The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1915-07-21
BY JOHN Y. HARMED

| He made no reply until we were well
out in the open country. Then he said:
"Somehow feel like telling you the
story this morning. I've .llept it long,
but now it seems to wanttto me'out.
The young woman you aefer to was
little more than II kid when l was
coming on to middle age. She was In
lote with a youngstcr named Perkins.
little older than she was. but her
father wouldn't let her marry him.
Perkins went off somewhere. and
Salie-that's her name--1narried AMMAN
named Thorpe, who had just come
into some money. Sallie's father
thought he knew what was best for
his daughter and made'thc match. Sal
lie not being willing. for she loved
Perkins. Thorpe run through'the mon
ey he'd inherited-they said. he gam
bled it away-and it wasn'tflonG aft
erward that he lit out. leaving his
wife to get on the best way she could.
she heard nothing from him for two
or three years; then one day she saw
Il notice Of the death Of man Of the
same name in Il hospital in distant
city. 1t was too far away for her 10
20 and investigate the matter. and she
didn't have the money anyway. so she
wrote for q description of the man.
and the one given her'tallied with her
husband exactly.
"Another year passed and Perkins
came back one fine day, and learning
that Salie was a widow went to see
her. Perkins was a nice chap'and had
made some money. Sallic would have
| married him right away. but she felt
kind of uneasy about Thorpe. not be-
ing certain that he was dead. She
waited year. Perkins begging her to
marry him all the while; then she
gave in.
There was another man who had
wanted Sallie from the time she was
| seventeen years old. but he was then
double her age and had no show
against the youngsters"
THAT man." I interrupted, "is your
self"
He turned toward me. with u sur
prised look and asked how l knew
that. 1 made no reply, .and he contin-
ued:
"Sallie was very happy with her sec
ond husband for about two years; then
something happened | had always
lived near her, and she knew that
whenever she neededsany one to lean
on she could come to me- One night
about II o'clock there was a rap at
my door. put on some clothes. went
down and opened it, (There stood Sal
lie, white as n sheet and trembling all
over / begged her to tell me what
was the matter. but instead Of doing
so she clutched my wrist and led me
to the back yard Of her home. There
was a man lying there. but couldn't
see who he was. struck a match
and saw-Thorpe He'was dead.
ut was clear that Sal!!c had been
living With Perkins while she was an
other mans wife. l had to make up
my mind mighty quick wllatito do.
"'Bring me tablecloth or shawl
or something I said to SaIlie.
"She went into the house and came
back with big shawl. I wrapped it
around the body. then tool!it up in my
arms.
Don't say word to any one l
said, till see you again.
II carried the body to my own yard
and put it in an clubhouse white dug
grave; then l buried it six feet un-
dergrbund and put back the sod over
IT.
"And riskcd being hanged for MUIR
der?" I interrupted.
'"rhe next morning / watched for
Perkins to leave his house, then went
to Sallie and told her what l had done.
made her believe that all would be
well If she could keep the secret.
mentioned the risk Id taken. We've
neither Of us mentioned the matter
to the other or to any one else, and
no harm has ever come of it. It's not
been hard on me. but it was terrible
on Salle while Perkins lived
"When will you marry Sallie!"
asked.
81 marry Sallic! What makes you
think that?"
because Sallie will be the happier
when she has married you"
ado you really think she'd marry
me:''
'.I've no doubt of it,"
"What makes you think So?'
.'rhe look she gave you on parting"
We were pulling. up at the station.
When l alighted the engineer grasped
my hand and said:
II am much obliged for the pointer
you've given me-"