Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1911-01-28


Without . word he handed her n let
ter. Thinking il To he from her hus-
baud or that ii might bring her bad
news from him. her attention was mo-
mentnrlly turned from IFS bearer TO
the letter It bore evidence ~ having
been wet. \ dampness chung TO II.
and Tie letters Of the superscrlptlon
had run together she tore It open
and read IT. II was simply an an
n0unfemcut that the writer was well,
Ind suffered nothing In the recent eli.
gagcmcnt and hoped before many
weeks to return to her Having sat.
isfled herself that II BODIED no harm &c
the man she loved. she turned TO its
bearer. He was not there.
Thinning that what had passed be.
tween them before her marriage had
lcd him 10 20 away without even hay
ter on n table and ran out into the
hall 10 stop him. Not finding him In
the hall. She went out on 10 the porch.
lie was not there. nor was he any
where to he seen. though there was
nothing for some distance TO obstruct
her vision.
strange" she said TO herself and
returned 10 her room, fear coming
over her that The affair was in some
way connected with misfortune to
her husband Going 10 the table, she
was about TO snatch up the letter
when She saw that 1t was not where
she had put IT, Looking on the floor
for 1t. She did not lind 1t.
I'm sure something has happened
Ia 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 q draft might have blown
the letter OF the table. she looked about
unil she saw something of light
brownish color in n corner. Sure that
Il was the letter, which had been dis
colored. She seized It. What was her
surprise TO find seaweed.
There was something so uncanny In
all this that she was now thoroughly
frightened. Dropping the seaweed,
she put both hands to her temples In
an effort 20 regain her equanlmity.
Then rushing ont of the room, she ran
into l,cr aunt aud sank in a swoon.
Ten minutes later DIR. Coggswell.
medical officer at the academy, was
called to Professor Lyall's quarters. He
found Mrs. Peckham lying on bed In
n hieh state of nervous excitement.
AIRS. T.yull told the doctor. before he
saw the patient the story her niece
had told her, and he did not permit the
invalid to 20 over II again. lie said
that the expectation for n long while
that her husband would at any time
participate In naval engagement and
Tire excitement attending the recent
fight had been strain upon her nerves
that had produced hallucInatlon. lie
prescribed sedative and left dlrec-
lions that she was To be kept quiet.
But Mrs. Peckham did not recover
from tho strain rs soon as was expect
ed. And one morning something &C.
cured 10 give her terrible back set.
4 telegram from Key West appeared
IN morning paper stating that little
naval tender. commanded by Leslie
Holt, had been wrecked on one OF the
Keys aud all on board had been lost.
Mrs Lyall kept this news from her
niece as long us she dared, hoping the
invalid would gain strength and there
would be less danger in communicate
ing il to her Finally. fearing that
Kate might hear II from others, she
told her of young Hollis death.
II 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 1t. sub
scquent letter. however. from Peckham
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 pun
ishment for having tritled with him
ard brooded and brooded, and all eff
forts on the part OF her friends to con-
vince her that there was nothing In IL
except n creation of her own brain un-
der a nervous strain were fruitless.
I'm time Peekham came north, and II
was hoped that his presence would lift
the cloud that hung over his wife II
helped her, but did not cure her. She
went about as before. but how chang
ed. what q sad sight is Mrs. Peck.
ham" said one Of the men with whom
she lad trliled-one of the older ones.
an officer. Tile matter proves the In
nocouce OF her action when so many
OF us were attentive to her. Wicked
people are not remorseful. The tender
consciences are usually to be found In
innocence Had she been heartless.
q wicked firt, the fact that she had
wrecked a mans life would have pleas
ed her Instead ~ this. his telling her
that she had wrecked bis life wrecked
hers. lie Should not have said such
thing 10 her. and he would not have
said Il had he been Older and realized
the effect II would have on her.
II Is decade since this shock came