Evening journal., 1912-06-04
The Woman Who
Talked to Herself
By MARTIN B. ERLcH

-7 ''S SbAScl VI thc City III WHICH
lived and heard a town clock strike
with its deep tones the hour Of 10.
This is a double anniversary for
me-" said to myself.
What l meant was this: Ten years
before. on the 18th Of April, 1851.
had been with the troops cutting their
way through Baltimore to the relief of
the national capital. threatened by the
Fecessionists. and on the present 18th
OF April, 1871. l had only an hour be
fore l heard the clock strike been ac-
cepted as the future husband Of the
woman who has for forty years been
my wife
There is third reason why l have
remembered that 18th of April, 1871.
While passing before a dwelling a wo-
man came out, muttering imprecations
on some one. she was so wrought up
by what she was thinking about that
she did not appear to see me. I walk
ed on behind her and heard her talk
ing to herself l don't remember her
words, but she was heaping maledic-
ti0ns upon the head OF her husband.
who had deserted her, leaving her 70
support and care for two little chill
dren These words / remember hear
ing her say:
Poor dear little Bob, sick and hun
cry and nothing to give him to eat but
dry bread when he needs daintiesl I'd
pike to kill"-
She turned into a baker shop and
asked for a loaf Of bread. offering 4
cents instead Of the full price, which
was The baker had evidently
granted similar requests.
When she came out ] spoke 10 her.
told her that had overheard her talk
ling to herself and what she had said.
she burst into tears and wrung her
hands / told her that It would give
me pleasure to supply her immediate
wants and handed her a bill quite suf
hcient for that purpose. Not only
were my sympathies enlisted for her.
but I was myself at the moment the
happiest man in the world.
AS she thanked me the moon shone
down full on her face. showing il to
me distinctly 1t was a face not soon
we would like to forget the sad sights
OF life. but we can't. It is much easier
to forget the happy ones.
A few months later the public be-
came interested in the trial of a WON
an accused OF having murdered her
husband. I read some accounts of the
trial, and certain features Of It seemed
familiar to me. Witnesses swore that
they had heard her say that she was
going to kill him if she hanged for it.
Where and when had I heard some
one say Il should like to kin Then
it came to me that IL was the woman
whom I had seen come out of a house
talking to herself. who had been de
serted by her husband. whose sick boy
needed dainty food and for whose i'm
mediate wants l had provided.
A thrill Of horror ran through me al
the thought that she had been infu
enced by her wrongs to do what she
had said she would like to do. I re
solved not 10 speak to any one Of my
having met such a woman lest 1 be
called to testify against her. Fol
awhile 1 kept away from the court
rooms. but something uncanny-s
strange curiosity-drew me there. anC
on the day of the summing up I yield
ed and went to the courtroom.
] had not been mistaken. The pris
oner's face was the same that 7 had
last seen on the street in the moonlight
though the sadness of it had giver
place to a sort of stupor.
The prosecutor was summing up s'
I entered the courtroom. heard hin
saw that he had proved that the wo
man had threatened to kill her hus
band: that at the hour of Q at night h'
had left friend to go TO his home. say
ing that he had received some none,
and was going to return with it to bis
wife. At ten minutes past 10 one II
the adjoining house had heard cry
had gone in and found the man mur
dered. the money gone. Later his wifi
had been found at a confectioner's witt
ten dollar bill buying delicscies
What could be palmer than that sh'
had in a mad desire for revenge kille'
him. taken the money and gone out ol
an ordinary errand to avert suspicion
] sprang from my seat among tn
spectators and cried out: "That womal
is innocent I know it. l can prov
At. Put me on the stand
There was a hubbub in the court
room. but when I took the witnes
stand and had been sworn all was 81
lence to hear what / would say. ] toll
how I had followed her to the bake
shop and had given her a ten dolla
bill. When asked how I remembere'
the date and the hour, even almos
O. -,innte. / gave the reasons ! bsv
siven in the beginning of this story
The woman was acquitted. What
did for her after that is for me an
my family and for no one else.
was curious to know how the hu'
band had met his death. It was yer
singular that he should have been /
his wife's room Just long enough
get murdered. II was long whil
before an explanation came. Then
man who had known him in distan
e.ate appeared and said that the d'
ceased had told him Of his desertio
and said he was too unhappy TO liv
and was going home 10 die. He proi
ably committed suicide. Why he III
so stin remains a secret, though fai
cy the mans mind was unhinged b
desperation.
QUARTER crRyTuRv