Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1899-02-09


for an extraordinary space of time).
Mary did not care, and that is the
worst Of woman. She loves one man
and kicks the rest of the world out Of
the door. The man forgets-the world
remembers. That is the worst of a man
and of the world.
She had spent four-and-twenty years
in sitting by the weary wayside watch
ing for happiness to come along the
road And now happiness had hove in
sight in distant cloud Of glory, and
she straightway arose to meet it, with
out any mock modest delay What did
it matter? She was going away from
them all for good.
A week before she sailed she received
letter from Jack Collingwood. 1t was
longer than the last 1t beat about the
bush good deal, but it left no doubt
as to its ultimate intention.
When fate makes mistake, it is apt
to be spiteful. 1t lies low and watches
its opportunity the opportunity for
bringing its victim to grief then
it is itself again.
Fate made Mary lover unfaithful to
her, and the letter was to break it to
her as gently as possible that he had
married another woman-in haste, it
seemed, lest she should come out and
stop him-and that there was no neces-
sity for her to go out to Calcutta.
Mary Charrington suffered torture
for that one week At the end Of it
she looked facts rcsolutely in the face
and realized that, if she had nowhere
to go, she had at the same time no
where to stay nowhere in the world.
And out of the world her dead hus.
band would be waiting for her The
passage was taken on the Kandahar.
That was the detail which proved her
salvation. A first class passage to India
costs money. 1t would be pity to
waste it, There again was the woman
practical through the numbness of an
appalling calamity, the loss of every
thing she valued So the Kandahar
sailed at the end of the week. and the
name Of Mrs Percy Charrington figured
in the passengers list
Fate sometimes repents and makes
what amends it can. 1t made honorable
amend to her. The third man in her
life crossed her path and linked his lines
with hers on board the Kandahar on the
voyage out. He fell in love with her at
once-love that came so soon as to run
neck and neck race with pity.
His name was Edgar Goring, and he
was a man of action, not speech, and
told her that he loved her and meant to
marry her.
She laughed for several minutes more
than was decorous or suitable when he
told her this, but he understood Then
she grew quieter and gave him the his
tory of the last three yeais simply and
truthfully.
81 am quite without hope. and ]
don t see there is anything left to me,
Mr. Goring, she said. "You are more
than good, but am an old woman. l
have got through the best Of my life.
cannot marry you feeling as I do "
ooh, yes, you can, = said Edgar Cor
ing.
every well, she said, giving in
from sheer inability to resist. "You
must take the risk, and You have got a
very, very bad bargain.
She gave him limp, nerveless hand
and looked into his resolute eyes with a
watery little smile.
He kissed the hand, and then he kiss
ed her.
II take the risk, !" he said. 81 mean
to marry you and make you forget. /
mean to make you love me -
He did all three things
And this is true story, so will not
apologize for its glaring improbabilities.
Her husband is younger and nicer
looking and richer than Percy Charring-
ton, more charming and more success
full than Jack Collingwood, and she
loves him far better and knows it.
A woman is anointed with the oil Of
gladness above her fellows when fate
bestows upon her full love and full
er knowledge of what that love can be
TO her, bringing her, as it brought
Mary Goring, through fire and water
into the ultimate haven of wealthy
place. Sketch.