THE LETTER OF MY DEAD WIFE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 1478, 22 November 1872, Page 3

THE LETTER OF MY DEAD WIFE.

<J* I ' (.From London Society.)} My young wife died on the 9th of January £?n~' \^ wn * s b , lrth " to a: da «g^er, which followed her to the grave immediately after How I survived that period and that whirlwind.of grief it surprises me. I had won my wife against odds. I was poor and proud, and when taunted by her father with the words, "fortune hunter/' ltawore tbat I would earu an independence and then claim her I kept my word For five long years I aboured as on'y a man urged on to hi abour by one absorbing, passion can work, lor five long years I ; scarcely saw her, but when my long work, was ended we were married, and she made my life h appy in , eedt But soon 1 oh, how much too soon t came the great trouble, and Host her '• *' *» *.: * I resolved upon travel;, my medical man advised change of climato.ofiacene, of people and -of. -association ; mechanically I assented to Ins -.suggestion:, mechanically I took mv seat. one lovely summer's morning (the 19;h June) ma first-class- carriage en route for lar s, and .where afterwards I cared not I bribed tho guard to lock the door that I might indulge in. my own sad musings withoutfear. of intrusion, and- had wrapped myself up ia a fanciful seourity when, just as the train was about to- start, a small valise was pi.ched in through^- window, followed by a hat-box, and while we were ai-.tually in motion the.door w.s- unlocked, and a man jumping lightly over, the Inggnge which strewed the floor of the carriage, subsided into a seat exactly. opposite-mine-. Oue feels almost an. aversion toward a new comer in. a railway, oarriage. With what illwill the passenger, at a wayside station is receive.! by the oc upant» of a well-lighted well heated compartment, when the door opens to admifcthe rush, of a piercing wind, a dash of ,rain, and probably a damp body. I was almost sa.vage with, the faithless official, and t disgusted with: the intruder. I felt irritated to a degree that I could scarcely account for ; and, rolling myself into a corner, I gazed steadfastly ouii into the country, as though an agent for a telegraph coinpuny employed to count fch) poles. The stranger, coolJy collecting his luggage and divesting himself of a courier bag which hungacrosshis shoulder, proceeded, with the' nonchalance, of a. Queen's messenger, to prepare to smoke ; : and, having el cted a cigar, and bitingLoff, the-aud, languidly observed. " No objections to smoking ¥* : "This- is not, a smoking, carriage," I raY plied. • ' " JSsally. ?>' " I^obrject !"• "Really." ■ There -was,* cool itnpert&ience in the tone thafc.roußcdi nay anger, aad I turned round and^azed:a£!him. He was- a well built, hand-, s 'in© man, apparently aUont five-and-ohirty. Iliseye3 w^re small and. glittering astho?eof rafc. His.n3oustach : vsay bushy, acdYcarei fully pointed. He was dressed iv a gray ;Vfcweed:trs.ifelling suit ?, his g'oves w-ere. yellow, nnd in oue hands lie held a very handI some Russian ltathan- cigar case, with „the. the iiiilialS-C. B. eugrav,ea thereon, is.the.other the unlighted cigar aud fuzee. • "Yanr objection shall not affect .my re-isalvje-:m the least,, and I shall smoke..'' | Q f say ing, he JSg'aed his right foot, .laid it delicately across. bis left knee,_and adjusting the-'Juzee, rubh-ys it deliberately' against the Idrcfleather o£ the sole. The,. com bus ible ;paztion of tha match fell ollv I M Confound ifc, the only ona T had ; I must j^tait till we get to Canterbury."I was so eager for a cor*te§fc with this man bhat this was a source of intense disappointment. If 1 had had alight, about m indeed /I should have presented! it to him, for, bhe purpose ci bringing the ejuestion to an issue. ' ' I imagine if yoiv tried you would find one, sir,"' I sneered. " Cau you give ms. ; a light ?" he askc4 v I cannot." . " Wait till we get to Canterbury, and I'll smoke you dry aa. an Egyptian mummy. I shall." This closed our conversation. leaned back into the-cprner of the carriage,, an unaccountable hatred against thia.~m.in envenoming every thought. I did not stay to reason wiih. myself. 1 did not. ask, Is this trifle of lighting a cigar worth, 30 much of bad ana bitter emotion? I did, not admit a ray o£ hope that, ere we reached; Canterbury, the vsngeful feeling should gass away. No ; I lodged, with the craving of. a gambler, for the- qjpmenfc when the gapie was to be renewed;, and no pilgrim ev;er- desired to gaze ugonthe green stone at. Mecca with a greater iajsver than I did to behold the spires of the igcatid old cathedral. The shadow was upon Jme. The black cloud; was looming overhead. ' Onwards dashed and shrieked the train, ' through the meadjxwa laden with the perfume of the summer dew ; past rivulets sparkling in the golden sunlight* by villages, towards which, by-and-by, the mowers would wead their joyous way when the sun would be red in the west. Everything looked bright and beautiful, yet I could not share the brightness or the beauty, for grief and rage were wardng in my breast, and my Jheart, which an hour before had been steeped in tears, was now bathing in the glow of anger. Onwards dashed the train. For a moment I was myself again; we were approaching the village of D , where I first met her who was lost to me for ever. I looked up, my companion was engaged in reading a Utter — an ordinary looking letter, written upon pink note paper. Suddenly my attention became rivetted closer —closer — every nerve in my body began to tingle, my heart gave one mighty bound, for the handwriting was that.of my deadjwife. An icy sickness crept over me. The small portion I could read showed roe words that should be explained, words of, to me, unfathomable mystery. I felt as if I should I swoon; my brain began to throb; and for ft

moment I was almost-; insensible. Then in a I said 6tar «ed from. it» very hollownees, "When did you receive that letter? " ! read?ng o o°f k it d UP * Smiled > aad resUQ ~ed his " When did y#u receive that letter?" « Excuse me if I refuse to comply with your request." r * "You must ttll me; " "You're a cool hand; 'pon mr soul 1 " he exclaimed. " I beg of you to answer my questie» " " I don't understand it.! _ "My question is V-aud I was as cool as ice, though my brain was on. fire— "when did you recelva the letter you.nre now eneaeei fa reading." ft "What if I refuse to answer your question, winch I consider grossly impertinent?" he replied, angrfcy. " You must tell me. Yon must give it to m «V a haTe no ri £ bt t0 i« ' I shouted lou are either mad or drunk, bufc whichever it is, you. shall neither know when I received UUs loiter, nor shall you become possessor of it. aUong as,l can control my tongue or mak;e use of my arms." lie was p,rep*ring_ to replace it in his peckefc. Mmo it should- be. Without * moment's hesitation I; made a snatch at it, fie was too quick for ine r but in throwing back his hand to avoid my. gra»p, his fingers relaxed their hold-, and the letter flew out of the open window. We were, travelling, ati the ?ate of forty miles an hour.. Housesj.trees, hedges, and telegraph post flashed past. The lette* musk be. mine. It maat be regained. Houses, trees, hedges, and telegraph posts fashed,, past. Tho one absorbing idea rushed Armagh toy mind; I did not hesitate the tenth part of a second. Houses, tree', hedges,. and telegraph-posts flashed p>st. I threw open the door., and. stood upon the step. Houses, trees, hedges, aud telegraph-posts unshod past. My companion seized my arm. Houses, trees, hedges, and telegraph-posts flashed past.. I sprang, forward. " Gto.d save mcl" Ijsaid. A horrible crash! ; A. million of lights! * .... *-. * * (To be continued.}