The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1890-10-10

every day. They wear a smiling face,
and who suspects them?
Mrs. Estes was going to the ball
that night Her maid dressed her as
carefully as usual She wore jewels in
her hair. Her eyes were clear, her
color lovely. There was no prettier
woman present.
One mans gaze watched her care
fully, ceaselessly. as she moved about
the rooms. He did not approach her
yet; he bided his time. and toward the
close Of the night it came.
Mrs. Estes looked up to see tall,
grave man standing before her. For an
instant the lovely color fuctuated.
Frank Gordon! My dear cousin,
you here? The world thought you in
Patagonia, or heaven knows where!"
81 have returned. Will you not give
me little of your society?"
He stood waiting. Laura passed her
hand under his arm. Beyond the sup
per-room was a small conservatory; he
led her directly there. She faced him
with steady smile.
Dear me! how dramatic you look!"
she nall Sneer0d.
Gordon paid no heed. He was still a
very young man; but there were those
lines in his face that come only from
suffering.
''Six months ago." he began. 81 met
in South Africa friend of-Arthur
Haslitt. From him heard of his sepa-
ration from his wife. The case was I'M
derstood to be discovery on Haslitt's
part that his wife had married him for
money. Magnificent fellow as Haslitt
was, no one was surprised, for that one
sensitive point of his, amounting al
most to mania, was we'll known. On
returning home month ago, it became
necessary for me to look over chest of
old papers l had left behind on going
to South America. Among them was a
little bundle of letters very precious to
me. There were only three or four
short notes and one letter, to be more
accurate. That one letter was gone!"
Yes, Laura Estes nerves were iron;
but this was too unexpected. Her cous-
in looked into the haggard face and
read the confirmation of his suspicion
there.
'And you," he went on-''you took it!
No one, they told me, had access to the
house but you. And you sent it to Ar
thur Haslitt The rememb rance flashed
upon me that his friend down there in
South America had said something
about letter. 1t was a clever plan
Laura-you always were clever"
Ho turnod and loft hor orouob;r.
6erce-eyed creature, the delicate touch
of rouge on her lips looking CHASTITY in
contrast with her livid checks.
''Mr. Haslitt has just returned from
Europe. He sees no one," said the
clerk, Except on very particular bust
ness"
''This is particular business"
A few moments later Gordon was
ushered into Arthur Haslitt's presence.
He knew him by sight, though the
knowledge was not mutual. Could two
years have made the change in him he
saw? Why not? What had the last
three years been to himself?
my name is Gordon" said the
younger man. II am cousin of Mrs.
Estes"
Haslitt bowed.
''Frank Gordon" amended the other.
A flash of light went over Arthur Has
lifts face.
''Then think we can have nothing
much to say to each other"
''Stay! We have. Much! You re-
ceived letter once addressed to me. It
is but right you should see this one as
we'll. 1t has never left me for three
years. 1t was written, observe, after
the first.
The second letter lay before Arthur
Haslitt's eyes-the second letter in his
wife's handwriting addressed to the
same man. For an instant there was a
savage impulse upon him to spurn it,
to tread it under foot Then sanity,
some measure of common sense, tri.
umphed. He raised the letter with
hand that shook.
"DEAR FRANK: We have been good friends
ever since we were children, and so must say
. word to you now. You have been foolish
enough to think that you cared for me in IN.
other way; but you will feel differently some
day, and meantime while can never love you
- you mean, shall always care for you as my
dearest friend. Iwrote you letter not so long
ago when you first asked me to marry you. Do
you rememberf In 1t told you would never
marry any but rich husband. Twas so weary
Of being poor Now have something very differ.
emit to say, and say it that you may know that
1t is not poverty that kept me from loving you.
This man, whom I first thought of marrying
only for mOney-this man, Frank, have come so
to love that now should he ask me to follow him
barefoot from door to door through the world
would 60 ana think myself happier than any
queen.
Il do not say this to hurt you, poor boy; but
that you may do me little justice in spite of
the awful criminal folly of my past words.
BEATRICE"
''That you may do me little Justice"
The paper foated from Arthur Has
lifts hand to the floor.
A bare little house on the outskirts Of
. suburban village, and a woman en-
broidering by the failing light
The light grows more and more dim
before the night shadows and by and by
the tired eyes turn away and the hands
drop listlessly in the lap.
Oh. the weary years that stretch be-
forel
Beatrice Haslitt lays her head back,
and between the half-closed lids some
thing burns that can not drop.
There is snap of closing gate, >
step on the walk, hand on the door. 1t
is half-open. Some one enters. Beat
rice for the first time looks up.
beatrice! My wife! ForgiveP'-Chi-
cago News.
Very Close.
'sIsn't there some sort of relationship
between Madge and Mr.. Dashing?"
''Oh, yes. indeed He was the first
msn she ives ever engaged to'-Ths