The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-19

tween them before her marriage had
led him to go away without even hav-
Ing been thanked, she tossed the let
ter on a table and ran out into the
hall to stop him. Not finding him in
the hall, she went out on to the porch.
He was not there. nor was he any
where to be seen, though there was
nothing for some distance to obstruct
her vision.
Stranger she said to herself and
returned to her room, fear coming
over her that the affair was in some
way connected with misfortune to
her husband. Going to the table, she
was about to snatch up the letter
when she saw that it was not where
she had put it. Looking on the floor
for it, she did not find it.
I'm sure something has happened
to Hector" she moaned. Leslie Holt
slipped away on purpose so that he
wouldn't have to say anything to me
about it. But how pale he looked and
how exhausted"
Thinking draft might have blown
the letter Off the table. she looked about
until she saw something of a light
,brownish color in a corner. Sure that
it was the letter, which had been dis
colored, she seized 1t. What was her
surprise to find seaweed.
There was something so uncanny in
oil this that she was now thoroughly
frightened. Dropping the seaweed,
she put both hands to her temples In
an effort to regain her equanimity.
Then. rushing out Of the room. she ran
into her aunt and sank In q swoon,
Ten minutes later DR.. Coggswell.
medical officer at the academy, was
called to Professor Lyall's quarters. He
found Mrs. Peckham lying on bed in
high state Of nervous excitement.
Mrs. Lyall told the doctor, before he
saw the patient, the story her niece
had told her, aud he did not permit the
invalid to go over 1t again. He said
that the expectation for a long while
that her husband would at any time
participate In naval engagement and
the excitement attending the recent
fight had been strain upon her nerves
that had produced hallucination. He
prescribed sedative and left direc-
lions that she was to be kept quiet,
But Mrs. Peckham did not recover
from the strain as soon as was expect
ed. And one morning something oc-
CURED to give her terrible back set.
A telegram from Key West appeared
In a morning paper stating that little
naval tender, commanded by Leslie
Holt. had been wrecked on one Of the
keys and all on board had been lost.
Mrs. Lyall kept this news from her
niece as long as she dared, hoping the
invalid would gain strength and there
would be less danger in communicate
ing it to her. Finally, fearing that
Kate might hear it from others, she
told her Of young Hollis death.
If anything was needed to complete
the conviction that the wrath of the
man who had told her she had wrecked
his life had visited her, the announce
ment of his death supplied it. A sub
served to tighten the blow. Kate felt
that the matter had no reference to
her husband; ii was between her and
Leslie Holt. She considered 1t a pun
ishment for having trit1ed with him
and brooded and brooded, and all eff
forts on the part Of her friends to con-
vince her that there was nothing In 1t
except a creation Of her own brain un-
der nervous strain were fruitless.
In time Peckham came north, and 1t
was hoped that his presence would lift
the cloud that hung over his wife. 1t
helped her, but did not cure her. She
went about as before. but how chang
ed! "What sad sight is Mrs. Peck
ham," said one Of the men with whom
she had trifled-one OF the older ones,
an officer. The matter proves the in
nocenee Of her action when so many
Of US were attentive to her. Wicked
people are not rem6rseful. The tender
consciences are usually to be found In
innocence. Had she been heartless,
a wicked hirt, the fact that she had
wrecked mans life would have pleas
ed her. Instead Of this, his telling her
that she had wrecked his life wrecked
hers. He should not have said such
thing to her. and he would not have
said 1t had he been older and realized
the effect it would have on her.
~ 40 q 0dC SlACC ILLS oAOCk Cdlu3
to Mrs. Peckham, and, although it has
somewhat worn away. it has left its
effects. She is still beloved, for at
heart she is the same innocent wo-
man, though very different from the
days Of her girlhood. Every one ex-
cept herself refers the visit of the,
wrath 20 shock coming from over
strained nerves. She would as soon
loubt her existence as doubt the real
ity of the visit. After sufficiently re-
covering to talk about 1t she declared
that she not only smelled the salt air of
the sea, but saw Leslie Holt standing
before her-not lifelike, it is true, be-
cause he was very pale, and he had
the appearance of having been In the
water. The only thing to prove her
position was the letter she received
and the seaweed. but that disappeared
during her first shock and never was
\