The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-07

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warmer and Mrs. Parker's brain became |
more confused. But in spite of those |
two pranks of an adverse fate everything |
might have gone off without any addi- |
tional trouble had she not come across !
that unfinished piece of embroidery for
which the sken of salmon pink was in
tended. 1t was about 10 o'clock then,
and she wondered if she had given Mr..
Parker the sample and asked him to
match it. She tried to remember just
| what she had done about it, but for the
life of her she couldn't clear her brain of
cobwebs, and the only point that stood
out distinctly was the fact that she
wanted to finish the piece. for it had been
on her hands long time, and that she
had no silk to do it with. She wanted to
make sure of getting it that day, so in q
hastily-written note the nature of the re-
quired GRAND was explained, thread of
silk was enclosed and boy from the
house across the street WAS dispatched
toward the Office district with an en-
velope across which she had hurriedly
written: "Mr. Joseph Parker"
III. ..fSSS. uvon threatened to drag
! YEARLY away. About / o'clock Mrs.
Parker decided to brave the humidity of
the atmosphere and attend to the shop
ping herself, thereby relieving her hus-
band of disagreeable duty and tighten
ing, for the time bel ,g her own burden
of grief and anxiety She called at Mr.
Parker's office before going to the stores
He was out and had been for several
hours, the boy said. She resolved Ito
leave him n note, and the boy rolled
back the top of the big desk and drew up
| n chair. She sat down and looked about
! her. There were many letters and pa
| pers scattered around, but on the most
| conspicuous place on the blue blotter was
| n square, white envelope. 1t had not
come through the mail, for it was not
Stamped and bore mo postmark, and the
| only superscription was the name, "Mr
| Joseph Parker
| Her lips grew thin and white with fear
and her pulse throbbed wildly. She bent
| forward and looked at it again Surely
she could not be mistaken. 1t was a
woman's writing. Another keen scru-
tiny OF the small, jerky "a" the fine
lined SIN" and "h' and the stubby 'rs"
convinced her that none but feminine
hand could have penned them, and then
her heart broke with long-drawn, quiz
eriug sigh of anguish. She glanced at
the boy His back was turned toward
her and besides he was deeply engIossed
in drawing some unrecognizable object
that was sprawled out over the paper be-
fore him. Her eyes rested on the letter
once more. A vixenish light scintillated
In their blue depths and she quickly exc
| Culcu ucT quickly COuCelVeQ plan.
"Teli Mr. Parker called" she said,
shutting down the top Of the desk with
q bang
1t was o'clock when Mr.. Parker gut
home that night. He expected to be met
with a conciselY worded and severely de.
livered scolding for keeping the dinner
waiting for more than half an hour, but
he laid his hand over the pocket where
rested the skein of salmon-pnk silk
| haH ha IF h o da1o nd
though, out the speech with which he
would present it as peace-offering. He
hurried through the hall into the dining
room, but the table was not set and his
wife was not there. He peered into the
kitchen and parlor. They, too were
empty He remembered how tired she had
looked In the morning and fearing she
was really i'll, he FASTENED up to her own
room. He did not see her ut first. He
stood in the doorway moment, irreso-
lutte, and then low, strangling sob
broke the stiffness and fell with pain full
clearness on his ear. In far corner be-
hind screen, she was curled up on q
couch that had been wheeled there, and
every curve and angle of her pretty body
was expressive of the acute agony that
thrilled her and escaped in low means
and cries.
"Whst Is the matter, Laura? Are you
sick?" he exclaimed, hurrying toward
her. He would have taken her In his
arms, but she sprang away from him
and pushed him back in frenzy anger
"Dont come near me-" she said,
fiercely GIVE caught you at last. /
went TO your office to-day. You were not
in, but l found this-this," and she
threw in his face the hateful letter. 81
didn't open it. You shall do that in my
presence and thus convict yourself Mrs.
Wilson was right. Every man soon tires
of his own wife. What business has
any other woman to go into your office
In your absence, should like to know,
and leave letters for you? How dare she
presume to do such thing, and how
dare you to encourage it? You infamous
wretch to wreck my happiness this way
Oh, it's woman's writing; / could
swear to it. Why don't you open itY
Don't hesitate You'll have to come to
it sooner or later"
He tore open the envelope and she drew
step nearer. Slowly he unfolded the
piece of paper, and there fell therefrom
short length of salmon-pink thread.
Gravely he stopped and picked it up, and
read aloud:
Dear Joseph: I forgot whether told
you this morning or not. Here is sam
pie of silk. Please match it to-day sure
"LAURA."
She had sunk down on the couch again
and was staring at him with wonder and
self reproach. He took the skein of SAL
mon-pink silk from his pocket and held it
up before her.
'Is this the right shades" he asked,
quietly.
She crept forward and pulled him down
beside her.
eyes" she said, and her arms fasten-
ed tightly around his neck. 81 guess it