The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1896-01-04
A GAME FOR TWO.

Never would have believed Dick cap
able Of such base and heartless duplici-
tyif my own eyes had not borne witness
To its odious existence. / loved him
loved him moresthan woman ever loved
mar before. / had heard hard things
said of him, but / credited not
one of them; common rumor-
which always SAVIOR of spite-could
not shake my faith in the man to
whom 1 had pledged myself, heart and
life. And yet here-here beneath my
fngers-Iay equivocal proof of his
,Ruileful, t~reacherous nature.
Dick and 1 had been engaged less than
"A month-how oon had he tired of me,
when mother accepted his fathers
Invitation to the Norfolk home of the
Rowes. Dick journeyed down with us
from town, and l am sure the shrewdest
reader of character would never have
! suspected that even then his brain was
busy scheming against my happiness
50 careful of mother was he, so atten-
tive to our every want and comfort.
Yet this must have been the case, for
on the second day after our arrival
became privy, by the merest chance,
10 his ~perfidious designs.
That morning before dinner 1 made
my way TO the library, whittier / knew
Dick had gone to write his letters, he
told me. His absence had been SO un-
-conscionably long that ] determined
to invade his solitude, even at the risk of
being chided for it. While 1 was yet
20 yards from the library door 1 heard
Ibis voice raised in a hullahaloo such as
only he can create.
SECT out of there, you snappy little
5brutel" he cried. 'SsssshI-phewi-
.scati"
Ipushed open the door just in time to
see him vault over the table, overturn
/, aeouple of chairs and disappear through
the French windows that abutted the
terrace. Through this glass 1 caught
fitful glimpses of him as he dashed
hither and thither after mothers pet
spaniel-a sweet, lovely doggic he is,
too-who, on his part. vas equally ex-
cited in yapping and scurrying after
Mr.. Rowe's cherished peacocks.
"Come here, siri" shouted Dick, angri-
1y. "Gari you horrible little beastl"
And the language Dick usedi Ger
tainly it was not warranted by the oc-
-casion, for the dear little animal meant
no harm, but was only giving vent to
his natural playfulness. / could re-
strain myself no longer when Dick, irri-
tated by his fruitless chase, began to
throw handfuls of tuft and gravel at
the frolicsome little creature.
Stepping toward the window to ex-
postulate, my eyes happened to fall
upon the letter Dick had been writing
before this interruption came. The
words 1 saw glued me to the spot.
Without shame / say it-there and
then ! read every syllable he had SO far
penned.
my DARLING CURLY-LocKs," 50 this ex-
ecrable epistle an. You must really
learn to moderate the fervor of your billet
Tiouz in future- and so must /. II she saw
them-she who must oe o~beyed-they
would give rise to such Questionfngs as
even ]. with all my wits, would be unable
to parry without letting out our secret.
We must be cautious, therefore, and lie
low. I win hatchup a dodge by which you
can be brought into the house unknown to
her. Leave that to me. As for the pres
ents 1 promised you. you shall have them
without fail II o solemnly assure me
hat you viii not seek to rule me IN future
as you AVE done in the
At this point the letter broke of.
But I had read enongh-too much. in
deed, for my peace. And this was
Z Dick This mean, crafty, guilty wretch
Was Dick-the true Dicki
With an effort I forced back the tears
that welled to my eyes. He was not
worth a sighS hid be strong. l
would beat down by fondness for him
my foolish, confiding infatuation-.
even though my heart broke under the
ordeal.
I had crossed the floor and taken a
book from the shelves ere Dick, having
driven the poor dog indoors. blundered
into the room. 1 caught his muttered
MISREPRESENTATION little curl be-
fore Ke espied me.
Ah,J knnie-you heres' he exclaimed,
with simulated Joy. sTm.ssffy1h have
been IS long. Fact is. ~
Ehifehe vas speaking he sided
towa3d tie table, lifted up the blottfng
gad,f and steaIthay dropped it over
7haf horribh letter. Well hemighthide
It'll Then, with outsttetched hand he
anne in mE direction.
@Capf< Rowe I said coldly, drasing
back. yon hay-you are1neser
thought you ebnld be $3.50 heartiesAs
ssThere was TX other way he ri
Joined. notwithstanding my allusioA.
sodldns catch the beas-the dog&
end we should shtse had my father
-dcan on u thrd&ts II anything had
Happened TO his pretious bffds
'Em glad zou eOasifss s0znsb0ay