Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-01-16
RevenSe From
Beyond tie Grace
fOriginal.1

coat OIL Ills arm 10 Tue II dCe NC Opcrd.
He bought seat in the parquet and
before the curtain rose glanced at the
boxes to see if any Of his friends were
present All were occupied by stran-
gers to him except one, and that was
| empty.
ence was intent on what was taking
place on the stage, something-he knew
not what-impelled him to glance aside
at the empty box. Though he had no.
ticed 1t a moment before and saw that
no one was In 1t, now woman's face
protruded from behind side curtain,
the eyes bent eagerly upon him with
every evidence Of distress.
Waterman was not the man to de-
cline what he regarded an invitation
and without waiting for the perform.
ance to finish left his seat and in
few minutes stood before the door of
the box in question. He did not need
to knock, for it opened noiselessly, and,
entering, he took seat beside the
lady.
do not think evil of me-" she said.
~ am suffering and wish to leave this
place. 1 must have an escort, and see
ing you in the audience, feeling that
could trust you, and catching your eye,
virtually invited you to come to me-"
do you wish to go now?" he asked.
"At once"
They rose, Waterman helped her on
with light wrap, she took his arm and
they left the house. Waterman called
| a carriage.
~ need fresh air." she said. May
we not walk?"
Certainly, if you desire 1t. I sup
posed you were ILL.,"
mot so i'll but that l can walk
home" she said.
Indeed, it seemed to the American
that she was as light as a feather.
Her hand pressed SO softly on his arm
that at times he thought she had with
drawn IT. Once while passing under
street lamp he failed to see her shadow
beside his own. He turned to see IL
she had not slipped away from him,
but she was still there. He looked
again for the missing shadow, but
they had passed out of range of the
lamplight.
There was an odor about his COM
panion that he could not account for
an odor Of dampness, of water such as
one often gets from river, especially
river flowing through city.
A third singular feature was that now
and again he thought he heard some
thing rolling on the pavement behind
him. Twice he looked back to see, but
there was nothing there.
Presently the lady guided her at
tendant from the boulevard into side
street that was taken up with dwell
ings, and, after pursuing it for a few
blocks, she turned and mounted the
steps of stone front mansion.
Quick she said, I'm fainting"
and fell into his arms. The door open
ed at touch, and he carried her in.
Upstairs to my BEDROOM she
gasped.
Taking her up to the second story,
he entered a room the door of which
stood open and laid her on the bed;
then he went to call for assistance,
but no one replied; the house was
empty. He went back to the bed and
laid his hand on the woman, who by
this time was stiff and stark. Indeed
1t seemed to him that she had been
dead some hours.
| At that moment a key was put into
the lock of the front door, and some
one came In. Waterman looked over
| the banister and saw a man in evening
dress. Waterman went down, and
when the man saw him he staggered
back.
'The ladyw said Waterman. "She is
up In her rOomw
what ladyY gasped the man.
II don't know. She asked me to see
her home. She is lying on her bed.
fear it is all over with her. Come"
The man shrank back. Waterman
took him by the arm, supported him
| upstairs, and they entered the bed
room.
The man gave a shrek and fell on
the floor.
"Elsie! he cried. ooh, why did
do it? You have come from your bed
at the bottom of the Seine to mock
me. smell the water. / sec the stone
tied about your waist"
From this he went off into incoherent
cries and mutterings.
| Waterman, as soon as he could col
lect his faculties, hunted up tele-
| phone and called for the police. In
few minutes party Of gendarmes
drove up in a wagon, stopping before
the house. Waterman, who was now
trembling in every fiber, went down
and let them In.
"A very singular thing has occurred"
he said. II don't understand 1t. There
is a dead woman upstairs. l met her
at the opera and she asked me to bring
her home. l did so, put her on her
bed, and she died before ! could sum-
mon assistance"
He led the way upstairs. There lay
| the man on the floor glaring and NUT
tering. They turned to the bed.
1t was empty
From the evidence adduced at the
trial It was plain that the husband had
drowned his wife In the Seine about