The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1891-05-29
Ten Minutes to TW6IV6.
By II. G. MOLELLAND.
Copyright by American Press Association

CONTINUED.
81 have to wear glasses still out OF
DOORS" she informed him cheerfuIly.
"But in the house I am quite independ-
ent of them"
Royals eyes were on her hands. She
had taken off the right glove and was
unbuttoning the left. The trimming Of
her sleeve had caught in button and
was giving her trouble.
"Let me help you," Royal said, and
leaned eagerly forward.
She surrendered her hand at once, and
he extricated the fastening from its en-
tanglement, and then, in response to an
acquiescent glance, drew off the glove.
AS he did so his eyes instinctively sought
her third finger, and he drew his breath
hard-she had taken off her wedding
ring. His hopes fell below freezing point
in an instant. To him it appeared a
portent.
"Why did you take it Off"
The words broke from him involun-
tarily and with thrill of pain.
Because it was Johns. and am not
his wife"
Then whan ha would have spoken she
checked him by gesture and turned
her truthful eyes full on him:
Your letter came some days ago, DIR.
Royal. know why you did not write
before-that consideration for me held
you back from telling me the story
months ago. You would not imperil
my chance of sight. l am grateful for
- D,,H ~ Iioo,,cc
the matter with you until you should
have spoken of it yourself. [ wanted to
talk with you about it, so showed you
that you might speak at last"
Royal looked bewildered.
"You knew of the affair before my
letter reached your" he hazarded.
Yes I've known the story for months
past, DR.. Royal-ever since week or
two after you went away last December.
When | saw you that last morning you
seemed so unlike John that l could
scarcely realize how you could have
changed so much. | said nothing to
Nina at first and put the thought aside,
but it kept returning. When spoke to
her about it first she made fun of me,
laughed at the idea of your being
changed, more than the years would &C
count for, and thought | couldn't see
that she was evaling and slipping away
from the subject When my eyes got
stronger got ont the package of photo
graphs of himself my cousin had sent
me from time to time, and only the first
of which had ever seen. None of them
was in the least like you, and no stretch
of imagination would make them so.
You seemed totally different man.
Then | remembered blunders that you
had made, and which did not notice at
the time-blunders John couldn't have
made. 1t troubled me, for it was all
incomprehensible.
She paused a moment, and Royal in
dim way realized tlat it had beens hard
on her His conscience snote him.
"One day" Phyllis went on, Nina
left letter of yours on the table when
she had finished reading it aloud. She
did not usually leave them around. /
slipped the bandage up and looked at
the handwriting. 1t was not bit like
Johns. He wrote delicate, students
hand. almost like a woman's, and you
use a stub and write with large letters
and heavy stroke. couldn't endure
it any longer then and made Nina tell
me-"
WAS that the reason you would not
let me come il the spring. Royal ques-
toned, light breaking in on him.
Yes. | wanted to get used to it all,
and to learn to separate you from John
in my mind And | wanted to be my
very self when we should meet again,
besides-not helpless and dependent any
more, but woman vino could take her
life into her own hands if need WERE
Do you understand?
Royal bent his head. His brain was
in a whirl, but it held fast to one joyful
fact; she had known the whole story
when she had written that note. His
heart leaped, but he held himself in
check
When learned that John was dead
it seemed at first as though half my life
had been broken off and buried with
him." the soft voice proceeded. "And !
dared not weep for him, even when my
heart was aching. That was hard, for
there was never time in my life with
out the thought of John. 1t seems
strange that he should have continued
to care for me so much through all those
years-that he should have shortened
his life through trying to provide for
me. 1t makes me feel so guilty, so self
ish, that after my sight began to fail !
should have been more taken up with
my own hopes and fears than with
thoughts of him-that l never should
have loved him as he deserved to be
loved" The voice was wistful and very
tender, but the sweet gray eyes were
fearless.
Royal rose and came to her, unable
any longer to master his emotions. Bend
ing down he took her hands and raised
her to her feet:
"You knew it all when you wrote that
note-knew that you were not, and
never had been, John Royals wife, but
were mine? And you asked me to come
to you! Phyllis, do you know what you
are doing? Do you know that you are
giving me hope of more than forgive
ness?"
Her sweet eyes met his in all SIMPLE
ity, and her hands were not withdrawn
from his clasp. She was without the