Middletown transcript., 1899-03-18
HER eBJEGF LEsSeN.
>NtN<Nb~>NNtvNtNNtS<b<bvANtt>tN


looked round impatietly for The VIII
pers.
There was q particularly ineligih
corner pear Mrs. Trelawney's sn
retreat, three cornered, low back
seat, in the full glare Of the light al
unpleasantly close to an intrusive al
spiky cactus.
| Hither had retreated a po, cous
of the hostess, little girl of seventet
underdressed and pale faced. col
spicuous only for very new and shil
ing wedding ring. She had been aloI
most of the evening, and now it wa
she and her boy husband whose whi
pering had disturbed Mrs. Trelawney.
Darling, are you enjoying youl
self?" whispered the boy husband.
$50 much, dearp' answered the gil
enthusiastically. "It's all so prett
and SO amusing to watch. I've neve
seen anything SO pretty in my lifep'
'T've been helping Lady Lucy. Sh
asked me to take some cd ladies dow
to supper" the boy husband went Oh
with comical Importance. 'tYou're
sure you are not dull all aIone?n
"Dull? Oh, dear mol" cried the little
giIl, opening Wide eyes of amazement
sob, there's Lady Lucy looking at US
dear. expect she wants you again. )
The boy hurried off again, proud anG
elated, and hiu little wife sat smiling
after him from her corner. Mrs
Trelawnet looked sharply from one tC
the other. 81 wonder how long thai
state of ilings will last2 2'' she medi
tated cynically.
She kueW certain amount about
the affairs Of the foolish couple-Lady
Lucy had cuBfded various details in
the course of her apology for their
preserce there at all. The boy was a
journalist, with microscopic income
and'vsry limited talents, and the little
wife was penuiless, and they had tiny
fiat in theeast-some uncivilized local
ity, the bare thought of which sent a
shudder through Lady Lucy. "In ten
years. time, "she said to herself, "what
will have become of them?" And at
that point she paused aghast.
1t was exactly ten years since she
herself, girl of seventeen had made a
runaway love match with handsome
Captain Trelawney.i
She sat curiously white and still,
while that dead and half forgotten past
flashed viyidly before her. She would
never have thought it possible then for
her husband to be at biz club while she
amused herself successfully elsewhere,
and nuw this was The normal state of
things between them.
There had been no quarrel, no dis.
pute. They had simply drifted away
from each other in those ten years of
married life, until now they were COM
paratively strangers. Neither could
have told how or when the division
began.
She looked at the uncomfortable
corner again and with new eyes, That
pale little face was the happiest in the
room-the only contented one in sight
and when the boy husband came near,
always with glance aud smile in that
direction, what a radiant look was
foated back u at .himI They really
seemed to be enjoying their evening.
Mrs. Trelawney reflected, and then,
with an indescribable sensation, it oe-
CURED TO her that she, the admired and
petted society beauty, Wa' actually
snvying that plain, badly dressed, pen
niless little girl.
Mrs. TrelaWney breathed long sigh
of relief when the brougham door was
shut upon her and she was on her way
home. She had 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 des-
picable little wretch, 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 togetherI
If only their one child had lived be.
yond babyhood! But that she could
not bear to think of even now. If
only all the past ten years could be
lived over again. how differently she
would use themj
Now it was too late, and then she
suddenly sat up straight, with fast
beating heart. 1t was not too late; it
could not be too late. She would be-
gin this very night and try to restore
Of the old loving relations
of ten years ago. She would call for
her husband now at his club. She re-
membered having done SO once or
twice 10 those bygone days, when some
hing imperative had prevented him
from coming with her to their mutual
disappointment.
She gave the necessary order to her
and then sat tense and up-
light, her eyes bright, her cheeks
iushed.
Alb. they we're not far from The club.
low-fve, ten minutes more and her
new life you'd have begunj
She had no idea what the time was.
,ut it could not be 30 very late. for the
pavement was thronged with people
il going the same way. oddly enough,
y It occurred 20 her after moment,