The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-11-22
CHAPTER uccosrHuEp.


The clock crept on to twelve before
Rosalys had. written word. The la
Dor seemed Herculean-insuperabl
Why had she not told him face to face?
Twelve o'clock it was. and nothing
done; and controlling herself as women
can, when they must, she went down to
the door. Softly opening it a little way
she saw against the iron gate imme-
diately without it the form of her hus-
band, Jim Durrant-upon the whole
much the same form that she had
known eight years ago.
"Here am" said he.
"Yes," said she.
"Open this iron thing"
4 A momentary feeling of aversion
caused her to hesitate.
do you hear-do You mean to say
Rosalys." he began.
Mono. OF course 1 wilI!" She
opened the grille and he came up and
touched her hand lightly.
kissing not allowed, suppose" he
observed, with mock solemnity, Gin
view of the fact that you are to be
married tomorrow"
"You know better" she said. 'Of
course I'm not going to commit bigamy!
The wedding is not TO be-"
y: "Have you explained It to him?"
"N-no-not yet. was just writing
It when"
"Ha-you haven't. Good. Woman's
way. Shall give him friendly call
tomorrow morning."
30 no, no-let me do it!'' she i'm
plored. 81 love him SO we'll, and it
will break his poor heart if it is not
done gently! o God-if 1 could only
die tonight, while he still believes in
me! You don't know what affection
have felt for him!" she continued, mis-
erably, not caring what Jim thought.
''He has been my whole world! And
he-he believes me to be SO good: He
has all the old-fashioned ideas of mar
riage- that people of your fast sets
smile at! He knows nothing of any
kind of former acquaintance between
You and me. l ought not to have done
it-kept him in the dark! tried not
to. But l was so fearfully lonely
And now I've lost him! y If I
: could only have got at that register in
that city church, how l would have
torn out the leaf!" she added vehe-
mently.
mats q pleasant remark to make
to a husband!"
''Well-that was my feeling: may
as well be honest! 1 didn't know you
were coming back any more; and you
yourself suggested that I might be
able to remarry!"
You'd better do i'll shan't tell.
And If anybody else did, the punish
ment is not heavy nowadays. The
judges are beginning to discountenance
informers on previous marriages, if the
new-assorted parties themselves are
satisfied to forget them"
Don't insult me SO. You've not for
gotten how to do that in all these
years.
There was silence, in which she
with passive gloom regarded the famil-
lar scene before her. The inquisitivc
jays, the pensive wood-doves, that
lodged ut their ease whereabouts, as if
knowing that their proprietor was a
gunless woman, all slept calmly, and
not creature was conscious of the
presence of these two but little
squirrel they had disturbed in beech
near the shady wall. Durrant re-
manned gazing at her; then he spoke, in
a changed and richer voice:
''Rosalys!"
She looked vaguely at his face with
out answering.
"How pretty you look in this star
Eght-much as you did when we used
to meet here nine or ten years ago!''
"Ah! But"
The sentence was broken by his
abrupt movement forward. He seized
her firmly in his arms, and kissed her
before she was aware.
''Don't-dont" she said, struggling.
'Why?"
81 don't like you'll don't like you'll"
"What rot! Yes, you do! Come
damn you, dear-put up your face as
you used to! Now, I'm not going off
In huff-I'm determined won't; nor
shall you either! Let me sit
down in your hall, or somewhere,
Rosalys! I've come long way to-day,
and I'm tired. And after eight years."
81 don't know what to say to it
there's no light downstairs! The serv-
ants may hear us, too-it is not so very
late"
1--WE can whisper. And suppose they
do? They must know tomorrow.
She gasped a sigh, and preceded him
in through the door; and the innocent
squirrel saw nothing more.
Three hours and half later they re-
appeared. The lawn was as silent as
when they had left it, though the
sleep Of things had weakened down to
a certain precarious slightness; and
round the corner of the house low
line of light showed the dawn.
snow, good-by, dear" said her hus-
band, lightly. You'll let him know
at once?"
s'Of course"
'And send to me directly after?'
"Yes."
sand now for my walk across the
fields to the hotel. These boots are
thin, but 1 know the old way weH
enough. By Jove, wonder what Me-
lanie-"
''Who?"
.'Oh-what Melanie will think, 1
was going to say. 1t slipped out. I
didn't mean to hurt your feelings at
ALL"
.Melanie-who is she?"
s'Well-she's a French lady. You
know, of course, Rosalys, that thought
you were perhaps dead-and-so this
lady passes as Mrs. Durrant."
Rosalys started.
Sin fact, found her in the east. and
took pity upon her-that's all. Though
A. f. had hammered that Won had not