Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1892-09-13

| Jne MOTEL and Sauntered across the little
lawn to where the pauper was sitting
upon gay rug spread in the sunlight.
She was picking grains of sand from the
setting Of her diamonds, which she had
forgotten to remove for her morning sea
bath. Her hat was flung upon the grass
and her hair glistened with brine as il
dried in the sun.
''Sit here beside mep said the pauper.
with a white little smile.
And he who never yet betrayed a man
| leaned indolently upon one elbow as he
stretched himself out beside her. He
| lighted cigarette and watched her
through the Sits Of his eyelids as one by
one she held her diamonds up and exam
ined them. She moved slowly to and fro
a ring which gave forth little daggers Of
light.
| He gave me this when we were en-
gagged, this when we We're married, and
this when the baby came, and this"- Here
she hesitated
when" asked he indifTerently yawn-
ing.
Cannot you gaessp
mo" But he shut his mouth suddenly
and the Sits of his eyes grew bit more
udIIOWs nv WAS llSLthluB now
"Well-when found out about
"Whatp The family friend looks away.
'Her" the pauper says slowly.
Ger" stammered the family friend.
"When he told you about her didn't he
tell you that he had told meS" demanded
the pauper.
II don't know what you are talking
about" said the family friend uneasily,
shutting his eyes,
Here the pauper laughed. 1t was a long
laugh, but perhaps not very merry.
you goosem she cried airily. why,
when he told me he said you already knew.
Do you think / would have alluded TO it if
had not been sure Of that"
There was a moments silence; then:
"No wonder you forgave him' said the
family friend in low, moved voice.
For minute the pauper was astonished
at the wild dance all nature executed.
Then the sky came down with a crash and
broke into Jewels, from which she found
herself placidly picking bits OF sand.
"Why do you think it so natural a thing
for me to have forgiven himp she asked
and her voice was perfectly even and not
at all husky.
Because" said the innocent family
friend, mo matter how sorry they were,
few men would have confessed TO their
wives. never knew he had" and then
he tried to change the subject, but the
Pauper seemed strangely persistent.
I'll took time to think it over" said
the pauper, breathing hard on the dia-
monds.
ut was noble to forgive. l thought it
ended rather suddenly for an affair which
had been going on so long, don't you
know" The family friend began to feel
a trifle awkward. Perhaps he had said too
much.
But the pauper sighed in a gentle way
"He always admired that type Of beautyp
"Yes?" The family friend looked sur
prised. 81 never thought her at all pretty.
But there was something about her which
seemed to charm most men," Then, after
pause: "She was rather fetching-people
always looked twice. But she wasn't half
as stunning as Hem! Aren't your dia-
monds clean yeti"
Nearly. You were about to speak Of
the other one" So there was another one.
How many wondered the desperate pau
per. And she had never dreamed the man
she loved could be false.
"Ah-well-that amounted to so littlel
But did he really tell you all these thingsi
You knew about bothp A cold perspira-
ton seized the family friend.
"Oh, yes" answered the pauper placidly.
They had been rich-these other women
rich in chaTm-or beauty. And she was
a pauper. He had returned TO her-had
always loved her with the best Of his ma
ture. This she still believed. But when
a woman loves a man she wants all. And
she had never been-couid never be-all-
TO him.
There he comes now" exclaimed the
family friend. He looked much relieved,
and arose and shook himself like big,
faithful dog.
He never knew that the pauper had been
as artful as he had been artless.
II shall have to make the best of itp'
said the pauper to herself, as she gathered
her diamonds into her little embroidered
handkerchief and passed into the house.
ut can never be any different. No woman
can hold a man to any greater extent than
is in her nature"
At dinner that night the family friend
quite enjoyed himself, and the husband
waxed affectionate over his wife.
mot every man has a wife like minep'
balu ne, Wltn Benldl kiduce dCrOoS tnt
flowers at the pauper.
81 should think not" said the family
friend with much emphasis.
And the pauper smiled at both.
And each day and each night she
thought about it. A gentleman who was
by turns both frivolous and grave has
said, ION every height there lies repose. I"
You will recall the fact that his name was
Goethe. And that saying comforted the
sad little pauper who went about wearing
her diamonds very brayely, seeing each
day women who had none and who were
yet rich. The pauper was climbing One
day she reached q height.
Upon that day she looked in her mirror
and said:
II forgive him"
And we all know that life is like clock.
It stops for a moment. We give it little
shake and the wheels move on.-Johanna
Stats in Truth.