Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-09-29
REUNITED.

1t had been raining for two days, and
now the change to east Of the wind had
brought sleet, and the moisture wal
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 be went up the steps Of
his house, and as he put the key into
his door a vision came to him Of the
April twoyears before-a vision Of long
lanes, with b%lossoming lilaos and horse
chestnuts and daffodils and of a 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 a doting old father, but
ultimately the two had gained his re.
luctant surrender of his only adored
daughter, and they had married.
For just a year they had enjoyed su.
preme, overlooking happiness. Then AL.
ice became jealous. A batch Of old let
tiers 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 lashing her bitter envy
to madness, and the next morning she
had gone to him with marvellous calm
ness and told him of her irrevooabls de.
termination to leave him forever. He
was proud. He had met her with dis.
dainful indifference, had considered sell
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 be scarcely
caught a 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 SC
powerfully sweep over him that be
would have to leave the building.
Only one bond still existed between
them. Alice's father was old and an
invalid. His time was spent at water.
ing places, mostly on the other side,
and it had seemed a simple and dutiful
kind Of falsehood to weave around him
a veil of ignorance as to the real staff
Of affairs and leave him with the happy
feeling Of Alice's joy and completed
love. So they wrote to him regularly
filling their letters with sweet plans
and ambitions, unconsciously embodyin
in them their fondest wishes and mos
heartfelt desires.
George Witherspoon was dressing
himself carefully. Three cravats were
thrown aside before he had tied one tt
his taste. He never looked SO we'll as in
q 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 hi
neck, Dear, dear, how l love you'll
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 sandalwood
her laoes were put away in.
Hush-a knock at the doorl Thu
mans heart swelled with feeling. H,
forget everything, the intervening year
the awful bitterness, the loneliness, ant
be softly opened the door, drunk will
onS dominant idea. His man Chamber
stood without.
"a lady to see you, sir" he said.
"Her namef" Witherspoon asked.
"She says it's not necessary to tel
IL, sir, answered the man, "but it,
on important business she wants you
sir, and she will keep you only : min
ute."
Witherspoon's whole being wal vi
brating. What was this strange premo
milton! Was 1t sorrow coming or did h,
feel q dawning joy9
"I'll be down in d moment, he said,
He walked up and down the room rap
idly several times. It was their ami
versary. He had remembered and KEEP
Il 60 rigidly. It was barely possible /,
had come over her as strongly-the hap
piness they were missing from theil
lives, the incompleteness Of their vapit
present-and perhaps she had come K
him. He was almost running down ths
stairs In his eagerness. He held bacl
The portisreA and there she stood before