El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-06-10
CHAPTER ]

Don't, Paul-don't stare at me like
that!" cried my wife, leaning forward
on her chair and laying her small hot
palm across my eyes, with gesture
half scared. half petulant, that irri-
tated me vaguely. Il don't like It,
DEAR
II beg your pardon, Helen" I re-
sponded somewhat huffily, drawing
back. 81 really was not aware you
objected SO pointedly to my looking at
you"
'I DON'T don't!' she broke in
eagerly. How could you imagine
such a thing? 1t was the expression
OF your face, Paul, that took me back
for the moment, when I turned my
head and found you sitting there
watching me with such a critical,
searching sort of look, almost as II
you-you@"
Gas If I what, sweetheart" I asked.
appeased by the carressing touch.
LAS if you saw something in me
you could not quite make out, and did
not like at a1l-at all! But I was
mistaken in that, wasn't I, Paul?"
Then, after a moments pause, as
I did not reply
"Sure it was only foolish fancy on
my part? Say it was only that-ah,
say 1t was only that, love!" she wh1s-
pered, in the soft drawing brogue
was learning to like.
well, DEAR" answered slowly, "as
you press me so, 1 must admit L was
a little surprised, after leaving you on
the lawn ronping with the dogs IN
the very ecstacy of high spirits, declar-
ing that even the twenty-first of June
was too short day to be happy IN,
to find you half an hour later sitting
here alone, to all appearance prey
to the profoundest melancholy, your
eyes perfect wells of despair, looking
as if the burthen Of existence was too
heavy to be borne another summers
day."
1T was heavy-so heavy! You are
right could not have borne it much
longer. For the last twenty minutes
IL have been your widow, Paul.
"Oh,' 1 said, with feeling of unac-
countable relief, stroking her tumbled
silky hair, Il seei You were my
widow, madam very fattering and
satisfactory explanation Of your ap-
pearance indeed But, dear, don't you
think, all circumstances considered, 1t
is rather premature for either Of us to
don the weeds even in spirit yet?"
She was nineteen, as fresh and as
harry as the mountain heather she
had lived among all her life 1 was
twenty-five, stood six feet one in my
stockings, and had not known an
hours illness since l had the measles
many years before.
THAT was not the kind of widow
hood meant" Helen said. looking at
me with a touch of pathetic reproach
in her strange eyes. Your death,
your mere bodily extinction, Paul,
would not grieve me for long; I should
cease to mourn you soon enough"
Mrs. Dennys," exclaimed, in |
mock indignation, explain yourself.
please! You surely would give me
the conventional year of Grape at the
least?"
mo, I wouldn't-not year, not a
week, not a day, for I would die the
same moment you did. Do you think
I could live and you dead, husband?"
"And yet you say you were my
widow for full twenty minutes, true
daughter of Erin?"
THAT was because had lost you in
a way that severed us in life as well
as in DEATH"
Lost me in way that severed us
In life as well as in death? This Is
dreadful weather for conundrumsi
give it up!" I responded languidly.
Twas widowed, Paul, because I
had lost your 1ove-because you cared
Tor another woman more than for me-"
she returned, in a low voice. looking
1t me with eyes full Of tragic denunci-
alton, as Rebecca might have looked
1t Ivanhoe, as poor La Valliere at
Louis when she babe him her last
yood-by outside the convent gates.
I laughed little too boisterously, l
cit, and drew her to my side.
"To be sure, to be sure,'' assented
81 never thought of that So !
ution! How long is it since I first
earned to care for you, ma belle? That
lay you and I slipped down the noun
ain side through the yellow broom?-
ct me see-seven, eight, why, nearly
line months agoi A long spell of con-
tancy-almost time 1 should be weary
ng for another love, isn't it? Some
men, you know, would like a change
f wife with every change Of coat; but
S 1 happened to be of rather conserva- .
i've kidney, 1 think 1 ought to be able
D wear one wife to three coats at the
east. and I believe 1 courted you in .
he very cloth your fingers are caress- l
lg now. It's getting bit shabby,
D be sure; but"
"You may treat my words lightly" , d
ne interrupted, leaning over me with
alf-closed eyes, bright pink spot Z
urning on her cheeks. 81 still
tick to my opinion, something
Ills me I shall lose you, as I say-some +
ayr
Feed your melancholy on the
ncY" retorted with peevish uneasi-