The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-07-03

In the navy, with its rapid and con-
slant changes, its almost limitless pos
sibilities from day to day, the fates
themselves seem to sit alert, spinning
on ones very doorstep. One uncon-
sciously treads lightly and whispers in
hopes of being forgotten, if only for a
passing hour. Many hasty word dies
on the lips because of the aching mem
DRY of a cruise just passed. the haunt
ing fear of one fast approaching.
OF course. there had been misunder-
standings between them before. in the
usual rise and fall in the tide of all hu-
man relations, but never before any
thing like this.
Ensign Phelps had just returned from
a long wearing cruise to find con-
dition of things political that suddenly
dwarfs the proportions of things femi-
nine Also his sense of humor, never
rampant happened TO be further atten-
tuated by studying late into the night
for his approaching examination for
promotion.
Mrs. Phelps had tried to face it all.
but the two dreary years of separation
had left her with nerves that shivered
at n breath. Then. too, she had IN
stantly recognized and resented that
feeling in him that comes TO ALI men
at such times-the sense that the deem
purposes and ends of his life had
brushed her aside: that he wanted
both arms free for once. The brute
that fights to win and has been trained
Is years for lust that. awake and on
fire within him Nothing of this had
been spoken between them, and yet it
was at the root of their quarrel that
spring morning, when words were said
back and forth that seemed to sweep
ND the love. devotion. patience, OF two
lives like ashes on the hearth where a
fire has died.
He strobe along the gray, chill
streets on the wav to his shin at the
navy yard, and she stood still, wide
eyed and white. and for them both the
past and future were wiped ont. and
the present only lived in one of those
flaming agonies of disillusion of which
one somehow survives such surpris-
ing number in the course of A life
time.
The baby at her feet plucked at her
dress and the mother did not even feel
it. wrapped in that overwhelming sense
of finality that belongs to passionate
youth.
She was conscious of no particular
animosity lust then, only a sort Of
wonder and awe that this should be the
end of it alI-the end OF happy girl
hood, when his words of love had made
a woman of Der in a day; and harry
wears of wifehood. when they were
lovers still: and even happier mother
hood. that had set her apart sanctified
forever in his eveS-so he had stoODed
and whispered to her, that night when
the light burned low nearby. and she
had fallen asleep with her hand in his.
She looked about in dull amazement
at the familiar things about her that
made up their simple little home.
There under the lamn were his books
snd q Dad and pencil. where he had
sat STUDYING last night and near it her
work. where she had been beside him
sewing in unwilling silence after heT
long isolation. The indent of her head
was still in the pillow on the lounge,
where she had at length thrown her
self and Law watching him until she
fell asleep toward midnight.
She glanced about, half daZed: and
then Ruth. her old colored maid. the
only servant she had ever had. came in
from the kitchen and smoke to her in
that low sweet, compelling voice of
hers that went back to Mrs. PhelnS'
babyhood down in Maryland. She
obeyed the voice from habit. and wont
about her morning duties,
in the performance of which a certain
anu IeIhiliSO " Hti
frozen mood. \ sense of anger and
outrage began to burn again at his last
singing words, whose probe went deep
with the sure cruelty of long associa-
ton.
She took her little girl and went out
on her homely round of marketing.
largely trumped up by keenwitted old
Ruth.
On returning. she toiled YEARLY up
the three flights of the apartment /
elevator so seldom ran after /
the men had gone for the day. She /
sank exhausted on the lounge in the 4,
tiny dining room. and let the child pull /
off her gloves, one obstinate finger at {
a time. Her eyes were shut, and a ,
nerveless reaction had set in. when !
she heard a young step bounding up /
the stairs and a sharp ring at her bell /
She was half conscious that Ruth /
opened the door, and that a boys high |
voice was saying:
Cant I see the lady herself?"
She sat UP as he approached.
Holding telefoam-corner drug store,