Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1908-05-20
tOriginal.1


me that he had loved me without being
known by me. Being afflicted by lin
gering disease, he had never sought
me with view to declaring his love.
Since it gave dying man comfort to
tell me of his devotion. he hoped
would not blame him for doing so. He
carefully concealed his identity, and
have never discovered it.
81 have since been unable to shake
off sense of being appropriated.
know this is unwise. but l can't help
it. ] have analysed my feelings for
you and cannot tell whether or no
should. marry you. am. however,
willing to throw the responsibility on
you and become your wife if you say
the word"
He told her that he fancied marriage
to be practical sentiment Her feeling
for the dead was sentimental senti-
ment. The first pertained to the high
est Of all human institutions. the fam
lily; the latter was simply canker-
worm feeding on emotion. He would
have her marry him. trusting to the
great unbreakable bond. family affec-
ton. to absorb all other sensations.
They were married. The wife for
time appeared to be contented and
happy. but after awhile showed that
she was brooding. Her husband no
tfced the change. but did not refer to
it. He knew that her sentiment" was
hot LIT
en- away by open interference. He did
not consider his wife responsible for
its presence. He knew that it came
from some mental condition the nature
Of which he could understand, though
he had not experienced it. He conclud-
ed to wait for it to disappear. Doubt
less the first child would drive it away,
as the sun will dissiratc cloud.
But children did not come. There
was still this intangible. psychological
freak between the two to Keep them in
a measure apart. 1t was never re-
ferred to by either. but both knew of
Its existence. 1t WAS endured by both.
for the wife felt that it was wrorging
her husband, ana the husband felt that
1t was sappins the happiness OF his
wife as we'll us lis own.
One day while searching in desk of
his wife for Il paper he came upon
the note that had been written her
from her dying lover. Its finding
brought about singular act Taking
note Of the handwriting. he wrote
letter in the same chirography to his
wife purporting to come from the man
who had written the original It stated
that he had unexpectedly recovered
and had since prosDered: that he knew
she was married. but in spirit she be-
longed to him. Did she reciprocate this
feeling? If so. let her defy the world
and he would come to her.
When the wife opened this forged
letter one morning at the breakfast
table. the husband saw her turn pale.
That evening when he came back
from business his wife said to him
that something had happened She had
debated with herself whether. she
should tell him or not and had decided
that it was better that she should not.
He replied that he had full confidence
In her judgment. and this was all he
said abort the matter.
After this the wife showed plainly
that she was under the influence Of
some powerful emotion. Her husband
meanwhile wrote her another forged
letter from the same correspondent
She was informed that her lover could
no longer endure the strain of separa-
ton. He must see her. He begged
her to send her husband away for
certain evening. during which he
would call and they would concoct
a modus vivendi. He asked for this
one interview only. after which, If she
so wished, he would never see her
again. Simultaneously with his send
ing this letter the husband Informed
his wife that he must be away on bust.
ness on the evening he had appointed.
His wife clutched her fingers spasmod-
ically, which he pretended not to see.
and left her.
At o'clock on the evening he went
home and was packing a valtse pre-
P0A"IoAJ " ACpuIIuA "ucu u1S
wife came to him trembling and,
throwing her arms about him, begged
him to take her with him.
He had accomplished an object, but
he did not yet feel sure that it was &C.
complished for all time. He told her
that It would be inconvenient for him
to take her, but she begged so hard
that he consented. They dined togeth-
er and after dinner took train.
The husband kept his own counsel.
The wife during the journey one even
ing announced that she desired his as
sistance on a matter that was dis
tressing her. Then she confessed to
the letters she had received from her
supposed to be dead lover and asked
him to devise some plan to get rid of
him without hurting his feelings. The
husband took her in his arms and con-
fessed that he had written the letters.
From that time there was no
shadowy lover between the two. and
soon after children came on. to
strengthen the union between husband
and wife,
J. ANTHONY Tw1N1NG.
Exception Worth Noting.
One OF those positive men who are