The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1898-04-27
PASSING THE LOVE OF WOMAN.
You sent for me mother?" +

| time" The woman spoke deliberately
in the monotonous voice of one giving
piece Of information tedious to give.
Angus did not express any surprise.
or regrek The nine years he had spent
with his mother had not helped him 10
know her. Without in the least under
standing wherein lay her strange aloof-
ness, he was conscious that he was su-
premely uninteresting to her. He won
why it should be so, and his honest
| boyish soul was sometimes troubled
| But children submit readily to the in
evitable, and Angus had his cOmpensa-
| tons.
Vera Warden looked at her son with
more interest than was usual with her.
| He was certainly a hand ome lad tall
and well built, with blue eyes that were
| both kind and honest. She had been
long in making her decision. Now that
/ it was made she did not regret; she
only wondered il. somehow. she had
missed something that more common
| place women find easily.
Angus, dear you must take care Of
! father. You and father are so much
| alike-understand each other so we'll
that it will be easy for you. You must
/ be especially good to him now
There was a curious little catch in
| Nera's voice as she said now"
Why are you going, mother" ques-
| toned Angus, feeling that there was
| something even more puzzling than
usual in his mothers manner. When
are you coming back? Father will miss
you?"
viii hep asked Vera. wistfully
| And, you. Angus. will you miss me at
alp"
! Angus was profoundly astonished.
He would like to have kissed his mother
just as he kissed dad, but he did not
dare. He only grew red, and fdgeted
awkwardly, as he answered: of course
l shall miss you. mOther-at meals"
1t was not greed that prompted the
/ child's definition, but the fact that he
| seldom saw his mother. except at
| breakfast and at lunch.
| Vera Warden did not care for chill
dren, and said sO-frequently.
The carriage came to the door. good
by being said without much emotion
| on either side. As she was driven out
Of the big stone gates Vera gave herself
| a little shake, saying, And now for
| life"
| An hour later Thomas Warden re-
| turned from a fishing expedition on the
! other side Of the Dale. The oak trees
| in the avenue had burst into gold
| green leaf. The big chestnut on the
/ lawn-the only chestnut on the estate
was covered with cones of pinky bios
| som. The May sunset touched the grim
gray house with rosy light. and Thomas
Warden felt a welcome in il all
Laying down his rods and fishing
baskets in the han. he went straight to
| his study. There on his blott.ng book
lay the letter he had both dreaded and
expected.
His sunburned face looked gray as ne
took it up. He sat down heavily: then.
with shaking hands, opened the letter
and read:
II have burned my boats: there is no
going back. | warned you that it would
come 10 this: that i would bear the mo-
notony no longer. l have given you ten
years Of my life-the ten best years
Now / owe il To myself to live-it may
be ten years mOre-but. anyway. tn
live Marriage and maternity have for
me proved undressing. but / have
endured them for your sake. and for
young. Had he been in any way an un-
usual boy ! might have found life more
tolerable. TIE develop his mind would |
have been an interest for me, he might |
have shared in some degree. my inspir |
ations after a fuller intellectual life.
But ne i a healthy. handsome. quite |
commonplace boy. who will grow into |
what you would call an honest, God |
fearing man without my help. He has |
an excellent gOverness, and your good |
mother Will doubtless come frequently |
To worship YOU both. ! wish | could |
free YOU Of me altogether. and that you
could marry again and be happy But
YOU are not the sort of man TO bear
with eQuanimity any sort OF scandal or
publicity. and you have my promise
that the life / lead shall be such as
can give you no cause for onense other
than the fact that l lead it away from
Won. For your never-failing courtesy
and kindness thank YOU. Believe me.
| shall always have the sincerest af-
lection and respect for you The fact
remains however. that / cannot lead
your life. and you can lead no other.
Let US then separate, and go our diff
ferent ways in peace
In every conventional and actual
sense. | am and viii be your faithful
wife. VERA WatiDEN.
she had not said to him many times
during the last six months
Now she had actually carried cut
her go often announced intention. and
was gone: and the realization stunned
him. He felt cold and numb. The roar
of the beck. in which he had stood all
morning. was still in his ears. and he
gazed out into the gathering twilight.
seeing nothing-Only conscious that II
was dark and chill everywhere.
There was a knock at the door. and a
servant came in. saying: Please. SIR.
Master Angus is ready. and would Ike
Won TO come to him, if you are not too
tired
Dragging himself out of his chair.
he PASSED his hand across his dazed,.
strained ewes Then he went out of the
room and up the wide old staircase TO
his dresing-room. where Angus slept
i've got a new night suit. dad. just
like yours LOOk-pocket ana trOws-
les. and all" exclaimed the child. dis
nlayinp the latter garments with great
nride. Miss Taylor had them made for
me in York. Aren't they nice?
Yes nv boy, yes-very" but the
voice was absent and Angus felt that
there was something lacking, some
thing that he generally found there.
The child felt frightened. Was dad.
too. going to hold himself aloOf?
Would he. too. take to looking over
peoples heads. and answering in far
away voice? The thought was one full
of omen.
Angus gazed into his fathers face. as
he sat YEARLY on the edge Of the little
bed The child, if commonplace. was
ouick enough to understand those who
loved him. In moment he acquitted
his father, and came and knsit beside