Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-12
ReUen6e Frog,
Beyond Tbe Grace
lOriginaL

before the curtain rose glanced at the
boxes to see il any OF his friends were
present. All were occupied ny stran.
gers to him except one. and that was
empty.
During the last act, while the audi.
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 ne had no.
ticed it a moment before and saw that
no one was in it. now woman's face
protruded from behind q 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 a
few minutes stood before the door of
the box in question. He did not need
to knock, for it opened nOiseiessly, and,
entering. he took a seat beside the
lady.
"DO not think evil OF me-" she said.
ST am suffering and Wish 10 leave this
place. / must have an escort. and, see
ing you in the audience. feeling that I
could trust you. and catching your eye,
| virtually invited you to come to me-"
do you wish to so now" he asked.
"At once"
They rose, Waterman helped her Ga
with light wrap. she took his arm and
they left the house. Waterman called
a carriage.
81 need fresh air." she said. MAY
we not walk?"
Certainly. il you desire 1t. l sup
posed you were ILL.,"
"NOt SO i'll but that l can walk
home" she said - go. =
Indeed, Il seemed to the American
that she was as light as a feather.
Her hand pressed go softly on his arm
that at times he thought she had with
drawn it. Once while passing under
street lamp be failed to see her shadow
b0sido his own. He turned 10 see IL
she had not slipped away from him.
but she was still there. He looked
sgSin for the missing shadow, bnt
they had passed out of ranEs Of the
AmpiIGht.
There was an odOr about his conl-
paniOn that he could not account for
an odor OF dampness. Of water such as
one often gets from a river, especially
q river flowing through city.
A third singular feature was that now
and again he thought be heard some
thing rolling on the pavement behind
him. Twice he looked back to- see. but
there was nothing there. t- e
Presently the lady guided her Mt
tendant from the boulevard into a side
street that was taken up with dwell
ings, and, after pursuing 1t for a few
blocks, she turned and mounted the
steps OF a 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
sasped.
Taking her up to the second story,
be 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
IL 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 I'm. Waterman looked over
the banister and saw man in evening
dress. Waterman went down, and
when the man saw him he staggered
back.
1.-The ladyw said Waterman. "She is
up in her rOomw
''What lady?" gasped the man.
81 don't know. She asked me to see
her home. She is lying on her bed. l
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 shrek and fell on
the floor.
"Elsiep' he cried. ooh, why did
do it? You have come from your bed
at the bottom of the Seine to mock
me- l smell the water. l see the stone
I tied about your waist"
From this he went off into incOherept
cries and murterings.
Waterman, as soon as he could col
lect his faculties, hunted up a tele-
phone and called for the police. In
few minutes a 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 Il don't understand it. There
is a dead woman upstairs. l met her
at the opera and she asked me to bring
her home. | did so, put her OH her
bed, and she died before l could sum
mon assistance"
He led the way upstairs. There lay
the man on the floor glaring and NUT
tering. They turned 70 the bed.
1t was empty.
From the evidence adduced at the
trial II was plain that the husband had