The Mayor's Wife

re. As I did so I heard something like a snarl over my shoulder, and, turning, saw

his old form trembling almos

her own room and laid her on a lounge. I have had some training as a nurse and, perceiving that Mrs. Packard had simply fainted, I

other in a frightened and fussy way that exasperated me almost beyond endurance. “She

out these signs of life to my uneasy companion and hinted very broadly that the fewer people Mrs. Packard found about her on coming to herself, the better she would be pleased. His aspect grew quite ferocious at this, and for a moment I

eeing me and me only standing before her, she fell wearily bac

— or know. I must be by myself; I must

. Leaning over her, with the natural sympathy her

re is only one person in the

. Packard

Mad

t I saw him l

r body shaking with ir

Mayor Packard has

e sank back satisfied, but s

he comes in, tell him what will keep him from looking in or speaking to me. Pr

sure. “Don’t you wish some assistance from me? Your dress — I tried to

is, I will d

he was too eager to have me go to remember this, and recognizing the undesirabilit

was more tha

yet when quite alone.” Then suddenly:

yself. The girls

im to go. You, I know, will remember only lon

ook, which for a moment disturbed the melancholy of her la

nd then a suspicious glance behind him. “It is not as trivial as it appears. That laugh was tragedy to her, not comedy.” And when I paus

upon its source. The butler denied having even heard it. Was this to be believed? Did not this very denial prove that it was he and no other who had thus shocked the proprieties of this orderly household? It certainly seemed so; yet where all was

ished that fate would give me another opportunity for seeing that gen

nd I heard the secretary’s voice in reply. A minute after he appeared at the foot of the stairs. His aspe

is hesitation, I ran s

for Mrs. Pack

ked re

r is unavoidably detained and

his overcoat, I risked all on one venture

down-stairs a few minutes ago? Mrs. Packard f

on his coat, he met my look

hing,” he remarked; “ce

heard thi

manner was perfectly co

orking up the mayor’s next speech.” And with a smile and bow in every way su

th, or neither? Impossible to determine. As I try never to waste gray matter, I resolve

of an entirely different natu

f my ever watchful neighbors had retired. Their window was dark, but I observed what was of much more vital interest to me at that moment. It was that I was not the only one awake and stirring in our house. The light fro

me to take up)— my next, to put out my own light and seat myself at the post of observation thus afforded me. The excuse I gave myself f

ale wall before me, and saw enough in one half-hour to convince me that something very vigorous and

h

took her from one end of the room to the other; but after watching her shadow for an hour I was no surer than at first as to what that occupation was. It was a

s and emptying boxes — in other

the faint sound of a door opening below, followed by the swish of silken skirts.

scovery that the steps I heard were coming up rather than going down, and that in another moment she would be

d I but locked my door! Could I but lock it now, unseen and unheard before the nearing step should pause! But the very attempt were folly; no, I must stand my ground and — Ah! the step has paused, but not at my door. There is a third one on this hall, communicating, as I knew, with a covered stairc

umstances, I blew out the match and stood listening while the woman who was such a mystery to all her friends moved a

ecision. “That is a trunk she is dragging forward. What a hurry

ion I distinguished the flinging down of article after article on to th

id falling and then, after a minute or two of complete silence

past

e. She had not even removed the jewels from her neck. Whatever had occupied her, whatever had taken her hither and thither through the house, moving furniture out of her way, lifting heavy boxes, opening dust-covered trunks, had been of such moment to her as to make her entirely oblivious of the rich and delicate apparel she thus wantonly sacrificed. But it was not this alone which attracted my attention. In her hand she held a paper, and th

till daybreak. He found me wai

e eagerly

h the house shortly after her return, gave her a nervous shock

up his overcoat, and

uld have laughed like that? We

er Mr. Steele or Nixon, the butler, but each denied

will throw myself on a lounge. I have but an hour or two before me, as I have my preparations to make for