The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1910-04-02
LOVES
REVOLUTION
By EDGAR FALES MOODY
Copyright, 1910. by American Press
Association.

They lived beside river Theirs
had been a love match. and love
matches are not often made on any
other principles than love. They had
been brought up in af1uence and kept
house ON little or nothing. illustrating
the saying. when poverty comes in
at the door, love flies out through the
window"
each other deeply-more deeply than
when they were married. But they
were overstrained Moreover. they
fell into the habit of giving vent
to their feelings. and the more they
gave way in this respect the more they
were egged on by tired nerves to do
so Their quarrels grew more fire.
quent and more violent. He would
growl at the table that there was
nothing Oh il TT to eat. and she would
tell him that he was responsible for
the quality of the food or the lack Of
it. From that it would be elimination
and recrimination till they would both
be trembling with anger.
One night they quarreled till he felt
that if he did not go away from her
he should do or say that which would
be irreparable. He opened the door
and went out into the front yard. The
air was balmy. and the full moon
shone down from clear sky. He
went out to the gate. through it. and
as it swung back the latch caught
with click.
She heard it and said to herself:
Gle is gone. l shall never see him
again. My dream has vanished. ! do
not care to survive it."
He went across the road and looked
down at the river At first he did not
see it, His brain was whirling and
could take nothing in through his
eyes. But presently he saw the wa
ter peacefully flowing. rejecting the
silent heavens from it's bosom. An ir-
repressible desire overcame him TO
put an oblivion to his troubles by
sinking himself and them in this place
Of rest. He turned and walked a
short distance down the stream to
where there was bridge. Going on
to the bridge. he stood. looking over
the rail. The bark of a dog came
family from distance
There was sound above as though
some one had thrown something into
the river He listened. but heard moth
ing more. Then. mounting the rail. he
let himself down on the projecting
planks beyond and stood there, listen
ing to two voices. The one said: $50
back to her Soothe her Say to her,
Let the past be passed; we will begin
anew; we will bring back the love we
felt before we were married. The
other voice said: "She will not listen.
or if she does the reconciliation will
not last At the first annoyance she will
lose her self control. will lose mine.
and we will rush again into whirl-
wind of passion"
He listened to the last voice and
about to take the final plunge he saw
something on the surface of the water
floating with the current toward him.
What was it about this underlined
something that awoke a new tempest
within nina tempest of a reverse of
that under which he had been wreck
ed? The floating object looked like a
piece of cloth buoyed dome shaped
over the water. There was a human
being under that dome.
In another moment ii was nearly be-
meath him. Dropping from the bridge.
he caught it as it passed. He and it
f1oated with the current under the
bridge He knew that he held the
head AS they foated out into the
moonlight he recognized in the colorless
face the woman whom not long before
he had led to the altar.
Had he before they parted plunged a
knife into her heart he could not have
been more fully conscious that he had
murdered her. 1t was the nonresist-
ance of that pale face that changed
him. But one overwhelming impulse
possessed him. He must save her. II
he failed the world would indeed be
the horror he had a few moments be-
fore conceived it to be. Life might
still throb family within her. and if he
could get her ashore before it ceased
he might atone for all he now con-
ceiyed himself TO be responsible.
Like lightning. power ran down
through his nerves to his muscles and
made them iron. With one arm about
her, holding her chin above the sur
face, he struck out with the other.
and a few strokes brought him and
her to the shore. Once there he took
her up in both arms. climbed the bank
and ran with her to his house.
On bringing her back to life depend
ed whether that house should be home
or whether he should be an outcast
and Il wreck
He was successful. When she opened
her eyes and saw him and where she
was a look of infinite pain passed
across her face.
l.