The daily Alaskan., 1908-07-15
A SIl ldoWy Lover.
UoHginGLl

she that her friends never got very iuar her. Amaag hW the feather wclghts - mean menmly-lct her ale. unm ,hot,c, che neavywcights be ausc she was aot of easy approach.
 she was Iycu.y.Gvc before she re- cciyeL a single oIer of marriage; then lt came Crom a practical, common sense man or huaincss He was tempo ,al.,y lagown mo mtimatc association with her and UiSccrucd a great dcal in her When he proposed she took time before giving him his answer, then gave lt in this wise:
 some years ago received letter from a mau who was dying. He told me that he had loved me without being Nnown by me. Being afflicted by lin. serng disease, he had never sought mo with a view Co declaring his love Since it gave a dying man comfort to tell me of his devotion, he hoped ] would not blame him for doing SO, He carefully concealed Ills identity, and ! have never discovered It
 "I have since been unable to shake or sense of being appropriated. | know this Is mwisc, but can't help lt. have analysed my feelings for yuu and cannot tell whether or no should marry you am. however willing Co throw the responsibility on you md become your wife ir you say thn word"
 He told her that he t0uciCd marriage to bc practical sentiment Her feeling for the dead was sentimental scuu- mont The first pcrtalncd to the high est Of all human institutions, the fam. fly; the latter was simply a canker- worm feeding on emotion. He would have her marry him. trusting to the great unhrCaEahlC bond, family arcc. ton. Co absorb all other sensations.
 They were married. The wife for a time appeared Co be contCntcd and happy. but after awhile showed that she was breeding. Her husband no- ticed the change, but did not refer to lt. He knew that her sentiment" was with her and that It could not be drIv- cn away by open interference. He did not consider his wife responsible for it's 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 diSapr?ar Doubt less the first child would drive it away, as the sun will dissipgtc a cloud
 But children did not come. There was stjll this intangible, psychological freak between the two lo keep them In a measure apart lt was never re- rcrrCd Co by either, but both knew Of ltS existence. It was endured by both, for the wife felt that it was wronging her husband. and the husband felt that it was sapping the happiness or his wife as well as his own.
 one day while searching in desk Of his wife for a paper he came upon ,hc note that had been written her from her dying lover It's finding brought about a singular act. Taking note Of the handwriting he wrote letter in the same chIroGraphy to his wife purro,tiug ,o come from the man who had written the original It stated that he had unexpectedly recovered and had since prospercd that he knew she was married, but In spirit she be- lougcd Co him. Did she rcciprOCatc this feeling? IT so. let h2r 3cfy the world and he would come to her.
 When the wife opened this forged letter ono morning ut the breakfast labIc. the husband saw her turn pale.
 That evening when he came back from business his wife said Co him that something had happened. She had debated with herself whether she should tell him or not and had decided that 1t was better that she should not He replied that he had full confidence In her judgment, and this was all he said abou' 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 sec her. He begged her to send her husband away for certain evening, during which he would call and they would concoct modus vlveudL 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 busi- ness on the evening he had appointed. His wife clutched her fingers spasmod- ically, which he pretendcd not to see, and left her.
 At 6 o'clock on the evening he went home and was packing a valiso pre- paratory to his departure when his 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 ac- compllshed for all time He told her that lt would be inconvcnicnt for him to take her, but she begged so hard that he consented. They dIned togeth