The Press., 1898-07-28
REUNITED.

It had been raining for two days, and now the change to east of the wind had brought sleet, and the moisture was freezing in thin, dangerous ice on the pavements.
 George Witherspoon swung the cor ner into Pine street. His usually erect body was bent against the strength of the wind.
 "Such weather for the last of April, he muttered as he went up the steps of his house, and as he put the key into his door vision came to him of the April two years before-a vision of long lanes, with blossoming lilacs and horse chestnuts and daffodils and of tall and radiant woman always at his side. He entered the house and went slowly up stairs. How clearly it all streamed out, enveloped his mind, his senses He had first seen her at a table d'hote in Paris. He had followed her over half of Eu- rope and had finally met her at Baden Baden. She had doting old father, but ultimately the two had gained his re- luctant surrender of his only adored daughter, and they had married. For just year they had enjoyed su- preme, overfowing happiness Then AL ice became jealous. A batch of old let ters had come to her from an unscrupu- lous woman her husband had been fasci- mated by in his extreme youth at college, and she resented with all her intense passionate nature anything which could come between them and their exclusive love for one another. She had spent one long night alone flashing her bitter envy to madness, and the next morning she had gone to him with marvellous ,cals ness and told him of her irrev1, x ale sra termination to leave him forever. He was proud. He had met her with dis dainful indifference, had considered self justification unnecessary, and they had separated.
 They both had lived quietly. They | went nowhere, for their friends were common ones, and they avoided all pos sible annoying meetings He spent his time on the board of trade, at his clubs or in his home, which he could not bring himself to give up, and she had so restricted her life that he scarcely caught glimpse Of her. Only at the theater or at some concert did her pure, proud profile suddenly start out from the crowd, and then emotion would so powerfully sweep over him that he would have to leave the building. Only one bond still existed between them. Alices father was old and an invalid. His time was spent at water ing places, mostly on the other side, and it had seemed simple and dutiful kind of falsehood to weave around him a veil of ignorance as to the real state I I<,Q Ey-i,, l. sAI. feeling of Alioe's joy and completed love. So they wrote to him regularly, filling their letters with sweet plans and ambitions, ,unconsciously embodying in them their fondest wishes and most heartfelt desires.
 George Witherspoon was dressing himself carefully. Three cravats were thrown aside before be had tied one to his taste. He never looked so we'll as in Tuxedo, Alice had always said. He | could hear her voice now, her low, thrilling voice, saying as she came to- ward him across the hall, My big, stunning sweetheart" and just before she put her arms closely around hii neck, Dear, dear, how I love youp
 He shivered with desire for her. Would he never recover? Would he never forget? He thought he could al most feel her face pressed softly against his-his nostrils were filled with the sweet, subtle smell of the sandalwooG her laces were put away in.
 Hush-a knock at the doorl The mans heart swelled with feeling. Ht forget everything, the intervening year the awful bitterness, the loneliness, anG he softly opened the door. drunk witt one dominant idea His man Chamber stood without.
 "A lady to see you, sir." he said. "Her name?" Witherspoon asked.
 "She says it's not necessary to tel it, sir," answered the man, "but it' on important business she wants you sir, and she will keep you only a min ute."
 Witherspoon whole being was vi brating. What was this strange premo milton? Was it sorrow coming or did h. feel dawning joy?
 "T'Il he down in a moment '' ha said