The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1914-11-10

'&S&&A"s
She Tried to Imagine That Letter,
Coming to Her-Then. Thirty
Years Agol
been certain, Judith, of your heart
Sometimes l have thought you loved
meme only-as l love you. Last
night when I saw you wearing my
cape jessamines at the ball, | was
almost sure of it. But when you made
me promise, whatever happened, not
to lift my hand against him, then
doubted Was it because you feared
for him? Would to God at this moment
l knew this was not true! For what.
ever the fact, l must love you, dar.
ling, you and no other, as long as
live!"
When she had read thus far, she
closed the letter, and pressing hand
against her heart as If to still its
throbbing, locked the written pages
in a drawer of her bureau. She went
downstairs and made Ranston br'r"
her chair to its accustomed place un-
der the rose-arbor, and sat there
through the falling twilight.
She and Shirley talked but little at
dinner, and what she said seemed to
come winging from old memories-her
own girlhood, its routes and picnics
and harum-scarum pleasures. And
there were long gaps in which she
sat silent. playing with her napkin,
the light color coming and going in
her delicate cheek, lost In revery. 1t
was not till the hall-clock struck her
usual hour that she rose to go to her
room.
Don't send Emmaline," she said.
ri shan't want her" She kissed Shir-
ley good night. Maybe after while
you will sing for me; you haven't
played your harp for ever SO long.
In the subdued candle-light Mrs.
cambridge locked the door of her
room. She opened a closet, and from
the very bottom Of small haircloth
trunk, lifted and shook out from its
many tissue wrappings faded gown
of rose-colored silk, with pointed bod
Ice and old-fashioned puffsleeves. She
spread this on the bed and laid with 1t
q pair of yellowed satin slippers and
little straw basket that held spray
Of what had once been cape jessa-
mine.
In the Pickering light she undressed
and rearranged her hair, catching its
silvery curling meshes in low soft
coil Looking almost furtively about
her, she put on the rose-colored gown,
and pinned the withered flower-spray
on it's breast. She lighted more
candles-in the wallbrackets and on
the dressing-table-and the reading
lamp on the desk Standing before
her mirror then, she gazed long at the
refiection-the poor faded rose-tint
against the pale ivory of her slender
neck, and the white hair. A little
CULVER ran over her lips.
Whatever the fact she whispered,
I" you and no other as long
as live"
She unlocked the bureau-drawer
then, took out the letter, and seating
herself by the table, read the remain
der:
II write this in the old library and
Bristow holds my horse by the porch.
He will give you this letter when
am gone.
Last night we were dancing-aH
Of us-at the ball. can scarcely be-
lieve it was less than twelve hours
ago! The calendar on my desk has
motto for each leaf. Today's is this:
Every man carries his fate on a rib
and about his neck Last night
would have smiled at that, perhaps;
today I say to myself, It's true-it's
true!' Two little hours ago / could
have sworn that whatever happened
to me Sassoon would suffer no harm.
Judith, could not avoid the meet
Ing. You will know the circum-
stances, and will see that 1t was forced
upon me. But though we met on the
field, kept my promise. Sassoon did
not fall by my hand"
She had begun to tremble SO that
the paper shook in her hands. and
from her breast, shattered by her
quick breathing, the brown jessamine
petals busted down in her lap. 1t was
some moments before she could calu
herself sufficiently to read on.
HE fired at the signal and the shot
went wide I threw my pistol on the
ground Then-whether maddened by
my refusal to fire, l cannot tell-he
turned his weapon all at once and shot
himself through the breast. 1t was
over in an instant. The seconds did
not guess-do not even now, for 1t
happened but an hour ago. As the
code DEGREES, their backs were turned
when the shots were fired. But there
were circumstances I cannot touch
upon to you which made them disap-
prove-which made my facing him
Just then seem unchivalrous. l saw
it in Bristow's face, and liked him the
better for it, even while it touched
my pride. They could not know, OF
course, that I did not intend to fire.
Well, you and they will know it now!
And Bristow has my pistol; he will
find it undischarged = thank God,
thank God!
But will that matter to you? Il