The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1899-01-21

S">N - hAh Az lCdil1
seemed to be enjoying their evening.
Mrs. Trelawney reflected. and then,
with III indescribable sensation, it &C.
Cured to her that she, the admired and
petted society beauty, was actually en-
vyfng that plain. badly-dressed, penni-
=! loss little girl
Mrs. Trelawney breathed a long sigh
OF relief when the brougham door was
shut upon her, and she was on her way
home. She had a long way to drive;
plenty Of time to follow out her present
train of thought. and TO be as unhappy
as she pleased.
She told herself that she was a de-
spicable little wretch, a mere society
butterfly, and it was no wonder Horace
was tired of her. If only Horace had
been poor. so that he and she could have
worked and struggled together! If
only their n child had lived beyond
boyhood. But that she could not bear
to think of even now. If only all the
last ten years could be lived over again,
how differently she would use them.
Now it was too late. and then she sud-
denly sat up straight. with faSt-beatinp
heart. 1t was not too late. il could not
be too late. She would begin this night
n try 10 restore something of the old
loving relations of ten years ago. She
would call for her husband now at the
club; she remembered having done so
once or twice in those bygone days,
when something imperative had pre-
vented him from coming with her, 10
their mutual disappointment.
She gave the necessary order to her
cCachman and then sat tense and up-
right, her eyes bright. her checks
flushed.
All. they were not far from the club
now-five minutes more, and her new
life would have begun.
She had no idea what the time was,
but it could not be so late, for the pave
ment was thronged with people-alI 60
ing the same way, oddly enough. as it
occurred to her after a moment. There
were so many of them that presently
the carriage was blocked and obliged to
90 slowly; she beat her little hands on
the seat in her Impotence and looked
out again.
Its the club that is on fire. ma'am."
a policeman said. Then, as she turned
white, he added kindly: Don't be
frightened. ma'am. they've got the fire
well in hand by this time. and everyone
is out"
"Au safe" Mrs. Trelawney gasped.
well, a few broken bones and such
like" said the policeman, cheerfully.
Nothing to speak of. ma'am-only one
gentleman killed. 4 sad business that"
"Who?"
The gentleman who did such great
things out in Burmah a few years age
Mag. Trelawney.'
My husband"
Had they brought him-it-home?
she wondered. with a long shudder.
She was in the hall 10Y and some one
was hurrying to meet her-the doctor.
She was not surprised to see him there;
in her drcamiike state nothing seemed
strange any more.
Il have bad news for you. Mrs. Ire
iawney."
hlAoNN hlioNN. SIt
petulantlv. In her unreasoning mis-
cry she was annoyed by his hushed
tone. Her own voice vas unnaturally
shrili and strained, and the doctor
raised his hand IN protest.
What heartless creatures these pref
" women are!" he was thinking-an
unconscious echo of the servants opin-
ion.
IL must beg of you to control your
self" he said. stcrnIy. "Everything de-
ponds on quiet. His life is hanging on
& thread"
His life? God: Then h. is not
dead?!"
She had brushed past the doctor.
deaf to his remonstrances. With noise
less. fiving feet she was up the staircase.
and Il moment later was kneeling by
her husbands bedside.
The doctor. following rapidly. stood
arrested AT the door. looking in at the
darkened room. the kneeling white fig
ure. with clasped hands and large. fixed
ewes. the swathcd wreck of a man ~
irg still on the bed.
One hanG lay outside the c"HtFict.
Her own stole out slowly. hungrily. to-
ward it. as if her own daring scared
her. She bowed her head over the BAN
daoed hand at last and knelt motion
less. The doctor. watching, and quite
forgetting his scathin% condemnation
of a before. thought with a
swift contempt of certain reports con-
corning the T~reiawney's domestic hap
piness which had reached his ears.
Something came before his shrewd,
keen ewes which blurred the picture
before him. He turned aside for a mo-
ment and then vas recalled by . swift,
low cry: Horace, o Horace"
The doctor sprang forward and then
drew back. The injured mans eyes
had opened and were fixed on the shim-
mering white figure with an expression
of mingled awe. unbelief. bliss.
Clara" said the faintest whisper in
the world.
The doctor could scarcely hear it. He
did rot know that the old pet name had
never been used for years.-Sketch.