The Eddy current., 1899-02-11

thatl" 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 H.
dear"
II beg your pardon. Helen" re-
aponded somewhat hunily, drawing
back II really was not aware you
objected 80 pointedly to my looking al
you"
Il don't-1 dontT' she broke In
eagerly. How could you imagine
such .hing7 II was the expression
OF your face, Paul, that took me back
for the moment. when ! turned my
head and found you sitting there
watching me with such critical.
searching sort OF look. almost as II
you-you-"
"As n what. sweetheart" ! asked,
appeased by the carresslng touch.
As n you saw something In me
you could not quite make out, and did
not like at all-at ALL But l was
mistaken In that, wasn't !, PaulY"
Then, after moments pause, as
I did not reply
Sure Il was only foolish fancy on
my part7 Say II was only ihat--ah'
say II was only that. lovel" she whis-
pered, In the soft drawling brogue
was learning 10 like.
We'll. dear" / answered slowly, las
you press me 80, must admit was
q little surprised, after leaving you on
the lawn romplng with the dogs In
the very ecstacy OF high spirits, declar-
ing that even the twenty-hrst OF June
was too short a day TO be happy In,
20 fine y0u half an hour later sitting
here alone. to all appearance u prey
20 the proioundest melancholy, your
eyes perfect webs OF despair, looking
Is II the burthen OF existence was too
heavy to be borne another summers
day"
1T was heavy-so heayyl You are
right. ] could not have borne Il much
longer. For the last twenty minutes
IL have been your widow. Paul"
"Ol," | said. with feeling OF unae-
countable relief. stroking her tumbled
silky hair, IL seel You were my
widow, madam-a very hatterlng and
satisfactory explanation OF your APP
pearance indoedl but. dear. don't you
think, all circumstances considered, II
. A. rather premature f,r either OF MS 10
don the weeds even In spirit yet?"
She was nineteen, Rs fresh and aa
hardy as the mountain heather she
had lived among all her life. | was
twenty-five, stood six feet one In my
stockings, and had not known an
hours illness since had the measles
many years before.
THAT was not the kind OF widow
hood ! meant" Helen said. looking al
me with touch OF pathetic reproach
IN her strange eyes Your death,
your mere bodily extinction. Paul
would not grieve me FOR long; / should
cease 10 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
leaHt9"
mo. wouldn't-not year not q
week, not a day, FOR ] would die the
same moment you dld. DO you think
y II could live and you dead. husband p
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 a way that severed NJ
ia life as well as In deRth2 This Il
dreadful weather for conundrumsl
give Il upl" I responded languidly.
Twas widowed. Paul, because
had lost your loye-because you cared
for another woman more than for me. p
she returned. IN low voice. ioOklne
al me with eyes full OF tragic denuncl-
iatlon, as Rebecca might have looked
ht Iyanhoe, as poor la Valllere al
Louis when she bade him her laal
Eood-by outside the convent gates.
laughed a little too boiaterously.
felt, and drew her 20 my side.
ITO be sure 10 be sure" / assented
yoIubly, Il never thought OF that so.
luton How long Is Il since / arsl
learned TO care for you. ma belleg That
day you and / slipped down the noun.
tain side through the yellow broom? p
let me seo-soyon. eight. why. nearly
nine months agol A long spell OF con
iatancy- almost time should be weary
ing for another love, isn't ~ some
men. you know. would like a change
f6f wife with every change OF coat; bal
AS happened 10 be OF rather conserya-
alive kidney, ] think ought 10 be able
10 wear one wife 10 three coats at the
least. and ! believe I courled You IN
/ the very cloth your fingers are caress-
ang now. us getting a bit shabby
no be sure; but"
you NAV treat my words lightly
che interrupted, leaning over me with
.half-elosed eyes. a bright pink spo
" burning on her cheeks II still
stick 10 my opinion, something
tells me shall lose you. as say-soms