The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-02-13

er side. in one Of the drawing-rOOms en-
suite, ! suppose. No matter"
"Who?' asked Csspar
The child ] frightened. I wanted 20
( make il up with her Never mind. Lets
get TO the rear again. We have paradise
/ ahead Of US"
They had indeed. and they Numbered
/ through IL for hours. Not all the cory
4 Of autumn had fallen from the trees. and
/ IN the occasional bursts OF sunlight
/ through gaps in the colOrful hills came
/ warm memories OF summer, while ever
and anon along the edses OF the dancing
rivers and creeks fringes OF fee showed
I as the cleaning nails on the itching fin
gers OF winter The fieeting scene was
more than beautiful. so primitive 1t
I looked, sufficient and seductive TO the
/ Urban eye. Caspar came under the witch
/ cry Of II az once al his troubles seemed
/ to fall from him as dissOlves a hideous
/ dream under the break Of day. The leap
4 Ing waves. the swaying trees, the flight
4 Of startled birds-they intoxicated him
with a new sense OF their beauty and i'm
. portance. There was an ineffable delight
In the keen rush Of the refluent air; there
was an eKaltation in the swift, smooth
racing Of the train. An, il only Ag-
/ nes-
Caspar drew a sharp breath and leaned
close to Doubleday.
Bob" he said. you mentioned Mrs.
Caspar. / want 10 tell you
Don't think OF it, my dear fellow"
said Doubleday, dryly.
Il want to tell you" persisted Caspar,
mot because / think you care 10 know,
bat just because ! care to tell you. You
/ always supposed me to be happily mar
ried, didn't you?"
Il always thought you to be one Of the
luckiest devils on earth in that regard"
We'll. l might have agreed with you
six months ago. l can't now. You are
mistaken. / am practically divorced
Doubleday cast compassionate glance
upon his friend and said nothing.
Bob, if you are ever moved 10 marry,
go slow. Why, / was the most contented
and confident fool in the world. / was
so self-satished, so sure of the future, so
sure Of her"
81 suppose she was equally sure Of you"
Casper looked at his friend sharply.
I'm not going into the details Of our
quarrel, and don't expect you TO believe
that she was altogether wrong and | was
altogether right. It's enough that were
separated. But ! wish you could know
what that means to me-a shattered IDEAL
a lost home. faith gone TO pieces. and
'TOddlekins-that's our child Bob: Little
Star. You never saw her, did you?
Doubleday, if you had ever loved a wo-
man as / loved Agnes, then"
See here" said Doubleday hOarsely,
: don't be too cOcksure about your love.
Yours has lasted five years. Mine has last
, ed tent will last as long as my life Cas-
| par. A few hours ago you asked me TO
! drop the talk about Millicent. Let me
! tell you now that for me she oGtWeighs
l all the rest of the world and always WILL
and if your love vas equal to mine, moth
ing, not even your pride. could keep you
away from Mrs. Caspar."
His very Vehemence silenced his friend.
: What! IF l had ever loved a woman
: as sou have" I've loved one to degree
you don't suspect, for rhine is hopeless
! Dick, / want to say something to you. It's
! my duty to say It. This-if you do love
your wife. don't blunder; don't be fooi
enough TO permit pride. or snag OF tenn
per, or some domestic pettiness 10 ruin
your life. I believe you do love her, and
: I'll stake my soul she's more than worthy
Of you-nOw, now, just a word. A woman
of her sort can't be wicked. You don't
mean that? thought not. Ten 10 one it's
the butter and eggs or the ball dress or
the week at Tuxedo you've split upon.
Very well, and for such tomfOolery you
the man, the protector, the father, with
the power and duty of initiatiye-are will
ing to wreck three lives. Co ahead and
do it, but don't be proud OF it; don't try
TO persuade me you're doing the sensible
, I or manly thing And, Diczie, for your
) sake, let me make you promise in Gods
!. name If you do love her-mind you, if you
l ! hA I'm no I
: don't fiatter yourself that you'll learn TO
: forget her while she's alive. You won't;
: you can't. I've tried as hard as man can
: It's no use. And the first years the east
{ est"
Caspar started. The first year! And al
ready he was yearning LOT her at the end
of the first week.
It's good OF you, old man." he said,
resting his hand on the others knee. but
it's too late. We've taken the step apart"
''Step back again. She'll meet you half
way. If she doesn't, so all the way an /
. take her in your arms"
Caspar shook his head. God knows
, where she is now. I've rot seen or heard
from her for a week. We threw Up the
| apartments with the understanding that
we should for year. At the end of that
: time 1 suppose she'll get a divorce. Not a
Write 10 her"
. ''WheTeg'
Anywhere she's likely to be. Come, go
right into that writing desk and pen her
; the sweetest love letter you ever wrote
: her. YOull never regret ii. See, you've
an hour till We next stop, and I'll employ
the time in taking a bath. Then TO a
bang up dinner, my boy, with a cold bot
tie and = clear conscieT>~- Think of your
= ! child"
All! Had he not been thinking Of her? As
. the car door shuI upon Doubleday the
> | hungry heart OF the penitent man rose in
- his throat, and he saw the darkliEg hills
ana empurplei stream trough tears. Think
or TOddlekins, His arms ached for her
: his cheeks burned for the velvet touch OF
: her lips! God, for the sound OF her pratt
> | tie in his ears
=
: Yes, he wrote the letter and he minced
no words In 1t. only fsrgiye!" il cried
=, Il only am TO blame. Don't dare to take
yourself TO task. II only one could lOok
g ahead u week! An, Agnes, Agnes, DO YOU
know now much your are 20 me? Youl
]