New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-15

lou tHab III TINS matter defeat VIII be blttprer
IMAM death. II will be hard TO bear-such blow
from such a friend. from my friend, too who is
armed so much better than that have no chance
against him"
Z" I can't help it. Davis Whelan said but he
spoke with less energy " / can't help IT, | am
sorry II Is so. | wish were better matched
OF IL as you seem to think. You have your ad-
Vantages, too; you are very clever"
lie was very clever indeed, for not only had he
known what line to take and how TO work it
effectively but he knew exactly when to stop
lie heard conjunction in his friends voice. he
kept silence for some time to let It work fully
To do him justice. however, the cieverneSs
instructive, not calculated; he was really pleading
from the depth of his own feeling.
At last he spoke again.
"rve said all can, Whean. The thing is in
your hands can't contend against you. as
said. I've put the matter before you as strongly
as can; as to putting it as 1t is. as | feel It,
that's impossible"
Whelan did not answer. He sat looking alb
sently at the clear. silent. frosty sky The Mall
was getting empty now and the cold, pure night
air quoting and pleasant The surprise
with which he had listened TO his friends request
began 10 wear off the feeling of exaltaton which
had flied him when he left the theatre began to
reassert itself lie remembered how eagerly he
had longed for opportunity Of self-sacrifce
but half an hour ago, and was almost ashamed 10
see that. now his opportunity had come it was
doubtful whether he would avail himself Of It,
He looked across at Davis, and his attitude
of utter and helpless detection he fancied. too.
that he saw tears in his eyes. and was profoundly
seemed to him full of force and truth. There
could be no question which Of the two wanted
ito use the only available word Miss Parry most
Would il not he contemplate to use all his I'M
questionable advantages against a man who had
absolutely no power of competing with him So
easy victory would be no glory, but to resign
certain victory was true generosity.
After a long pause he spoke.
You think she will have you, Davis?"
:" am sure of it, If not, you can still try
your chance you know"
Leave my chance out of the question ana
try your own. and l wish you success with all
my heart, Tom -
Three months later the marriage of Miss Parry
and Mr. Davis was announced in the papers. and
Chris Whean. who had been keeping himself out
of the way through the best part of the season.
now felt himself at liberty to return TO town.
"You won't mind my looking you up occasion
ally SUPPOSE" he said TO Davis. " shall ike
TO know how you get on ~
oh come by all means" Davis said enthusiast
tcaly You have right to see the result gonTse IF
when you do see It, We are making SUCCESS Vi
marriage, Madge and l."
So Chris went. The Davises had nothing OF
what is usually termed position" but they had
a cosey little place at footing, where Shrls eoC
into the way of going very often indeed always
sure of warm welcome from his irlehd ana HIS
friends wife
Mrs. Davis. indeed was particularly gracious
and cordial toward her husbands friend, but now
and then Chris caught glimpse OF sOmethIlh9
behind her friendly manner that puzzled him she
never seemed TO have any hesitation in letting HIM
see how devoted she TO her husDanu ana
how completely happy in her married ne. ooll e,
times, indeed, II seemed as II sHe TalncL "tr'
out of her way to impress him with heT 1ehcity,
for she often positively overwhelmed DiNls' III
his presence. with demOnstrative aiiecuoh, OF
sometimes when Whean and she sat TALKING as
tbpr often did all through long afternoon. grow
ing confidential together. listening 10 elch oUleI
net theories and day dreams, specializing upon an
those immateral and mystical themes that are
ca deightfuI 10 discuss lust because We never can
arrive at any understanding or them' chah EIhs
in a sentence from sarcasm to solcmhiY' II 9
tragedy to frivohty, growing earnest oVcI ~
or nlavinp lightly round the edge OF mmenslIes
talking. in short as only people who Thoroughly
know and like each other can talk-she wouIu
suddenly break off and indulge IN an utterly conh-
monplace eulogy of her husband .
This would have bored Whean II
it had not zuzzled him 3o., So Don gd i2r tbd me
had known and D %ns pers soIq f% Sn With his
virtues and his faults too. Mrs. Davis WAS the
| most charming and lovable woman he had ever I
seen, and of course, she was passlonaS rs was
to her ugly. commonplace husband ms Was Mas
quite as il should be, only why dld she 80 Iapp5
to convince him of fact he never had 9 a
So time wore on and if he began TO hnd mat
fbe hours spent in his friends house were the only
hours worth having in his life the discovery dla
not disturb him much oS ., have wf him d" and Madge
was absolutely safe in her exaggerated loNe lVI
her husband. He satisfied that 1t should
be So for he had not an evil Thought IN connection
with Mrs. Davis. Indeed, incredible as u may
appear he had probably never had an evil Thought
in connection with any one.
Indeed he took sort of wretcbed pleasure IN
the success of his sacrifice, and as often as ne
left the friends of his own set to go down 10 the
quiet, cosey little house at footing, told himseh
empbaticallv that he did not regret II.
Now il had happened that while DaVlS ana MS
wife had been their honeymoon they had fallen
in with an old uncle OF Davis VINO was a great
admirer of pretty women and he had been so
taken with Madge's beauty and brightness that on
parting with them he Immediately made his VIII
in his nephews favor, as recognition Oh MS
md aln
charming and amiable woman rs his wife
The old man said nothing about TINS at the
time or afterward; he probably saw othGr pretty
women, and forgot all about Madee, for he never
held out helping hand 10 her husband III all the
long struggle with poverty which followed their
marriage, and took no notice when he was IN |
formed that their second child called after
him But if he forgot his fancy for Madge, he
also forgot TO make any other Will, and when
at last news of his death reached Davis IN London. |
he found himself the owner OF good deal Of
railway stock, a fine old country house several |
wellct farms, and coal mine at Olywwych, |
North Wales.
This of course, entirely revolutionized the three
lives Davis and his wife had now the means |
to enter that sort of society which IS spelt with
ca Dital S." and were only doubtful as to whether
they should found their claims TO admission on |
his wealth or her beauty, and Whelan found those |
pleasant impromptu or matter-of-course visits |
quite out Of The question:
world and gone down for those pleasant, quiet |
hours at footing, no one had known or cared any,
thing about II. Now, III the luH eldrc OF cdpltdi |
S'cd society. all that was changed. If he had |
tried 70 mOnOp0liZe the beautiful Mrs. Davis the |
thing would have Immediately become conspicuous
and comm Onplace-a mere vulgar Irritation, |
degradation of his sacrifice.
Whelan and the Davs,s still saw a great
deal of each other, met the same people, went TO
the same houses but the ArcadEln DAYS were past
For the first time since his friends marriage
Whean found himself alone. lie had TO face the
problem of life apart from Madge Davis, and could
make nothing OF il at all.
At the end Of the season Mr.. and Mrs. Davis
went 10 Wales, but their departure made very
little difference TO Chris; the separation OF Inc
past months had been so com plcte
Presently, however, he received letter from
the Davises asking him TO spend few DAYS with