Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1892-04-09

was ashamed to own up. ! suppose
| should have destroyed the picture
before, but | didn't imagine any one
would ever be in here who knew the
girl, and it was such ar awfully
pretty photograph that | couldn't
bear the thought of parting with it.
Van Elten shuddered with fresh
born disgust He wondered how he
ever could have been friends with
man of such little principle.
"I suppose you got some unscrupu-
lous photographer to fit her face to
another woman's figure; was thatit?"
he asked.
"No, it WASN'T Ulverson answer
ed. 1.-THE picture was true like
ness of Miss Field, every inch of
her."
Van Elten ground his teeth.
Do you mean to tell me-" ne be-
gan, "that She
81 mean to tell you the truth, I'll
version interrupted. You remem-
Der the week that you and | spent
with Field four years in Philadel-
phia? That week after the Spring
examinations when his sister was
home from Wellesley, and when we
met her for the first time"
Remember it? OF course he re-
membered it. Had henot fallen head
over ears in love with the girl at the
first? Had her face not haunted him
every day since? Had he not writ
ten her time and again after he left
house, only to have his letter ignor-
ed? Had he not gone to Philadel-
phia especially to see her! And had
she not refused to see him when he
called?
Yes" he said, remember it
very WE'LL"
"Do you recall the last day that
we were there?" Ulverson went on.
"Our room, you know, was next to
Miss Fields. / had put my hair
brushes in my grip and had locked
and strapped it. Rather than open
it to brush my hair for luncheon,
and knowing that she was not it her
room, stepped in there to use hers.
On her bureau saw an open enve-
lope. 1t looked as if it contained
photograph. My curiosity got the
better of me. and investigated.
The picture l tore up five minutes
ago was what l found"
"And you stole lt?" Kissed Van
Elten.
" took it, yes"
"And the suspicion, of course, fell
on us both.''
g suppose it did,"
"And you mean to tell me that
that beautiful, refined, cultured girl
actually stood for that picture?"
"She certainly must have" u
version went on, "but the photogra-
pher was a girl like herself"
Van Elten rose to his feet. His
heart beat with new joy.
at was only girlish prank" u
version continued; !" one other school
mates had a camera, and the girls thus
perpetuated each others charms"
How do you know 2" Van Elten
asked, eagerly. Who told you that"
"She did,"
Van Elten stared in establishment.
"She 2" he interrupted. Miss
Field?"
o1NClDOH.
The blood came and went in Van
Elten's face. He was conscious of
weakness in the knees. The name
had struck him as blow.
"My God, mani" he exclaimed.
What are you telling me? Am to
understand that
"That Miss Field is my wife?
Yes. She went abroad six months
ago, and I've been living in apart
ments here since. took that pic
ture from my desk this morning. /
have always kept itlocked up. Heav-
en- only knows how I came to leave
it there on the mantel."
Van Elten took up his coat and
put it on.
i can trust you never to mention
it, can't II" Ulverson continued. at
was foolish thing to keep it, | ad-
nit, and, in view of your discovery,
I'm thoroughly ashamed of myself"
/ In spite of his contrition Van FL
ten hated the man.
you'll dine with me at the Club,
won't your" Ulyerson asked.
But Van Elten declined. He was
bitter against his old friend, and the
bitterness was enhanced by new
born jealousy.
you'll have to excuse me-" he
said. II have an engagement; "and
then he went off and dined alone at
Delmonico's; his meditations, dur
ing dinner, fracturing one particular
clause of the tenth commandment in
to infinitesimal particles.-The Chat
terer.
A Little Girls Experience in
a Gir hf In 0Haa