The Washington times., 1894-11-25


! Mistress Perhaps he thought we are still
/ friends. Perhaps" she hesitated with a
/ lower voice and a forced smile, Perhaps he
used to see US together in the olden tinIes''
VERY likely" said Clarence quietly. land
| for the sake of those old times. Susy. - he
went on, with singular gentleness that was
/ quite distinct from his palng face and set
/ eyes. Il am going 10 forget all that you have
/ Just said OF me and mine, IN all the old will
/ fulness and impatience that I see you still
keep with all your old prettness" He took
his hat from the table and grayely held out
/ his hand.
/ She was frightened for a moment with his
impassiye abstraction. In the old days she
had known it had believed it was his logged
''obstinacY" Y"-but she knew the hopelessness
/ OF opposing it. Yet, with feminine persist
ency, she again threw herself against it as a
wall.
You don't believe me! Well. 90 and see
for yourself They are at Robles now. II
you catch the early morning stage at Santa
Clara you will come upon them before they
disperse. Dare you try it!''
Whatever do. he returned. smilinglv. Il
shall always be grateful TO you for giving me
this opportunity of seeing you again as you
were. Make my excuses to your husband.
/ Good night.'
''C!arencer'
But he had already closed the door behind
/ him. HIS face did not relax its expression
nor change as he looked again at the tray
with its broken yianGs before the door, the
worn, stained nall carpet, or the waiter who
| shufied by him.
He was apparently as critically conscious
of them and OF the close odo s of the hall anu
the atmosphere OF listless decay and faded ex-
travagance around him as before the inter
view.
Had the woman he had just parted from
watched him she would have supposed he
] "a IL -
was conscious that all that he saw was part
OF his degradation, for he had believed every
word she had uttered.
Through all her extravaganza, envy and
revengefulnes, he saw the central truth-that
he had been deceived. not by his WIFE but by
] himself. He had suspected all this before
this was what ha been really troubling him,
this was what he had put aside, rather than
/ his faith, not N her. but in his ideal
he remembered letters that had passed be-
/ tween her and Capt. Pinckney-letters that
/ she hal sent openly to notorious Southern
leaders, her nervous anxiety to remain at the
rancho, tho inuendoes and signihcan
! gIances of friends which he put aside-as he
| had this womans message.
Susy had told him nothing new OF his
wife, but the truth OF himself. And the revela-
! tion came from people whom he was con-
seious were the interiors of himself and his
wife. TO an Independent, proud. and self
made man it was the eliminating stroke.
In the same abstracted voice he told the
coachman to drive home
The return seemed interminable though he
never shifted his position. Yet when he drew
up at his own door and looked at his watch
/ he found no had been absent only half an
hour. Only half an hour. As he entered the
! house he turned with the same abstraction
toward a mirror in the hall as if he expected
TO see some visible change in himself III that
time.
Dismissing his servants to bed, he went into
his dressing room, completely changed his
attire. put on pair of long riding boots, and
! throwing serape over his shoulders, paused
! a moment, took pair of small derr niger
/ pistols from box. put them in his pockets,
and then slipped cautiously down the stair
case.
A lack of confidence in his own domestics
had invaded him for the first time. The
! lights We're out. He open the door and was
| in the street.
He walked hastily few squares to a livery
| stable, whose proprietor he knew. His first
| inquiry was for one Redskin-a particular
horse, the second for lis proprietor. Happily
both were in. The proprietor asked no ques-
tons OF customer Of Clarences s.condition
The horse. half Spanish powerful and
lrascible, was quickly saddled. AS Clarence
mounted, the man in an impulse of sociablity
said:
saw yOu dI the IuedIcr LO-0lRnt, SIT.
An, returned Clarence, quietly gathering
up the reins.
Rather a smart trick of that woman with
the flag, be said tentatively. Then, with a
| possible doubt of his customers politics, he
added, with forced smile, II reckon it's all
party fuss. though-thar amt any real dan
ger"
But fast as Clarence might ride, the words
fingered in his ears. He saw through the
mans hesitation-he, too, had probably heard
that Clarence Brant weakly sympathlzed with
| MS wlfes sentiments-and dared not speak
| fully. And he understood the cowardly sug-
gestion that there was mo real DANGER
1t had been Clarence's one fallacy. He had
believed the public excitement was only a
temporary outbreak of partisan feelng-soon
to subside. Even now he was conscious that
he was less doubtful of the integrity of the
Union than of his own household 1t was
not the devotion of the patriot. but the in
dignat1on OF an outraged husband that was
! spurring him on.
He knew if he reached. Woodyile by 5
o'clock he could get ferried across the bay to
the Embarcado and catch the down coach to