El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-11
The LOAN
OF A LOVER

| .lDSOIurelN no mlSrnkDl-. lndt u -iiS-
Denison was at last reluctantly forced To
the conclusion that her husband had real
" got tired Of her. His days were given
up to the office, his evenings to the clnb,
he had ceased TO care about his appear
ance and his clothes had become deplora-
bly, untidy. For a week she could think
Of nothing else. At the end of that time
she began to look about for means OF
consolation. For n woman she took n
strangely philosophical view. She knew
that she could not live without love, but
instead of sitting down and deploring her
lot she Just determined to make the best
of things.
Algie Owen was little more than n boy
and had long admired her in silence \
word from her would. she knew, be sufh-
cient to bring him TO her feet Within an
hour from the time she came to her de-
cision Algie had received n note asking
him to come round TO tea the next day
Within a week he had become her con-
| slant companion. and her husbands indif-
ference had lost half its sting. And at
the end of IA month Mr. DeIIson. coming
home unexpectedly, had surprised Algie
in The act OF pressing a kiss ON her lips
His first impulse was to kick the boy out
Of the house. his second to leave it him
self. Neither impulse. however. prevail
ed. He just stood there looking. And
as Mrs. Denison was far too frightened
% SDtdh IL WIS <tiSit WIZ at iaSt piui
out. his face rosy red and his lips Iuiv-
ering-he was really very boyish indeed,
despite his grown up airs:
We'll. sir, what is to be done?"
"'That. SIR" said Mr. Denison. almost
smiling-the pair before him looked more
like two naughty children than anything
else-"that, sir. lies with you. What
tronically-''is your SUGGESTION"
IL will tell you" stammered Algie.
what I-what Mrs. Denison wants. She
-she"-it was really a very daring thing
to say-"she wants to marry me, and she
wants you to go-go and do something
that will get-gct her-her a divorce"
The suggestion was so cool that for a
moment it quite took Mr.. Denison's
breath away.
well. I'm hangedr' he calculated Mt
last.
He was silent for a moment, thinking.
"Now," he said ut last. "go. oh. by
the way he added as Algie turned to-
ward the door. "can you come in to din
ner this day week? We shall be very
pleased to see you"
Algie's blue eyes widcncd into n stare.
But when the question was repeated
and he saw that Denison was in earnest.
he said that he would be very pleased
And then he went out wondering what
extraordinary thing would happen next
and trying to remember il he had ever
heard any reports of madness in the Den
ison family, and Tom Denison, after ring
ing for his wife's maid and telling her to
see after her mistress. as she wasn't very
we'll. strobe off To his club To think out n
certain little scheme
That day week, when Mr.. Denison
walked into the little drawing room
about 20 minutes before the dinner hour
his usual practice was to get home. il
at all. about ten minutes after IL had
been annOunced-Mrs. Denison opened
her eyes very wide indeed. Instead OF
the old shabby tail coat he had donn"d
what was evidently n brand new dress
suit. cut in the latest fashion. His hair
had been freshly cut and trimmed, the
heavy mustachc was curled of his lips
and the yellow rose in his buttonhoie be
came him To perfection He looked at
least a dozen years younger.
He just bent over his wife and gave
her q kiss and then sat himself down at
the piano. and. his fingers straying over
the notes. began to sing more to himself
apparently than to her. Music always
appealed 10 her, and she could not help
remarking in a pause that came between
the verses that it was n very pretty song.
and she had no idea he could play so
well.
lit comes from the new opera at the
Futurity." he said. Il haven't got il
quite right, but IL went something like
that. 1 think. as far as l can remember"
He had bought. the music three days be-
fore and had been trying to get right
ever since.
You are very spruce tonight" she
said, looking up as he shut down the
piano and took up his stand against the
chimneypiece.
"Are you going out anywhere? I'm
going to supper, and you will nave Owen
to entertain you. He is sure to stay
late. He hasn't seen you since yesterday.
has he?"
She ignored the sarcasm in the sugges-
ton and. still looking up at him. reflected
with an inward sigh that she wished AL
gle was half as handsome as this hus-
band of hers. Then her mind reverted
to the supper.
Its to bc with some woman, 1 sup
pose?' she said.
WHAT he qneried carelessly.
"Why. this supper"
Nothing of the kind" he said, but in
a tone which only confirmed her suspi-
cions.
"Wcll. where's it going to be. any
way"
"Oh, at n little place in Soho. 1 don't
suppose you've ever heard OF it."
And you are really going alone?"
Certainly"
She got up from her chair and came
over to where he was standing.
Cant You make II dinner instead OF
supper and take me with your" she said.
But Mr.. Owen?'
"Oh. bother Mr.. Owen, He can nave
his dinner by himself. I can easily in
vent some excuse"
"And besides it's not exactly the sort
OF place n woman like you can go to: it's
not
She flew out or ths room and returned
a moment afterward in her cloak Come