The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-10

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 gross
and her hair glistened with brine as it
dried In tho sun.
"Sit here beside mep said the paupen
with white little smile.
And he who never yet betrayed man
leaned indolently upon one elbow as he
stretched himself out beside her. He
lighted a cigarette and watched her
through the Sits of his eyelids as one by
one she held her diamonds up and exam
incd them. She moved slowly to and fro
q ring which gave forth little daggers of
light
'He guve me this when we were en-
gagged, this when we were married, and
this when tho baby came, and this''- Here
she hesitated
"When?" asked he, indiffcrcntly yawn-
ing.
Cannot you guessy"
No" But he shut his mouth suddenly
and the Sits of his eyes grew bit more
narrow. He was listening now.
"Well-when found out about
WHAT" The family friend looks away.
Herr the pauper says slowly.
"I-er." stammered tho family friend.
when he told you about her didn't he
tell you that he had told me3" demanded
the pauper.
II don't know whnt you are talking
about" said the family friend uDcasily.
shutting his eyes
Here the puuper laughed. 1t was Il long
laugh, but perhaps not very merry.
You goose!' she cried airily. why,
when he told Inc he said you already knew.
Do you think would have alluded 60 it if
had not been sure of that!"
There was moments silence; then:
NO wonder you forgive him. said the
family friend in low, moved voice
For Il minute the pauper was astonisbed
at the wild dance all nature executed.
Then tho sky caIno down with n crash and
broke into jewels, from which she found
herself placidly picking bits of sand.
why do you think it so natural q thing
for me to have forgiven hiln?" she asked.
and her voice was perfectly even and not
ut all husky.
because" said the innocent family
friend. mo matter how sorry they were,
few men would have confessed TO their
wives l never knew he had" aud then
he tried to change the subject, but the
Pauper seemed strangely persistent.
IL took time to think 1t over" said
the pauper, breathing hard on the dia-
monds.
1T was noble to forgive. I thought it
ended rather suddenly for an affair which
Ind been going on so long don't you
know" The family friend began to feel
triile awkward Perhaps he had said too
much
| But the pauper sighed IN n gentle way.
| "IIc always admired that type of beauty"
"Yes?" The family friend looked sur
prised II never thought her 1t all pretty.
| But there was something about her which
| seemed TO charm most men. " Then. after n
pause: "She was rather fetsA ine-people
always looked twice Bat she wasn't half
as stunning as Hem! Aren't your dia-
mouds clean YETI"
| NEARLY. You We're about to speak of
! the other one" Sc there was another one.
/ How manys wondered the desperate pau
! per- And she had never dreamed the man
/ she loved could be false.
| "Ah-wcll-thata amounted TO so little.
But did he really tell you'ull these things?
You knew about both?" y cold perspr;l
! ton seized the family friend.
"Oh. yes" answered the pGuper placidly.
They had been rich-thcse other women
| rich in charm-or beauty. And she was
! pauper. He had returned to her-had
always loved her with the best of his ma
turc- This she still believed. But when
: a woman loves q man she wants oil. And
she had never been-could never be-all--
to him.
There he comes now" exclaimed the
family friend. He looked much relieved
and arose and shook himself like a big
faithful dog.
He never knew that the pauper had been
as artful as he had been artlcss.
II shall have TO make the best Of IT,"
said the pauper to herself, as she gathered
her diamonds into her little embroidered
handkerchief and passed into the house
st can never be any different No woman
can hold u man TO any greater extent than
is in her nature"
At dinner that night the family friend
quite enjoyed himself. and the husband
waXed atfectionatc over his wife.
Not every Inan has n wife like miner
said lie, with Il genial glance across the
flowers at the pauper.
II should think nos" said the family
friend with much emphasis.
And the pauper smiled at both.
And each day and each night She
thought about it. y gentleman who was
by turns both frivolous and grave has
said, ION every height there lies reposc +"
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 bravcly, seeing each
day women who had none and who were
yet rich. The pauper was climbing One
day she reached a height.
Upon that dry she looked In her mirror
and said:
~ forgive him"
And we all know that life is like clock.
1t stops for IL moment. We give il little
shake and the wheels move on.-Johanna
Stats in Truth