The Wilmington daily Republican., 1895-08-07
PRICE OF A TRUTH.

living curiosity by reason OF the fact that
he was in love with his wife. 1t is cer-
talnly not very heinous offense in the
abstract, even at this end of the nineteenth
century but in the particular set to which
Maxwell Bernard belonged it was not con-
sidcred quite proper to show such marked
attention to the woman who belonged to
yol. Such things were left for other men.
True, Mrs. Maxwell Bernard was young,
accomplished and beautiful--beautiful in
calm, statuesque way that rendered her
10 the many quito inscrutable.
There was one man who claimed to
know her secret heart That man was her
husband. Perchance there was another
who thought he had even greater right,
but that is another story.
OF all the cynic friends who shrugged
their shoulders and sighed for man they
deemed mistaken perhaps the one who
thought the most of the matter was hon
est, drawllng, laughing eyed, indolent Joe
Chesney-Joe Chesney, who was supposed
never to trouble about anything at all, and
whose life was apparently one long and
badly sustained effort to escape from worry
and boredom. But If some of those who
claimed to know the indolent ono had but
scratched below the surface they might
have found a warm hearted creature,
whose caustic laugh did but hide some
better things Of which he was half
ashamed. But they did not take the trou-
bic to scratch, and they did not know or
find the better man.
Years ago, before Maxwell Bernard had
succeeded unexpectedly to a fortune, and
before Joe Chesney, the indolent, had been
called to the bar these two men had been
at school together and had gone together
at Oxford, the one filed, even at that time,
with passionate hope that heInight solye
the great problem called life and make;of
1t 0 better thing for himself and othersj
the other lazily and carelessly admiring
him, but laughing even then, in his boy
ish cynicism, at his friend and at all his
friends airy castles.
So they kept the old boyish bond intact,
having many things in common and a
great, unexpressed devotion for each other
at all tlmes-a devotion that was perhaps
weakened on the one side when Bernard
married, but which never swerved on the
other for all the careless laughter Of the
oynic Joe.
But man is most blind to that which
most concerns himself and is generally the
last to learn of an impending tragedy
which o'ershadows him. So 1t was that,
while all the world who knew them pitied
the man and blamed the wife and whis-
peringly coupled the wife's name with the
name of another man, Maxwell Bernard
knew nothing Of 1t all and lived on in his
FOOLS paradise blind to all things.
But Joe Chesney had heard of It, and
Joe Chesney, despite his philosophy, was
troubled for his friends sake. Joe's phi
losophy had taught him to look on all men
ax.I ltuhtl,r md TO ha sod
their vagarles as child is pleased with a
puppet show. 1t had taught him, too,
deeper insight into human character and
human weakness.
It's not surprisingly he murmured to
himself when he heard the scandal, tug
ging meditatively at his fair mustache
''she's the sort Of woman who would new
erprobe at the depths of poor old Max's
oharacter-the sort of brute that Calvert
Is touches her at once. But I'm sorry for
poor old Max. It'll kill him. He's al
ways SO desperately in earnest. firmly
believe that II the proverbial heavenly
visitant appeared in the Albany and told
him he wouldn't believe it. And she looks
90 sanity. What's to bo doneP Must the
domestic virtues be sustained at the risk
Of a shock, or shall she have her lessonP
The latter would be the more convenient
--and smaoks of orginality-but it would
upset poor old Max. oh, ye friends of my
errnnt youth, why will 70 marryp"
The result of his cogitation was that he
decided to warn his friend. He had moth
ing but feeling of contempt for the wo-
man. 1t Is only fair to say that she did
not enter into his considerations, He
thought only of the friend who had becn
his friend through all his life, since the
days that they had wandered, with arms
afound necks, in the old school playing
Aelds.
The two men met in a fayorite psstau-
rant, with balcony outside its windows
overlooking the crowded and noisy street.
Joe Chesney was, for him, strangely nerv-
Gus and spoke but little; Bernard, for his
part was In the highest possible spirits.
Joe old boy" he exclaimed at last
rallyingly, "you are not yourself Come,
tell your old friend all about It, Is she
coy, or does the Joseph of my youth fear
to tell his love? Who is she? What is shef
Tell me-"
Joe reused himself and smiled across
the table at his friend. "Your thoughts
run ever in the same groove, Max. Are
there no other things save women In this
life OF oursP Does life hold no fairer, fuller
goblet TO our lips, 10 drain IL we willp Is
ambition nothing-friendship nothing-is
there nothing, In short, but kisses, and
empty smiles, and honeyed words, mon
amiP''
"Ah, Joe, said the other lightly, "you
have not been In love-you know nothing
of it. When you have, you will learn
truer, wider life-all things will change"
"Will it blind me to things can SEQ
give me a fools hope, q FOOLS joy-a bask-
iy,f fb., r,ln ~
thunder clouds hanging above me. VIII itp
Tell me thatl"
In his momentary earnestness he had
leaned forward across the table and fixed
his erstwhile careless eyes upon his friend.
The friend startled, looked at him gravely
for moment and then laughed.
Come, my Joe, your cynio nature is
souring you. You want some true little
wolnan's bright eyes to lead you to better
things-to teach
''Tell me whore should find herin ex-
claimed the other bitterly, rising and
pushing aside his chair and moving toward
tho open window. Tell me where, under
these stars, she dwells tonight, and will
seek her and own my philosophy blum
der. "
"Such women as you would want are
rare, said Bernard slowly. "Such a one
as my Stephanie, now-where could you
find''-
"No, no, said the other hurriedly "Not
such as that woman, your wife. Never
that. {"
Maxwell Bernard had risen quickly, and
his face was white as he faced Chesney
The room was empty save for themselves
and the whole place seemed very silent.
Only the muffled roar of the traffic fioated
up to them, and the little French clock on
the mantelshelf seemed to be ticking at
an awful rate.
"Are You mad, Chesney, or have you
been drinkingP' said Bernard coldly
Something has overwrought or troubled
you.
Something has troubled mo. Max, and
the time has como for mo to speak, said
the other In low voice, with all tho old
indolent draYl gone from his tones. ~
haye hroIo oht yOu bnra tonioh ht for that