Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-04-27

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| now that no forgetfulness had pre-
vented him from telling her of this
note. They led fashionable lives, but
they led them together For all that
they might sometimes pass hours
apart, their constant intimacy and
comradery were beyond dispute.
For a few seconds she stood per-
fectly still. holding the letter. Then
she went to the overcoat which Agnes
had just replaced upon the chair and
slipped the letter back into one of its
side pockets
She was d woman who had always
been held to possess no common share
of self-command. She justified this
belief now
'Bluebeard's chamber she said.
with smile, but it was a smile quite
dim and joyless. And then she
raised one finger and put it against
her lips in a gesture that not only
symboled silence, but enjoined it.
Agnes watched her in establishment.
She knew that there was never any
pose about her friend that what
Marion seriously did and said were
done and said from sincerity at dag
gers drawn with sham.
''And you'll never even ask him
whom it's from?" Agnes exclaimed.
Never"
But you suspect"
mo matter what I suspect
"And you'll never let him know you
saw it and didn't open it,"
Never
But this thing, Marion, will come
between you and him. 1t may ruin
your future happiness.
"That can't be helped. If it's what
think it is''-here her placid voice
broke little-"then letting him know
would do more harm than good"
But perhaps it is the merest
trifle after AL" said Agnes, she her
self now generously turning consider
despite her own sorrows; "some re-
quest for financial advice or loan of
money from some woman whom we
both know
Perhaps" returned Marion musing-
y. EAAo SdNh IL petoSCu IhlouSoh uSl
mind: "He would have told me if it
had been that He tells me every
thing-or SO till now I've believed"
"Ah, good morning, Agnes" a voice
suddenly said in the half-open door
way. Having a gossipy powwow with
my wife, Ell? You didn't expect to
see me here at his hour, did you?
You thought I was too much of a poor,
Woodworking Wall street drudge,
didn't you? And you were quite
right. l am"
Trent" faltered Marion.
She had instantly seen that her hus-
band was a trif1e paler than usual,
and that some inward agitation,
which he struggled to hide, controlled
him. His eyes, wandering quickly
yet covertly, about the room, lit on
the overcoat
All he said, cts here" And
then he caught the garment up and
thrust a hand into one of its pockets.
Meanwhile he was talking with speed
and now addressed his wife without
looking at her.
'The fact is, Marion, I remembered
when half way down town in the
elevated that I'd left an important
business letter in this coat. Strayne
has just told me that he forgot to take
the coat upstairs fellow-so |
hurried downstairs again to get it
All, here's the letter I want"
Marion saw, if her friend did not
see, the CLEAN of lilac tinted en-
velOpe as it was swept into a breast
pocket of the overcoat which adorned
the person of Mr.. Trent Kingsland.
And this gentleman, little flushed
after his late pallor, said a few words
of genial farewell to Agnes, made few
buoyant waves of the hand toward his
wife and gracefully disappeared.
The two women looked at one an
other in silence.
Marion" said Agnes in a voice
vibrant with feeling, che came back
to get that letter. And he was very
concerned about it, was he not?"
Very"
Agnes FASTENED to her friends side
Marion, do you mean that you'll
never say a word to him, even now?"
mo, l shall never say a word to
him, even now"
Agnes looked steadily at the floor,
as if in deep meditation. Then she
caught one of Marion's hands in both
of her own.
''But you will suffer-
Yes, l shall-suffer."
d-give-no-sign?"
''And give no sign"
Agnes stopped and kissed the hand
she was holding. After slight in
terval she said somewhat brokenly:
Marion, II don't think I'll take the
3 o'clock train to Boston after ALL
Golfers Weekly.
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