hope, but N,
yet quite convinced that these wor,
pointed to outrageous crime, l tle
next to the closet and drew out ii
y fatal drawer.
"You have been there and know wh
the place is, but no one but myself O.
ever realize what it WAS for me, ST
loving, still clinging to a wild moons
quelf belief in my wife, to grope
that mouth of hell for the spring 81
had chartered about in her sleep,
find it, press it, and then to hear, dow
In the dark of the fearsome recess, Il
sound of something deadly stril
against what l took to be the csslaie
of the old settle standing at the ed
Of the library hearthstone.
II think | must have tainted, +
when | found myself possessed of S,
ficient consciousness to withdraw Go
that hole of death the candle la {
candelabrum was shorter by an in
than when | first thrust my head in
the gap made by the removed dra
ers. In putting back the drawers
hit the candelabrum with my foot, |
setting it and throwing out the bun
ing candle AS the flames began
lick the worna eaten boarding of t
floor momentary impulse seized !
to rush away and leave the whC
place to burn, but l did not. With
sudden frenzy ! stamped out the fial
and then, finding myself in darkne
CROPPED my way downstairs and o.
apta,aI tho lilNrnl,u 7 tIn ilat- y.af11,a