large/9571/shortstoryvol059_1411_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory059_17_firsthate_64kb_108
large/9571/shortstoryvol059_1411_librivox_64kb_mp3/shortstory059_17_firsthate_64kb
English
9571
"Otherwise you might have murdered him instead?" said Baynes, the second listener. "I did," said Ericssen grimly. "But without knowing he was the man." He sipped his whisky and relit his pipe. The others waited. "Our marriage took place two months later—just after Hazel's disappearance." "Hazel?" OTHERWISE YOU MIGHT HAVE MURDERED HIM INSTEAD SAID BAINES THE SECOND LISTENER I DID SAID ERICSSON GRIMLY BUT WITHOUT KNOWING HE WAS THE MAN HE SIPPED HIS WHISKEY AND RELIT HIS PIPE THE OTHERS WAITED OUR MARRIAGE TOOK PLACE TWO MONTHS LATER JUST AFTER HAZEL'S DISAPPEARANCE HAZEL
 the pair were devoted to one another, there was no known rival on either side; yet the courtship continued without coming to its expected conclusion. Many stories were afloat in consequence. It was a social mystery that intrigued the gossips. “I may tell you two,” Ericssen continued, “the reason my wife refused for so long to marry me. It is hard to believe, perhaps, but it is true. Another man wished to make her his wife, and she would not consent to marry me until that other man was dead. Quixotic, absurd, unreasonable? If you like. I’ll tell you what she said.” He looked up with a significant expression in his face which proved that he, at least, did not now judge her reason foolish. “‘Because it would be murder,’ she told me. ‘Another man who wants to marry me would kill you.’” “She had some proof for the assertion, no doubt?” suggested Lawson. “None whatever,” was the reply. “Merely her woman’s instinct. Moreover, I did not know who the other man was, nor would she ever tell me.” TO HIS MARRIAGE NO ENGAGEMENT HAD BEEN ANNOUNCED THE PAIR WERE DEVOTED TO ONE ANOTHER THERE WAS NO KNOWN RIVAL ON EITHER SIDE YET THE COURTSHIP CONTINUED WITHOUT COMING TO ITS EXPECTED CONCLUSION MANY STORIES WERE AFLOAT IN CONSEQUENCE IT WAS THE SOCIAL MYSTERY THAT INTRIGUED THE GOSSIP I MAY TELL YOU TO ERICSSON CONTINUED THE REASON MY WIFE REFUSED FOR SO LONG TO MARRY ME IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE PERHAPS BUT IT IS TRUE ANOTHER MAN WISHED TO MAKE HER HIS WIFE AND SHE WOULD NOT CONSENT TO MARRY ME UNTIL THAT OTHER MAN WAS DEAD QUIXOTIC ABSURD UNREASONABLE IF YOU LIKE I'LL TELL YOU WHAT SHE SAID HE LOOKED UP WITH A SIGNIFICANT EXPRESSION IN HIS FACE WHICH PROVED THAT HE AT LEAST DID NOT NOW JUDGE HER REASON FOOLISH BECAUSE IT WOULD BE MURDER SHE TOLD ME ANOTHER MAN WHO WANTS TO MARRY ME WOULD KILL YOU SHE HAD SOME PROOF FOR THE ASSERTION NO DOUBT SUGGESTED LARSAN NONE WHATSOEVER WAS THE REPLY MERELY HER WOMAN'S INSTINCT MOREOVER I DID NOT KNOW WHO THE OTHER MAN WAS NOR WOULD SHE EVER TELL ME
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