The Delta independent., 1899-07-28
some ',odies retain an unnatural warmth
g. m extraordinary sr,nrA Of tirnel

for an extraordinary space Of timel
Mary did not care. and that 10 ths
worst of wonan- 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 u man
and of the world
She had spent four-and-twenty years
in sitting by the weary wayside watS..-
ing for happiness to come alony the
road. And now happiness had hove i'll
sight. il distant cloud Of glory. and
she strai ightway arose TO meet it. with
ont any nocl; modest delay. What did
il lnattery She was going away from
them I'll for good.
A week before she sailed she received
a letter from Jack Collingwood II was
longer than the last. II beat about IL,
bash good deal. hut it lett NO douLt
As To its ultimate intention
When fate makes mistake. it is apt
60 be spitefuL 1t lies low and watches
its oppo-tunity-the opportunity for
bringing its victim to grief-and then
1t is itself again.
Fate made Mary's lover unfaithful to
her. and the letter was to break it to
her rs gently us possible that he had
married another woman-in haste. il
eeemed. lest she should come ont and
stop him-and that there was no neces-
SHY for her 10 20 oct to Calcutta
Nary CharTington suffered torture
for that one week. At the end OF II
she loo.:cd facts resolutely in the face
rld realized that. if she had nowhere
to 10. she had ut the same time no.
w.leTe To s.ay-nowhere in the world
And out of the world-her dead hus-
hand would be waiting for her. The
passage WIS tai;en on the kandahar
That was the detail which proved he.
salvation. A first class passage to India
costs n.o.ey. 1t would be pity to
vast. it. Thee usaia was the woman
-p.gc:ic:,l through the numbness of an
Appalling cEl:.ni;y. the loss Of every
thing she valued. So the KanGahar
sailed at the end Of the week. and the
nalne Of Mrs. Percy Charrinston figured
in the I;:s ie:.Sers' list.
Fate sometimes repents aad makes
what amends it can 1t made honorable
amend to her The third man in her
lille c.nssSed her path ard linked his lines
with he:sol board the Knndahar ON the
voyage ont He fell in love with her Ut
o:lca-love that came so soon Us &c ruE
o Ieca and nec,. race with pity.
His iinmc was Edgar Goring. and he
was naa Of action. not speech. and
told her that he loved her and meant to
many her,
She lnughed for several minutes more
tlGn N::s cecorous or suitable when he
- a =. l..
she grew quieter ard gave him the his
tory II the Last three yeais simply and
truth.ully.
II an quite without hope. and ]
doa't see there il anything left 20 me.
,ir. Goring size said lyon are more
than sood. bat am an old woman
haze got through the be~t Of my life ]
c..,nos marry you feeling as do :
''Oh. yes. you can. said Edgar Cor
ing.
"vc-y well. Z" she said. giving in
from sheer inability TO resist lyon
mrs. tale the risk. and you have got
very. very bad bargain.
She gave hi..i limp. nerveless hand
Gnd looked into his resolute eyes with u
watc.y little smile.
lie Eitsseu tGlt E--i3st. uiu aht1 NC Aifs-
ed hcr
II tile tie risk" he said ~ mean
20 ;,a-ry yon and make you forget ]
r:ica a TO iia.:e you love me
He did rll three things
A:,d this Is true story. SO ] will not
apologize for its glsring improbabilitie-.
Her husband is younger End nicer
looking Gad richer than Percy Charring-
to:,. more charming and more success-
ful than Jack Coliin2wood. and she
loves him far better and knows It.
A vrori.n Is anointed with the oil Of
giadiicss above her fellows when fate
bcsto.~s upoa her full love and full
or l.nowledge Of what that love can be
to her bringing her. rs IL brought
Mary Goring. through fire and wnter
into the ultimate havea u . wealthy
place. --S-eich