The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1894-11-21
JACKS WIFE.


When Edward Barton asked Jack
Kingsley if he would assist him in
winning Eve Morrison for his wife
Jack mentally turned the question
over few times, and as that effort
revealed no plausible reason why the
request could not be easily complied
with, he heartily assured his friend
he would do the best he could for
him. -.
Amonth later he began to wish he
hadn't He,, had thought he. knew
Eve pretty, we'll, for he. had. been a
sort Of o self-appointed bodyguard
Of hers, during the twenty-one years
Of her. existence, but in the begin
ming Of that courtship, in which he
was the connecting link. he discov-
cred certain elements in Ewes char
acter OF. which he had been hitherto
ignorant. ,a.,, -. -.
Later ion, various phases OF his
own spiritual and mental makeup
that had previously been bat latent
powers began to make themselves
alarmingly prominent and he found,
with diamay that, he was at that
critical point in the game playing
with edged tools ~ r.f, r,~5
he lay awake all one night sym
pathizing with. himself for being so
unfortunately placed in ,such pre-
dicamentS and the next morning he
went over to see Eve about it ind
learn without further ado what Bar
toms tate .wss.to be. It was not an
agreeable tssk.;t The difideuce with
which ,sheareceived all illusions to
his friend chilled the ardor which he
conscientiously tried to infuse into
the lostscause, and. left him in doubt
as toIwhat was the wiser course to
pursue. 9.tflI ri! aaag $as,.i,e
80 rsuppese it is useless to urge
bis suittfurther2";he said, at last, in
tones Of mingled despair and relief,
at the end of one of those awkward
periods OF silence with which their
conversation had been interlarded
that morning. fa@ xxi .i.
"Yes,n nshe answered, with empha-
eis, 'it:is.n nsai ssz .qg:sesa-s -..it
He aioss and walked to the win
dow dhnd looked earnestly at the
swiftly falling snow, as tito gather
therefrom an answer to another
proposition which her summary dis
missal ofhis former question had
brought htforciblyEbefore him.
'sIhad to do it, you know" he
said, going back and looking down
at her ,iimploringly. ..'He asked me,
and couldn't refuse. He has odd
ways, butshe is a good fellow on the
whole, Barton is, I've known him
for years. We were at school to-
gether. I'm really sorry you ucouldn't
ike him; that;is, sorry for his sake.
It'll be5pretty tough on him. for he
had made up his mind to win you.
You're sure you've thought the mat
ter overwell; Eve, and could never
give him q different answer?"
NO." positively, II couldn't. If
he were the great Mogul himself I
should hate him just the same"
There was another silence.
eve" and he stepped nearer,
"what would you say if 1 were to
ask that question for myself"
She looked up, then, and with q.
laugh that ended in sob, said:
why, Jack Kingsley, ! should say
Just this: That you are greater
goose than I ever supposed you were,
or you would have asked me that
long ago instead Of meddfng with
other peoples affairs and trying to
marry me OF to that lunatic. Oh,
Jack, how could you be SO dull2"
Jack hastily waived I'LL reference
to his mental capacity, while he
gathered the little woman in his
arms and vowed that he would never
make such a mistake again, an as
surance which seemed to give them
both an infinite sense of satisfaction,
from which they were aroused some
time later by the thought of Barton,
who was waiting impatiently at
Jacks rooms to learn what progress
had been made in the .wooing.
II am afraid OF him, jack" she
said, anxiously. HE has o revenge
tful nature. He will think you were
false to him. Send him to me and
aet me explain it to him. He will
understand me and be more forgiv-
ing with me than with you. ! pity