Rocky Mountain husbandman. [volume] (Diamond City, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1879-11-06

L "eH' SAtlSSiy CoilSCtOuS lIIut TIC lOOh tIlC
letter from my hand.
Look at me,'' he said. CT thought you
a pure, innocent child, whose heart was an
open page before me. Who is this man that
he should write such words to my wife?
Coward? Curl"
"He is NEITHER" [ answered, stung to ac-
ton by the words. lie is the man l love.'
"What. then, am II"
"The man I hate,''.I answered, reckless
ly, and buried my face once more in the
pillows.
When | raised it l was alone.
did not see my husband until evening.
Then he entered my room.
had had time in al! these hours for re-
pentence, and, springing up to meet him,
would have thrown myself in his ar ms, with
my prayer tor forgiveness, but he held me
from him and spoke gravely and sternly.
II have been thinking since l left you,
Annie, what was best to do. If we separate
now it will only give the world cause for
scandal. [ want to propose that welive out
our live together in the eyes of the world,
though | promise not to enforce a husbands
claim upon you. Will you accede to my pro-
posal?"
NO, no, Philip!" I cried 81 will be
your wife. In time l will forget tin time
I will learn to love you. Forgive me, and
accept me back %
"To forgive is easier than to forget" he
answered. THE gift you offer is value
less-a flower without its fragrance, a bird
without its song. Heaven help the husband
whose wife offers him duty, when in her
heart he thought was written love.
With these words he had turned and left
me.
My husband faithfully kept his word. We
c~urtailed our wedding tour. 1t seemed too
bitter a mockery to go from place to place,
both carrying this secret in our breasts, and
l was glad to get back to London.
Invitations poured in upon us. In draw
ing or ballroom, my husband was ever
} courteous and attentive but as we drove
3 to or from some entertainment each would
| lean silently back in one corner Of the car.
I riage, nor break the stiffness by the. word.
/ did not see Vane in these months. Oh
course I loved him still, in spite Of the cruel
fate that had separated us. The first doubt
which crossed mind on this score, came one
day as | sat at at the bead of my W table
We had some few guests to dinner, wher
I | caught these words, spoken by my hus
band:
"The man who tells a woman that h,
loved her, yet does not ask her then ant
there to become his wife, offers her an in
I sult.'
e My cheeks dyed crimson. He knew moth
ing, yet it was as though he had laid m.
heart bare. Oh. how glad [ was to sa,
goodnight, and fly to my own room.
= A fortnight later | vent to a ball, given il
: my honor. For the first time since my maj
, riage, | wore my wedding dress. The pie
ture the glass reflected was very fair. So
told myself, without a single pulse of vanity
: as | turned away from it and ran down til
: stairs to meet my husband. His face gre,
deathly white as lie saw me.
: / knew not why, but this caused me
quick pang of pain, AS | sat alone in a quie
corner of the gay scene, a little later, watcl
II ing him as his eye searched the room, pc
: haps looking for me, and | realized some
: thing of the innate nobility Of the ma
whose heart | had SO ruthlessly trample
upon.
A voice aroused me-a voice whose no,
eyed accents had often fallen on my ear wit
the same tenderness they now breathel
though he now spoke to another.
y The window in which | sat concealed n
10 from view. / could see the false, handson
10 face, with the girls trustingly npturned.
y "No," he was saying, and | never love