The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1893-09-09


Harry Hastings looked up from his
letters with bright smile of welcome.
"Here you are at last, Brown. Aw-
fully glad to see you" He put away
his unfinished letter with curious look
of confusion on his handsome face. ~
Il was just writing toto her, you
know"
"And who is she2 Who is the woman2'
"Ah, that's my secret-and hers" said
the young man. II have some sense of
honor, you know, though don't suppose
you will think l can have much of that
about me when l tell you Pm in love
with married woman. You are 80
much better than most fellows, you
know, that don't expect much pity
from you, old man."
John Brown sighed.
81 am sorry for you, my lad, and for
her. Does she love your
"She tells me So"
"How long has this been going onf'
Harry shifted restlessly in his chair.
ooh, for yearsl I'll tell you all about
1t from the beginning. met her out in
India ages ago when she was lovely
girl of II, and tumbled head over ears
in love with her, and she with me. She
tells me now she has always loved me.
If had proposed toher at once, it would
have been all right, but-but it does
seem plunge for 0 fellow to bind him
self for life when he's only one and
twenty, and-and funked it. l was
whole week making mp my mind to pro-
pose, and before / had quite decided
got knocked out of time by tiger and
landed for six months in a hospital.
When | got on my feet again, she had
gone back to England, and didn't fol-
low her.
We'll, never saw her again until a
month or two ago when, as i'll luck
would have it. went down to sec some
friends in the country, and she was
staying at neighboring house. l met
her out walking one day. OF course
knew her at once. She was lovelier than
ever-ripened matured and all that sort
of thing, you know-and / felt that /
loved her as much as ever. told her
so, too, never guessing but that she was
as single as l am, and then she blushed
and sighed and cried little and told me
she was married. or course ought to
have gone away at once-never seen her
again-but she looked at me SO sweetly,
Brown, and admitted with so many tears
that she didn't love her husband; that
she wasn't happy; that-that deuce take
me if / could tear myself away"
"Of course you couldn't" said Brown
grimly. II suppose you expected her to
be brave for you both and point out your
duty to your Well, is she in London
now;n
.Yes."
'And you see her often2"
.Nearly every day."
"And her husband-what does he
think of thisi'
II have never seen him. She won't
even tell me who or what he is-and
don't care-it's all the better. It's bad
business, Brown, and I wish to God
was out of it."
'Then get out of it, Harry. It's in
your own hands. Leave England at
once. 1t is your only chance"
The young man bent his head on his
hand and groaned.
Il can't can't love her. And she
is SO lonely and unhappy 1t would be
brutal to leave her all alone with that
husband of hers"
SIS he unkind to her?'
"Oh, she never says that, but-but she
implies good deal, don't you know. She
never loved him, you see, though she has
tried hard to do her duty. He is slow
and dull and uninteresting and all that
sort of thing-a regular old buffer,
suppose. Poor girl! She says her life
would be miserable without me. How
can leave herr
Then where will this end2 Oh, my
boy, where are you drifting tor"
1.-THE divorce court, suppose" said
Harry recklessly. "Some day imagine
we shall make bolt of it-and them
And then you will realize what it is
to ruin three lives. If you love this
woman, you will give her up"
Il do love her, but l won't give her
up!" burst out Harry.
Its no use preaching, old man; I'm
not good enough; can't rise to the prac.
tice."
John Brown was silent few moments.
thinking. He pitied the young man.
What could he do to save him: A sudden
thought struck him-Harry had never
had q happy home, During his wander.