The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-30
typewriter damsel. and she handed him a
letter Ho road thic.

letter. He read this
DEAR SIR Circumstances over which we
have no control necessitate reduction Of ex-
pe Per Your resignation Will be accepted on
tho ist OF tho month THE COMPANY.
Tho clerk looked out Of tho window al.
lently. Outside tho people were hurrying
along tho street ceasolcssly It was like a
hugo torrent Be read tho letter again,
smiling rather quoerly. Then no opened o
small drawer Of his desk and took out O
very small tin box. 1t smolt of poppies
he poured tho contents into his mouth
and threw his head back, swallowing with
quick gulp Then no looked out Of the
window again, and waited fora certain
circumstance.
One OF tho last things he heard was the
Company saying to tho lovely typewriter
damscl, Wasn't this the night you were
going to take supper with me5"
There was great deal Of applause ut
tho conclusion Of this tableau. The king
came SO near to smiling that the chairman
began to feel safe and reckless
HI Will now present to YOU" he an
nounced pompously, "he Domestic Detail,
which will be the last hof hour hattrac-
lions for this day" Ho bowed very low,
and, still bowling at odd moments, return
ed to his chair.
The king frowncd as he watched him,
but he said nothing, for the play was be-
ginning.
These two. this young man and his
wife, had only been married little over q
year, and that year had been as a dream
of perfect happiness. These twain had
been one, in tho most complete and de-
lightful way possible. All their Joys and
sorrows they had shared.
But now there happened to them q Cir
oumstanoo that wrought q cruel change
In them both. Tho Circumstance was q
lovnblo one, and that was tho pity Of it.
The young husband looked at the Circum-
stance and began to feel u fearful hate to-
ward 1t, for the reason that he caught his
Wife looking at 1t with love In her eyes.
And there were moments when she, too,
looking Mt 1t, found her husbands eyes
fixed lovingly upon 1t, and then sho hated
1t flercely and blindly. AS for the Cir
cumstance, it kept smiling to itself
jealousy and unreason reigned now be-
tween those two. They grew nervous,
touchy, irritable Each feared thnt tho
Circumstance was robbing him or her of
the others love. And then, again, there
camo moments when, driven by pride and
vanity, each determined to conquer in the
fight and win the sole title to the Circum-
stanco's love
One day fearful thought camo to them
both Each struggled with the thought,
but 1t triumphcd. Then they gavo way
to 1t. The thought, in each of them, was
that If tho Circumstance were out of tho
way they might return to tho old days
when they loved each other SO dearly.
Tho Circumstance was lying up stairs,
asleep. Through tho half open door tho
husband approached on tiptoc. He went
round to the other side of the couch, and
I'm hfS hnn el,n
was glass of water. He had reached
the farther side of the couch and was Just
pouring white powder into the water
when his eyes took on queer fixed stare
Through tho half open door came his
wife, and in her right hand was n glass
OF water. Her eyes were fixed upon tho
face of the Circumstance, and in tho lines
OF her own face battle was raging be-
twcen Love and Self Sacrifice and Hate.
The eyes of husband and vito met, and
two glasses of water went crashing to the
floor Quick signs of shame dyed their
faces, and after an instant of helpless con-
sternntion they came into each others
arms, and for a long time held each other
50, silently.
When tho Circumstance awoke, it hcarl
them speaking all manner of strange
things
We Will nevor let 1t como between us
again, they wero saying. 1--WE will lovo
each other first. and for it we will have an
equal, though secondary affection. But,
first of all, We will love each other"
The Circumstance smiled to itself,
thinking they might have come to That
conclusion long ago without all this trou-
bic and hcartache. 1t did not know how
near 1t had como to never waking from
that sleep. And then, as tho full purport
OF their new resolution came to it, the Cir
cumstnnco clustered with mighty obiec-
lions. 10 BIO second in their affection
mean nothing moro nor less than defeat.
But they merely listened to its ragings
and smiled. Wait" they saiu present
ly we will attend to YOU just now We
two have long fast to atone for" Then
In delicious whisper Come dear, lot
us go for q walk alone together rs we used
to in the old days"
And they went out, leaving tho Circlm-
stance bowling with defeat and wounded
vanity.
For tho Circumstance was their own
child.
queer curl oamo to the kings mouth,
something between q smile and sncer,
He called tho chairman to him. you
will now receive the reward of Justice
no said. Kindly step down into the
arena. Then no gave signal to Cir
cumstanco by his side, and this Circum-
stance went down into the arena with the
chairman, who was white and trembling
The chairman, in q fearful apprehcn-
sion, started to cry out for help. But the
vast audience, in fashion since become
quito universal, had already arisen from
its seats, and with much rustling of skirts
andfans and crumpling of paper and shut
ting up of opera glasses and talking and
laughing was proceeding up tho hugo
aislcs and out of tho Coliseum. So what
ever the chairman had wished to say was