Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-06-19


heightened color on her cheeks.
"Well, who is he?"
He asked the question so suddenly
that Edith gave little cry of surprise
"Oh, Harry, l didn't know you wer,
here! How you startled me-"
doubtless. But that doesn't explain
why you were kissing your hand-tC
whOm?"
He is-a friend-an acquaintance OF
mine," she stammered.
He looked angrily at her-angrily
with faint sense of pain mingling with
the anger.
IAN acquaintance! Since when, ,pleasel
Edith, do you know that you are doing
a terribly risky thing in answering any
salutes from bold, fast men, who, in
driving by, may have been fascinated by
your pretty face? Edith, l won't ask
any more questions, but l insist upon
yOu obeying me and keeping away from
those windows"
And for the first time in their lives
they sat down to their dinner with a
cloud between them.
"And don't care" said Edith to her
1 OCil IL Ill ID hIluCI W llic Jlldn I1dI-
ry is, I'll like him best, that's all. He
would not leave me alone as Harry does,
and this very night we are going to
drive to the park if the moon is bright"
And when Mr.. Forrest came home
that evening, about 10 O'clock, he was
again fortunately just in time to catch
the black-eyed, black-mustached fellow
going down the front steps to the ehaise
waiting at the door, and just in time to
find Edith folding away her jacket. But
he said nothing.
His whole soul was beginning 70 be
on fire with fury and jealousy, and he
found it remarkably easy to stay at
home when Edith was so winningly
sweet and charming that he wondered
whether or not she really meant it, or
was only trying to cheat him into dis
belief of her recklessness.
But Edith's curious cOnduct-times
when she was almost eXtravagantly gay,
times when she was dull, pale and sad
wore on him.
She never asked him to stay at home
in the evening nOw-of course she pre-
ferred to have him out of the way so she
could have her own good time with her
-"friend," Harry said to himself, ironi-
cally, for in his very heart of hearts he
could not bring himself to say glover"
His faith in his wife was too strong
to admit doubt of anght beyond indis-
cretion, and yet he was agonizingly jeal-
Gus.
Then one evening the crisis came,
y,ba Ior 70 holf
an hour earlier. and found Edith read
ing a note, which she tore in fragments
the instant he crossed the doorsill-tore
and threw it into the fire with flushed
face and startled action.
"Mrs. Worthington wants me to go to
her room tonight. 1 suppose you are
going out, Harry?"
"Yes, am going out to the club"
In his heart he hated himself for the
falsehood he told, for he knew he had
made up his mind to watch his wife that
night and see if his Jealousy were war
ranted or not
Edith's cheeks glowed and her eyes
sparkled, and she seemed in a state of
delicious excitement at dinner.
Then she dressed in becoming toilet
of filmy laces-at wrists and throat, and
rich jewelry-rather elaborate for tete
a-tete with Mrs. WorthingtOn, Harry
thought, as he smiled bitterly behind
his newspaper.
He purposely prolonged his stay half
an hour beyond his usual time, and then !
was vexed that Edith should show no
signs of perturbation.
''She's already so versed in deceit that |
she can control her fear and patience.
Finally he put on his overcoat, hat
and gloves and went out to take his po |
sition on the opposite side of the street,
where he commanded the doors and |
windows and ten minutes afterward a |
tall, ack-mustached gentleman drove |
up and rang the bell, and in a moment |
more his wife-his sweet, beloved Edith,
whom he never loved so well as at this |
moment of her falsity down, and
were driven away.
1t was the work of moment to hail
a passing cab, and the chase began and
ended at the door of Exeter Hall, and |
Harry bought his ticket and took his
seat as near as he could get to his wife
and er-her-"friend."
1t was a pale, haggard face that
watched them all that evening, and a
pair of eyes that were pitifully panied
and indignant and passionful, as he no
ticed how perfectly happy the two were
how Edith, whose sweet reserve and
shyness had been one of the greatest
charms to him-how Edith was so face
In bor pnoDpar t0 him opd h0u admira |
bly, the gentleman returned her pretty
little familiarities.
1t was an hour of torture to him.
He realized as he had never done be-
fore, what sudden and great change
it had been to her to leave her home,
where there was such a large family OF
brothers and sisters, and consequently
a great deal of young company.
He began to appreciate how careless
he had been of the happiness intrusted
to his keeping.
Great Godl What If that negligent
carelessness should result in
He dared not think it.
He sat there repentant, indignant,
jealous, remorseful, ready to fly at the
handsome dashing fellow who assumed
such an air of proprietorship over his
foolish, silly little girl, who, having her
husbands society, had sought compan-
ionship elsewhere.
He never heard a cord of the divine :
melodies-he never needed the storms
of applause.
All he heard, all he saw was Edith's
occasional low laugh, her beautiful
flushed face as she turned her profile to-
ward him. :
Then the performance was over.
He followed them closely as he dared, {
until he saw them take their carriage {
and then the second chase began and {
the door of their house, and {
then, from inside his own cab, he saw
the black mustache sweep across Edith's
he heard her low, sweet ,
GOOD night !