Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1921-10-31

anu l QlueQ alone with my niece. ALI.
er dinner I went into the library and
began smoking, but my thoughts
were all disturbed and t was suffer-
ing agony Of mind. 1t was g. beauti-
full night, with a bright noon and I
wen. out at the library window.
I walked out and went under the
trees along the ~shrubbery path. and
when I came nearly to where the path
goes off to the Summer-house I smelt
tobacco smoke. l should not have
wondered 81 much If 1t had been pipe
tobacco smoke such as any of the
men about the place smoke, but it
make me wonder.
It seemed to be coming from the
Summer-house. SC I went down the
path, keeping to the shaded side. and
kept along on the grass, going as
quietly as I could till I came to the
side of the house, and then I pushed
the bushes aside a little and looked
in at the window.
There was Wharf. sitting perfectly
at his ease, smoking a cigarette.
7 don't know what I did then-at
least, I do know what I did. but it
did not feel like myself doing 1t. 7
did it all in an unconscious kind Of
way. And yet I remembered quite
we'll doing it.
] drew back from the window very
cautiously. so that he should not hear
me. and went back along the path
as before. keeping to the shaded side.
Then I went back to the house. I
had not a hesitation or a doubt about
what I was going to do. I do not
know what had taken possession Of
me, but41 had on'v one idea in my
mind, and no question abou t the
right or the wrong Of it ever occurred
to me at ALL was going back to the
house to get something to kill Wharf.
1t never occurred to me. somehow.
that it was not the right thing to do.
was going to do il + went to the
drawer in the old oak bureau where
my hunting knives are kent and took
out a small Norwegian sheath knife
and put 1t in it's sheath in nv pocket
And so I went out to kill Wharf.
I don't want to Justify myself A,
a'l-of course, I was beside myself
and I did not reason-but I should
just like here to ask nyone who
reads this to stop a moment and
think what this mar mad done to me
He bad been a guest in my house and
he led my young wife He haf
done a great deal more than that. be.
! cause he had got such an influence
= over her that she could not, I believe
help herself. HA was. in my mind
like a bad demon that a got pos.
session Of her. Then he had sworn
most solemnlv. like a coward and like
"a. liar. that he would not sea her am
would not hold n communication
with her agair. And after swearins
that he can,e down the very next day
to meet her aeain. 81
Il I was quite sure that he had COM
to meet her. OF course. I did no,
!, know that. but what erae could he b,
sitting in the Summer-horse there fol
!, except to geo her? And e an, then sh-
must have lied to me and must haw'
broken or baen meaning tn hrcok hi
promise to me. too. ] meant to ash
him. I meant to give him the chanc,
Of explaining IN sore other wav wha
}; he was diving thare it I coyIld. But :
would have anv expIaration. And
r chsnce-I had no idea IT fiehting
r duel with him or meeting him ol
equal terms or ANYTHING Of that kind
I simplv meant to kill him-that wa
all, and II seemed to me the RICH
. thdng to do.
SO ] went out OF the house again
with the knife in my pocket. an
when 7 came to that corner wher
the path from the house Joins in Will
, the main nath there 7 hanrenAi tt
, look back. to the let. I think It wa
; quite nv chance that ! hammered Il
look hack. I wae rrrite a,,rn that 4
was to moot NV wifn that Wharf ha.
sor,e ~ tho horae hut 7. mn
; Thinking about noAhinS nvraD that.
was Eoine ~ ktn him opN T. MAJ move