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Newspaper Page Text
ptvfmPtmapppPPV u CONFESSIONS OF A WIFE A BATTLE BETWEEN CURIOSITY AND HONOR "Yes, little book, I know it has been weeks since I last talked to you, but I have not been living most of the time. I have only been conscious of one prayer "Oh. God, please do not let me think!" Yesterday, how ever, I came to the conclusion that perhaps the load would be a little lighter if I talked to you about it. The next day after the party I told you of, Mollie's invitations went out and for the following two weeks it was just one round of gaiety, and much to Dick's disgust, he had to go with me almost every night to one party after another. Eleanor Fairlow was not at any of the festivities of the last week, and I made up my mind I would not think of her any more, and things went on beautifully until the day of Mollie's wedding. She had elected to be mar ried on Saturday night an evening wedding. The night before Dick had been out of town, and as he, as usual, did not write to me I got very ner vous toward evening for fear he was not coming home in time to give his sister away in marriage. I had tele phoned to the office earlier in the day and they had told me "Mr. Waverly is out of town, but we expect him late in the afternoon." About 4 o'clock I became so ner vous that I put on my hat and coat and, taking the car, drove down town. There was no one in Dick's private office and as the boy left me there and said he would see when Mr. Waverly would be back I looked about hurriedly and was just about to sit down quietly when my eye fell upon a large, square, white envelope, addressed with a dashing hand, on his desk. , Something clutched my heart with a grip of ice. For a few minutes I gazed on it fascinated, as one is said to be by the gaze of a snake, and then seemingly without volition I slowly walked, with lagging steps, over to where that seemingly inno cent white square of paper with its dashing superscription declared it self: "For Richard Waverly, Esq., The Selwin Book Co., Town." It was Eleanor Fairlow's hand writing, I decided, as I held the en velope in my hand. What had Eleanor Fairlow to say to my husband that was so private she must send it to his office instead of to his apartment? Then, all at once, a revulsion of feeling came over me. I dropped the letter as though it had been a coal of fire. I had never opened a letter that did not belong to me in my life. I considered it one of the most dis honorable of acts. But I was certain the contents of that letter would tell me all I wanted to know. It would tell me if I had any grounds for jealousy against Ele anor Fairlow or it would forever set my suspicions at rest "It is your right to know what she writes to him" my curiosity prompt ed. I looked about for Dick's letter opener,. then I thought I heard some one coming and dropped the en velope on the desk and huried to the window and stood with my back to the door. I could not, at that moment, let any one see my face. It would tell too much. The footsteps passed and after my heart had become quieter, when its furious beating had stopped choking me, I once more turned to the desk. "I will open that letter" I thought "Dick has always opened my letters as though they were his own. Why should I not do the same by his?". And then I remembered how furious it always made me when Dick open ed one of my letters how I had told him that I considered it one of the .-. . 4fa2fs-jm SVJtfSSfS&9