Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1898-05-26
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.
'sSuch weather for the last of April, -
he muttered as he went up the steps Of
his house, and as he put the &ey into
his door vision came to him of the
April two years before--a vision of long
lanes, with blossoming lilaos and horse
chestnuts and daffodiIs 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 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, overhowing 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 lashing her bitter envy
to madness, and the next morning she
had gone to him with marvellous calm
ness and told him of her irrevocable de-
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. 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 simple and dutiful
kind of falsehood to weave around him
a veil of ignorance as to the real state
of affairs and leave him with the happy
feeling of Affects 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
bis taste. He never looked SO we'll as in
a Tuxedo, Alice had always said. He
SOd4Q 4ACuA 1CA NOlC0 AOW3 ICE lOWg
thrilling voice, saying as she camerto-
yard him across the hall, my big,
stunning sweetheart, and Just before
she put her arms closely around his
peck, 'tDear, dear, how love your'
He shivered with desire for her.
Would be 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 laces were put away in.
Hush--a knock at the doorl The
mans heart swelled with feeling. He
forget everything, the intervening year,
the awful bitterness, tho loneliness, and
he softly opened the door. drunk with
one dominant idea. His man Chambers
stood without.
" A lady to see you, sir, he said.
Her nameT'' Witherspoon asked.
''She says it's not necessary to tell
it, sir, answered the man, but it's
on important business she wants you,
sir, and she will keep you only min
ute. ="
Witherspoon's whole being was vi
brating. What was this strange premo-
milton? Was it sorrow coming or did he
feel dawning joys
'l'll be down in moment, he said
Hs walked up and down the room rap
idly several times. It was their ami
versary. He had remembered and kept
it SO rigidly. 1t was barely possible it
had come over her as strongly y--the hap
piaess they were missing from their
lives, the incompleteness of their vapid
present-and perhaps she had come to
him. He was almost running down the
stairs in his eagerness. He held back
the portisras, and there she stood before