The Prescott daily news., 1913-06-03
AFTER SOUL WENT OUT
By EARL MARBLE.
Suddenly all was still.

tne tnln, yearning face on the pillow, and peace took the place of pain.
 The end of life of conjugal mis- mating had come at last.
 Can you not forgive me all the wrong you have suffered at my hands before you go?" he had asked.
 "1f you have ever wronged me, Henry" she said, q forgive you, as I hope to be forgiven"
 If I have ever wronged you" he echoed q certainly have, and it is so noble of you to say those words"
 But I have need to be forgiven also" she had said. You will not refuse?"
 There is nothing to forgive, Mary" he had said. But if there were any thing for me to forgive in you, 1t Is given freely. I am only sorry it is said now, at the close of our lives to- gether, instead of at the beginning"
 The woman had caught her breath feebly, and all was over.
 Father" said the young man, the evening of the day after they had re- turned from the funeral "why did you and mother always treat each other so coldly?"
 Because there was no love be- tween us. Let's take a walk down the road and I will tell you about it. The trouble began from the very begin ming of our married life-in fact. be- fore our marriage"
 They had walked till they reached the edge of little wood by this time.
 T had presumed to think that I might make your mother my wife, but, had little prospect of success A young man came into the neighbor- hood from Chicago He was sum- mer boarder at a neighboring farm house. His name was Hubbard-Sid- ney Hubbard. He met your mother, and she fell in love with him at once. None of us had any chance then. Practically, we all gave 1t up. But one evening, toward the close of the season. I was passing the house where he boarded and was astonlshed to see him in earnest talk with a girl whom I had never seen before. They were standing at the open window and he had an arm around her I watched them moment, and as 1 turned to go, came face to face with your moth CT. We heard him use endearing terms to her. saw him kiss her, and then heard him promise to go with her at once. took your mother home and left her almost completely prostrated She did not say a word of what she had seen to any one. She was very proud and high spirited. The young man and young woman dsap. peared that night; and. as soon as your mother had recovered sufficient ly, renewed my suit and she accept. ed me. on condition that I should take her away from the neighborhood.
 Your mother never returned to the old place. her family having removed also a short time afterward. They had lived there but a short time and had no intimates, so none of them ever heard from the neighborhood again. went out there to settle up some of my affairs, and heard that Hubbard had been there, learned the story. and inquired my address. few weeks afterward, l went out dur ing the late afternoon, for walk, as we are doing now, and met him right here He accused me of treachery to him. and said that the lady whom we had seen him in company with was his sister. who had come after him to aid her in untargling some proper ty matter. which required their imme- diate attention. One word led to an other and finally he struck me l re- turned the blow with interest, and he fell striking that rock there," point ing to A large rock by the roadside. after which he never stirred. l had killed him. but had not intended to do so. I dug a grave over there, point ing to a mound so slight as not to be noticeable. "and buried him."
 "Did mother ever knowf"
 No, my boy"
 Did any one else?"
 "No."
 "Rut that is why you and mother were always estranged from each other?"
 "Yes."
 "Oh, we'll. cheer up. father. It was not so bad-the killing, l mean. You did the only thing you could do. The arrangement was terrible. It might have been better if you had told mother"
 Tt would not-under the circum- stances"
 Well don't dwell on it now. We vill go home now. and make the best