The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-06-30
@well," said Addenbrooke, slowly,

AuQSIOiOOhG 1l1u uGhGl DcGA d Oily
man; lie was only very modest, and he
had not accustomed his friends to take
an interest in his affairs.
Fleming opened his eyesfull and stared
his friend in the face. There was always
something startling in his appearance
under these circumstances; perhaps be-
cause his eyes were SO rarely shown
perhaps because of some quality in the
eyes themselves. They were curiously
bright and very brown-not q black
manque, but beautiful, unusual brown.
Looking at them, it was easier to real
ize the power. such as it was. which
Lawrence Fleming possessed over his
fellow creatures.
"Addenbrooke, he said, leaning for
ward and speaking with sudden in
tensity, "as you value your peace of
mind, have nothing to do with women"
He flung himself back, laughing lit
tie, and letting fall his eyelids. In few
minutes he burst into a fierce TRADE
against the whole female sex, taking Ad-
! denbrooke's announcement merely as a
text.
Even Johnny was disappointed at this
lack of interest on the part of his friend,
but remembered having heard that Law
renee had been hard hit before he went
to Africa-that nothing less, indeed, than
broken heart had sent him forth to
those distant shores.
Then, before Addenbrooke knew what
was happening, Fleming plunged into
the very heart of his own particular
grievance.
at was last year." he said, sat coun-
try house. 1t began from the moment
she came into the room. Idon't pretend
that she was the first; but it was differ
ent, somehow. am not even sure that
she was good looking, but there was
something about her-if you cared at all
well, you cared! She stayed a week,
and at the end of the time 1 told her,
more or less directly, that loved her. l
was to see her the next day in London.
The next day, as it happened, was pre-
vented by my mothers serious illness.
wrote and told her this, begging her to
fix day for my visit. She made no
reply, and four days later called at the
house to be told she was out of town
The next day accepted the offer of The
Waterloo Place Gazette, and went out to
Africa. I'm sure l don't know why |
cared. She wasn't worth it; she had
given me every encouragement-had
even allowed me to kiss her. l suppose
there was richer fellow on hand. or one
whose father didn't happen to keep
shopp'
Fleming rose, struggling his shoulders.
Addenbrooke remained silent. The voice
of Mrs. Baxter, announcing that til
portmanteau was in Lawrences room,
came as a relief to both.
f'By the by" said Johnny, in a low
voice, as the other felt for his keys, ''all
this took place at the Meades' in War
wickshire, from March the 2Sth ON
wards?'
oh" answered Lawrence, with some
vexation, pausing ON his way to the door,
81 suppose you know all about it like the
rest of the worldv' And he went from
the room.
Addenbrooke remained behind, pacing
the ridiculous, homogeneous apartment.
while an UNIV onted storm of emotion
ragged within him.
The parts of the puzzle lay, fitted to-
gether, in his hand; it only remained for
him to step forward and proclaim the
solution of a most commonplace enigma.
An inefficient postman, a careless house
maid-on some such undignified trife
had the whole complication hung, like
many another complication before it.
No doubt, sooner or later. the missing
clew would come to light, when he him
self had made its discovery Of no import
ance whatever
Had he been of a melodramatic turn
of mind, Addenbrooke might have laugh
ed aloud at the irony of the situation.
His own dream was shattered forever;
but of that for the moment he scarcely
thought.
What he saw most clearly was this:
that, by his own act, he must make
Lydia over into the hands of a man IN
worthy of her-unlikely to make her
happy; to think of whom in connection
with her seemed contamination.
But the man whom Lydia loved
withal!
There was the sting, the shock. that
for the moment took away his breath,
and made him pause, pale, motionless,
in his walk.
Then suddenly, before the modest and
uncritical mind of Addenbrooke flashed
in vivid colors the image of two men
of himself and his friend.
He saw Lawrence Fleming with his
snowy, unreliable cleverness, his mora,
coarseness; the man stood before him re-
vealed in all his second rateness.
And he saw himself. John Alden
brooke, as ne had always been, IN the
dignity of his irreproachful ife-of his
honest, patient labor.
He looked on this picture and on that,
and knew each for what it was worth
Then ensued in the peaceful breast of
Addenbrooke terrible war of thoughts
and emoUons.
Life, which had hitherto been simple
matter enough, mere case of doing
your duty and minding your own bust
ness. had assumed complexion of cruel
difficulty.
And yet he knew that the more OBJ
vious aspect of the matter was not
complicated one.
Lydia no more belonged to him than