Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1897-10-14

standing, and you need not trouble
yourself"
"Why, John" said she, shave you lost
your senses?"
mo; on the contrary, I have recov.
cred them, l am no longer dupe.
was fool enough to think you"
"John, for Gods sake tell me what
this means!"
''Oh, Mildred! Mildred!" said he,
breaking down utterly. "Why did you
not tell me like an honest woman that
you loved some one else?"
"John, you know, T.
"Stop!" said he. 'Stop! do not stain
your soul with anymore falsehood.
"You need not have married me-"
went on the wretched man. "God
knows wish you had not"
She tried to put her arms about him
as he paced to and fro in rapid strides,
but he pushed her away angrily. mo,
no more of that. That has lost its
charm"
Mildred burst into tears.
II never = would-have-bel believed
you e-so-so-cruel," sobbed
she. What have done?"
''Done?" shouted the exasperated
man, done? Why, you have spoiled
the life of an honest man, who dotted on
you, believed in you-like trusting
fool-who would have risked his life on
your honesty"
STOP" said Mildred, and she gath
cred herself up to fuller height than
Johns eyes had ever before beheld in
her. She, too, was angry now.
IF you have any charges to make 1
demand that they be definite and not in
base innuendo. You are very cruel and
also very insulting to me. / shall not
remain in this house tonight; nor re-
turn to it until you have apologized."
And she swept from the room and from
Johns astonished sight.
A moment later he heard the messen-
ger call, then heard his wife give an or
der for cab, then saw her packing a
handbag. He intended doing so him
self. But somehow having her do them
was infinitely harder to bear.
Mildred was very angry. mot a
thing of HIS" she said to herself as she
stripped off her rings and gathered her
trinkets. "My purse, too," she thought,
and went to the desk to find it. Her hus-
band had been watching for this. He
knew she would try to secure that let
ter.
"Oh," said he, you are little too
late. You should have thought of that
before"
These, to her, unmeaning words, ut
tered with much concentrated bitter
ness, made her seriously doubt his san
ity. She looked at him curiously. How
else could she construe this incompre-
hensible fury? she pursued. The
thought had Gained her resentment.
She went to his side, placed her hand
kindly on his arm. 'My. dear john"
said she, 'will you explain to me what
all this means?'
He felt touched, and oh, how he
longed to take her to his heart; but that
could never be again.
'Will you first explain to me-" he an
swered, trying to be hard and cold;
explain to me where you were yester-
day?"
Certainly he is mad" she thought,
and she tried to be very calm.
"Ah, yes" he went on. "You can look
very innocent, but, woman, look at
that!" and with tragic gesture he held
up the paper.
Mildred looked at it bewildered; then
she read: Dear Frank" A CLEAN of
light first came into her face, and grad
ually deepened into an expression of in
terest and amusement. She understood
it all.
John looked to see her crushed, de-
spairing and penitent; and instead he
witnessed this unaccustomed, this ex-
traordinary change, and laughter
peal after peal of silvery laughter-rang
through the rooms. She tried to speak,
but could not.
John in his turn began to think that
she was mad. At last, with tears run
ming down her cheeks, not from grief
this time, she said:
"Oh, you dear silly-silly thing! Oh,
you dear goose-that's my story-and
was going to surprise you-and bring
you ever-ever SO much money-and
now you have gone-and spoiled"-and
here she began to cry in earnest. "And
-you-have = said such cruel
cruel
Her sobs, together with Johns great
enfolding arms, stifled the rest. ooh, my
angel, my angel, 1 have been such a
brute. Can you ever forgive me Pm.
Y. Graphic.
WHY SOLDIERS WERE TOO SHORT