The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-10-09

H ~e@''nA His.l from morning TIL night,
was moved 10 a sort OF angry and grudg-
ing compassion for him
Go think" she observed. appraising
DIS appearance by means Of some singular
occult power or observation she had To-
Gated IN the back OF her head. while ap-
peaflng TO be wholly engaged IN pointing
out a distant vessel 10 my near-sighted
eyes. that he looks about az desperately
wretched as any man | have ever seen.
out I'm no, bit sorry for hlm-not one
bit II serves him right. The way he's
Jed that poor little thing on! Imagine
how she Is going to feel when she learns
the truth about him. It's perfectly
awful"
happened 20 so on deck that evening
We were due in port the next day-after
Mabel had turned in. IL was a wonderful
night, the moon flooding the sea and a
phosphorescent trail Of silver following
the ship, and certain beaufy-loyers had
found IL impossible TO leave the scene.
Determining 10 smoke another pipe before
going TO bed. / went forard and settled
myself in what thought deserted angle
IN the bows. Before long. however,
found that i had not the spot wholly to
myself. Some one else was there, two
some one elses. indeed. as II appeared
from the dialogue that supeFVeEed
Now, though | did listen to IL, ] don't
purpose TO repeat that dialogue, which
was introduced by monologue. And such
monoiogue! i had never heard anything
Ike II In my life! 1t made even my tough
old heart beat quicker and my mouth
tWiich 10 listen 10 IL. And II mine, how
woman'si Hemenway turned himself
absolutely inside out for that woman's in
spection. l don't believe that there was a
moment of his mind. dream OF his SOUL
an emotion OF his heart, good. bad. or in
dliierent, that he did not haul out by the
Reels and Eold up to her Talk about a
persons realizing his whole past exist
enee In the moment OF drowning The ex-
perionce couldn't be named in the same
day with such self-revelation as that. /
don't deny IL must be something pretty
impressive to perceive the entire events Of
Lifeline fash themselves before you In
a single intsant OF vivid consciousness.
but II Is a good sight more so 10 watch
the lightning play upon naked, quiverlng
soul.
l had never believed that any man
could be so honest. even with himself. n
/ oeed, he was so brutality frank that / sus-
"ected ne rather overdid the business,
and that he was actually a far better fell
low than he made out. Concerning his
marriage he took the whole brunt upon
his own shoulders, admitting that he had
sold himself for price. enjoyment Of
whose substantial benefits had hithertO
suihclently recCnciled him TO the uncon-
genial society Of the woman who paid fpr
II. Aad then he made his confession OF
love 10 this other woman, not that ne
[ Tod N
every syllable he uttered, that shook ana
| tortured his voice, and that must have
| written itself large and deep on his face
/ in the white moonlight. And he begged
her, he besought her, he prayed her to
tell him what he should do in order TO
possess her, how 10 break the bonds ne
had forged upon his own wrists. how d.
Vorce himself from a woman with whom
life hereafter must be insupportable.
There must be some way ont OF il, he
declared, there must, there should be. he
was young man stiil-thirty-two is
young compared 10 three score and tea.
, and he would not allow the circumstances
which now sti1ed his life completely to
surangle il. Would she wait for him?
Would she give him time? Would she
| promise 10 hold herself free for him untl
! ne should be able TO dissolve his present
marriage? And so on, and so forth For
/ ten minutes he talked like a boiling
/ Eeyser. Then he came 10 an ABRUPT halt
and waited for her 10 speak her piece.
| ANA she spoke il fiuently and yolubly-
! that much / could divine from the low
murmuring OF her voice, but spoke II so
softly and indstinctly that / could not
/ catch a word she said. only a NAMED
passionate, demonstrating ejaculation now
! and again from Henenway made me
think that her reply was not wholly sat-
| isfactory 10 him.
And then, for my regulations sake l
am happy 70 say that | aWuke TO q sense
/ Of decency and moved away from the
/ vicinity of the pair, so that lost the con-
| clusion Of the interview. What the out
come Of it all had been of course 1 had
no means of knowing, but as the two
| seemed as devoted as ever the following
morning, j inferred that the little wo-
man had not wholly discouraged her al
ready appropriated lover.
! We were due at the dock, according to
| the ships reckoning, at about half-past
/ y, and the morning was enc Of more or
| less hustle and excitement, and when
| the tug sent down the harbor 10 meet Us
was discovered approaching in the dis
lance. this excitement increased To a
| state OF common jubilation. Among the
| gay ana radiant faces saw only enc that
seemed disseminated with the prospect at
| hand. This face was the face of Beach
! Hemenway. He looked as if he would
have welcomed any other possibility in
| the world more JOyfully than that of
landing.
From the moment the tug hove in sight
/ there was the usual croWding Of eager
! passengers to the rails 10 watch her come
up to the ship, and il happened that
| Mabel and / had hardly taken up our po-
| sltions before Mrs. Alleyn and Hemenway
/ approached and established themselves
| alongside us. They apparently noticed US
no mere than If we had been thin air.
| He was engrossed with her. and she d.
vided her attention between him and the
| approaching vessel.
All OF a sudden ] saw her start, whip a
black scarf from about her neck, and be-
gin waving II exei;cdly in the air. ] fol-
I lowed the dire -ti0n Of her eyes ami per-
ceived a man, standing well IGi yard IN
/ the Tugs bow. answering her salUiatl0n
/ In similar fashion
who's thar" Hemenway SAID, abrupt
/ ly, in q deep, jealous voice.
| She did not seem 10 hear him, but 40
reared to ne wholly occupied with the
/ man in tbs tug. Her eyes were shining.
/ her fact was flushed and rosy. her whole
I manner afian,e with pleasure ana delight.
Hemenway repeated lis question in a
deeper tone. SIZE turned her head int
patiently toward him. Her eyes looked
| upon him as If he were an obtruEive
/ stranger.
It's my husband" she said. Il had no
| idea he was coming down. How awfuily
! ell he looks, doesn't heZ Only fancy, /
| haven't seen him. for nearly three
months"
She turned away again 10 watch the
| progress Of the advancing beat. Hemen-
ways face was something awful. but he
was as still as death. Presently. Ia a
quiet, controlled voice, he said:
You are not a widow. then?"
She shook her head and laughed
NO I'm not q widow No indeed " She