Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-06-19
II FOLDING A
Adele Garrison's
New Phase off,.
REVELATIONS
OFA WIFE
What Happened When the Little Trunk
Was Opened

For long moment / stood notion
less watching my fathers tense figure
clasping the little trunk in his arms. bis
face bent toward it. Then l went up TO
him again and put my own hands over his
as they held it.
"Shall we open it now" l asked quiet
iy.
He started. and trembled as almost
would a child who had been struck. Then
as if bringing himself by mighty effort
from some distant place where his soul
had wandered, he put the little trunk
upon the table and turned to me with the
resumption Of the poise which had com
pletely deserted him at the first sight
of the memory haunted thing.
Il must crave your pardon dear, ne
said with the dignity which always IN
vests him. II completely lost control OF
myself for a moment or two. mad the
feeling almost as if as if
His voice trailed off into silence. Over
his face crept again the rapt look nah
seen when he first took the trunk into
his arms. / spoke again as much to still
my own nerves, quivering with the per-
ception of the elusive uncamy emotion
which was swaying him, as to recall MIN
to conciousness.
The Top Layer
II know. father" / said softly.
He brought his eyes back to my face,
let them rest there.
DO YOU feel it to-" His voice was
whisper ..,
/ brought myself back to sanity with
a Jerk. | didn't know to what lengths
this obsession of my fathers might car
ry him, and felt the necessity of IN
iecting touch of commonplace into
the situation. ..
curt air. "Where is the key for this
| asked the question of myself, then
answered it as quickly. 'Oh yes, l re-
member now
| went to my desk, and from draw
er took a small key ring, holding only
the keys to the things which / don't
need to open often. From it | selected
an old BRASS key and put IT INTO my
fathers outstretched hand. His fingers
trembled perceptibly as he took it, ana
it was with a revercnt air that he IN
serted in the lock, turned it and threw
the top of the little trunk back.
| knew, of course, what would meet
our Cycs-packages and packages OF
letters, closely tied together SO as &c
occupy the least possible space. There
were other things IN the bottom of the
trunk, mementoeS of my mother more
~ ecious than letters, the inlaid lock box
which had been my grandmother and
which, with it's contents, | meant TO
show NV father when we should come TO
il, but the packages of letters composed
the entire top layer.
They were the letters my father and
mother had written each other - 1.e
days before their marriage and IN the
early years of their marital life. Why
nv mother had kept them after the
tragedy which ended happiness for her
never could fathom. | fear that |
shorld have burned every scrap of
writing, everything which brought back
to memory the thing that had hap
pencd.
As She Left Them.
But kept them she had, and the turn
ing of Fate's wheel had brought them
back to the husband who had caused
that tragedy. when the wife who had
been its innocent victim had long been
dust.
| had never read them. l had never
even united the knots which my little
mothers frail hands had fashioned in
the strings which held them together. In
the old days before my father came
back into my life / had hated him so
savagely that l could not bear to look
at them. And since I had learned to
forgive him and to love him / had felt
someway that they were not for my
eyes until after my father had had an
to read them over and Sc
lect the ones he wished to give me.
My father put out his hands and |
picked up one of the bundles reverent
ly.
'gThese cannot be" he began--then |
sharply, May l unite them 2"
Everything in here is yours. father, |
dear, to do with as you like | re
turned.
He took off the strings separated the I
letters. and stared at the chirography |
Of the addresses. Then he spoke won
ieringly:
And she kept them through it ALL
MADGE DID WHEN
HER FATHER READ THE LAST |
IETTCQD