The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-01-03

rooler1es OF two years agoF she asked
sarcastically.
''No; have forgotten them" replied
Strickland, with a brown
And the two looked into each others
eyes like two duelists.
"When viii you come herer asked
| Strickland.
''This evening. I will bring my
things, and l shall slightly disarrange
this and that. hope shall not incon-
venience you You are not expecting
HNo one. was going out. If you
wish, will stay and assist you My en-
| gagement Is unimportant."
"Pray go. We should have to talk, and
we have nothing 70 say to each other"
Nothing. Will you dine here?'
''No, thanks; III go home now, and
return by-and-by."
She rose. Strickland bowed in re-
Spouse to her bow, conducted her to the
| door without another word, and re-
| turned with a sense of relief to the
| library.
When he returned home, shortly after
midnight, the house had resumed an
| aspect long strange to it. Lights were
burning in the drawing room, and a
| little alteration in the arrangement Of
| the furniture had restored to the room a
| forgotten grace. Bouquets Of flowers
| filed the vases, and faint sweetness of
violetS hoated about the hall and stair
case. The piano was open, and some
music stood on the bookstand. On the
boudoir table was a work basket. BY
| the hearth his visitor was sitting In a
low chair, her little feet half buried in
the bear skin rug, and her head reposed
on her hand, while she gazed wistfully
into the fire.
Was it dream? Bertha's flowers;
Bertha's music. Bertha herself in his
homo again! Two years misery can
celed In an EVENING" In a moment
rushed across his memory a golden WOO
ing, a proud wedding, happy months,
and the bitter day OF separation. He
turned away, and passed to his room,
saying, GOOD nightr'
GOOD nightr' replied his wife, with
out moving.
The strange event that had taken place
in Gerard Strickland's house prevented
none of its inmates enjoying a whole
some nights rest. Bertha, persuaded
that to-morrow's comedy could effect no
| real change in her relation to her hus-
band, went to her room with the feelings
of one who spends a night in hotel
Strickland, similarly regarding the past
as irremediable, read in bed for half an
hour, and then fell asleep.
To get married they had both COM
mitted thousand follies. After meet
ing her at table d'hote, Strickland had
pursued her half over Europe, vanquished
the difficulties of an approach to her
father in his secluded country house, and
ultimately, assisted by the lady's prayers
and tears, gained the old mans reluctant
consent to surrender his idolized daugh-
ter. The young married people, passion
ately attached to each other, enjoyed
fifteen months OF remarkable happiness,
and then came the end.
Bertha became jealous. Devoted to
her husband, proud, hasty, immoderate
in all her thoughts and emotions, she re-
sented, with all the intensity Of her
nature, a meeting between Strickland
and former flame, a dance, a note,
half an hours conversation. The hus-
band unfortunately met her passionate
expostulations with the disdainful in
souciance of an easy temperament. The
inevitable consequence ensued, a bitter
misunderstanding. An impudent serv-
ant, malicious acquaintance, half a
dozen venomous tongues, lashed the
wife's jealousy into madness. An ex-
PLANTATION demanded from her husband,
was refused with sneer. He had begun
to think her a proud, unloving woman,
and, under the circumstances, judged
self justification ridiculous. The follow
ing morning she entered his library ard
with marvellous calmness, without quav-
ering over a single word, announced to
him their immediate separation-for-
ever. Taken by surprise, Strickland
tried to temporize, acknowledged he had
been thoughtless, did all in a mans
power to avoid the rupture. Bertha only
replied SO proudly, and with SO much Sc
verify, that self respect forbade him fur
ther self defense.
They separated. Strickland externally
bore his misfortune with quietness, and
in counsel with his own conscience, con.
cluded his life broken and ruined by his
own want of tact. The husband and
wife met two or three times, as people
who barely know each other. He de-
voted himself to professional duties, re-
sumed some of his bachelor habits, and
amused himself as he could. She led a
quiet, almost solitary life, restricting heI
pleasures to such simple enjoyments as
she could provide herself at home, and
seldom appearing in public. On one
point both agreed, to write regularly to
| typed phrases as Bertha Is well and
sends her love. believe she wrote to
you few days ago." Gerard is well
and at present very busy. He will not
this year be able to accompany me to the
seaside"
1t will he easily believed that to go tc
her husbands house and to ask a favor
of him had cost Bertha's pride struggle.
! For papa's sake; for papa's sakei" she
repeated To herself, to steel her nerves tc
the humiliation, which, however, Strick
lands cold courtesy had considerably
on rna q be Saa be G gprE s
self command and some clever pretend
ing might enable them safely to conduct
her farther through the few hours to be
spent in town; to see him off from Vic
toria, and, with polite bow, to separate
and return to their several existences.
| T;~oo- 80. o,5ol NJ ey,,iIa,5
contentment and happiness, and the two
actors at the opposite ends Of the table OF
necessity smiled too.
Their parts had proved difficult. From
the moment of the old gentleman's ar
rival they had had to call each other by
their Christian names, and to use the
little endearments of two married people
still in love. More than once a word, an
information, that sounded like an echo OF
Of the dead past, made Strickland pale
} and Bertha tremble. Their embarrass
ment momentarily increased. The more
perfect their Discrimination the bitterel
was the secret Temorse that wrung the
hearts Of both Of them whilst they ex
changed for meaningless things words
: looks and smiles, once the most sacred
signs of affection With the fear Of be
traying themselves by an indiscretior
I was intermixed another, a misgiving
!. lest, while they acted affection, they
should be guilty OF real feelings warmer
than the courteous indifference witt
which they desired to regard each other
3 On the stairs, when Mr.. Gregory, pre-
, ceding them, was for an instant out O
eight, Bertha turned back and bestowed
on her husband grim look Of fatigu'
that meant, How are we to continu'
, | this?"
"'Tis only till tomorrow, Bertha" h
replied in an undertone, wishing TO he'll
her. But the Christian name (Which. be
I cause he had in the last two hours uset
! it so frequently, unwittingly sippe'
: from his lips) caused her to turn her fac
: away with an angry frown.
By the fire In the back drawing room
Mr.. Gregory appeared actuated by a de