The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-18
THE END OF ALL THINGS.

| Gu 10 MIN tOQdy, anu yet He uie"ueu ="
meet her again. She had treated him
| atrociously he had considered at the time.
Englished. she had amused herself with
him. and then given him his congo She
was a married woman and he had been
| q boy.
| He recalled every incident of the fare
we'll. A youthful passion it may have
been. but-hs could not dispute 1t even
I now-it was passion that left its mark.
There had been a conservatory opening
| out of the rooms she occupied. 1t was in
| the conservatory that he had made him
| self the most absurd-there, for moment
at the piano, at which she had seated her
| self indifferently, and where he had knelt
| to her like lover in 1.-THE London Jour
nails" She had strolled along, smiling at
| the flowers, saying cruel things to him
| in her new and careless voice, and he had
followed her wistfully like whipped dog.
pleading to be readmitted to favor. A
spray of fern that she had dropped had
| been captured by him passionately-she
| had touched 1t in their last moments to-
| gether She shrugged her shoulders with
a sheer, and his eyes filled at her cruelty.
What do you suppose there was in a
boy like you to hold woman like me!'
she had asked.
| It was the harshest thing she could have
said, and he remembered that at that lie
had broken down altogether. Good heav-
ems. how preposterous he had been-how
| wrongly he had gone to work, always be-
| ing pathetic and reproachful! 81 la jue-
nesse savait, 81 la vieillesse pouvait!
However, it was over. He had not
found balm for his wound in his six
months" as she had prophesied, but in
| nine years he had married, and forgotten
her existence entirely until it was re-
called to him by the sight Of her name In
the visitors list.
Now the recollections rushed back at
him, and while he laughed at his former
self as a fool, he was conscious OF a
strange tremor at the prospect Of seeing
her once more.
He loved his wife sincerely. Twelve
months ago he could have contemplated
meeting Mrs. Jernyngham without misgiv-
ing. But he bad been married Twelve
months. The time had not lessened MS
love but 1t had naturally dispelled the ro-
nance. After all. to be Sin love- with
woman is a greater safeguard against 9TH
ers than to love her." He was bound to
acknowledge to himself that he was
frightened at the thought Of seeing Mrs.
Jernyn CHAM again. He had. as matter
of fact, avoided the Casino since he knew
she was in Dieppe.
He put down his paper, and looked across
at Nellie reading a Tauchnitz novel. How
pretty she was, and how trustfu!! What
would she say, could she divine his present
mood? Sinless as it was, it would cut her
to the heart. Bah, he was a fool-why
should that make him afraid to venture
out OF doors! He was not fond Of her still
of course he was not
The Tauchnitz novel dropped to Mrs.
MaxwelIs lap.
II was thinking how charming you look
in that frock, my DEAR he answered. He
preserved the habit OF making graceful
speeches to his wife. Cynical bachelor
friends said he forgot who she was-that
it was the force of habit.
She shook her head doubtfully.
There was a nasty black wrinkle be-
tween your eyebrows, Jack, and you were
Juggling your mustache, as you always do
when you're put out 1 do look charming
in this frock, 1 admit it-but you wern't
thinking So
He obeyed sudden impulse.
Nellie, come here. Do you remember,
soon after we were married, you asked me
a question? You asked me If I had ever
cared deeply for another girl than your
SELF
II remember" said Nellie. Yes
II told you what an Internal idiot I had
once made of myself over a married won-
an. I asked you. too, never to use GER
tain scent about 1t reminded me OF her.
You know all that?"
'I know; know; go on"
well, she's here. that's all, and-con-
found tim rather sorry"
"oh!" said Nellie. And then there was
a pause between them. She was the one
to break 1t.
"It-it's quite all over. Jack? She
couldn't she darent. attempt to?
You're married-you would simply have
to bow and pass on. Besides. by your own
account she was-well, she didn't care for
YOU any more. Why should you mind see
ing herr"
81 don't know" he muttered. irresolute-
ly; "I'd rather not. that's all. Anyhow.
let's talk of something else. We are
leaving Dieppe the end of the week; as
matter of fact, l dare say 1 shall never
come across herr"
Mrs. Maxwell, however, was not salts
fed For one thing. she wanted to re-
main longer in Dieppe than they had at
first proposed and for another. she OBJ
iected on principle to her husband being
nervous of a recontre with any woman in
the wide. wide world.
Come for a walk" she said. "and
don't be such stupid boy One would
think you were in love with her now. to
hear you talk. You'll make me jealous!"
And she made a mirthless pretence at |
laugh which would have deceived no living |
soul but a husband. Get ready, I'm 20
ing to put on my hat-and il you're very |
good you shall come and watch me lose |
all our money in the Casino"
She had never been more bewitching or |
coquettish in their courtship than she was |
during that evening. Far more plainly |
than the man himself she realized that |
she had a rival-though 1t might be only '
a memory-and she put forth all her forces |
to annihiIate her. Beautiful. doubtless? |
Jack would never have been captured by a !
woman who was not good looking. And a
woman Of the world also? Jack hated |
schoolgirls! Nevertheless" unused Mrs. |
Maxwell. contemplating her reflection |
complacently in one Of the mirrors Of the |
gaming rooms Il think ! ought to be ca
pable of holding my oM against thelady, |
I really dol"
The wrong horse came in again, and |
again. undeterred by ill-fortune, she drew
a ticket from the bowl.
As she lifted her head she felt her hus-
band beside her give galvanic start. The
next instant, following the direction of
his gaze. she knew the woman.
Plain" she meditated; evidently
fallen off! Now, 1 wonder il she has
charm OF manner enough to make him
lose sight of that. or IL l dare venture
on an heroic course?"
MY darling, don't you think we've
played this idiotic game long enough?"
said Jack in strained voice. Let us
go into the terrace
SO he could not even trust himself in !
the same room with her, couldn't he? 1t |
was too bad; really. it was humiliating