The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1900-11-09
An End to All Things



onstration it appeared to him to-day,
and yet he dreaded TO meet her again.
She had treated him atrociously, he
had considered at the time. Eng
Eshed, she lad amused herself with
him, and then given him his congo.
She was a married woman ana he had
oeen boy.
He recalled every incident of the
farewell A youthful passion it may
have been, but-he could not dispute
it even now-it was a passion that left
its mark
There had been q conservatory
opening out of the rooms she occu-
pied. 1t was in the conservatory that
he had made himself the most abb
surd-there, and for a moment at the
piano, at which she had seated her
self indifferently, and where he had
knelt to her like a lover in The LoHr
don Journals She had strolled
along, smiling at the flowers, saying
cruel things to him in her new and
careless voice, and he had followed
her wistfulIy Ike a whipped dog,
pleading to be readmitted to favor.
A spray of fern that she had dropped
had been captured by him passion
ately-she had touched it in their
last moments together. She shrugged
her shoulders with a sheer, and his
eyes filed at her cruelty.
what do you suppose there was in
q boy like you to hold woman ike
me?" she had asked.
1t was the harshest thing she could
have said, and he remembered that at
that he had broken down altogether.
Good heavens, how preposterous he
had been-how wrongly he had gone
to work, always being pathetic and
reproaehful
However, it was over. He had not
afound balm for his wounds in six
months" as she had prophesied. but
in nine years he had married, and for
gotten her existence entirely until it
was recalled to him oy 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 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 contem-
plated meeting Mrs. birmingham
without misgiving. But he had been
married IL months. The time had
not lessened his love, but it had nat
/ he
all. to be in love" with woman Is
a greater safeguard against Others
| than to love her" He was bound to
acknowledge to himself that he was
frightened at the thought of seeing
Mrs. birmingham again He had, as
a matter of fact, avoided the Casino
since he knew she was in Dieppe.
He put down his paper an looked
across at Nellie reading Tauchnitz
novel How pretty she was, and how
trustfuli What would she say, could
she divine his present mood? Sinless
| as it was, it would cut her to the
heart. Bah, he was fool. Why
should that make him afraid to ven
ture out of doorsi He was not fond
of her still-of course he was not.
The Tauchnitz novel dropped to
Mrs. Maxwell's lap.
What are you thinking about, dar-
1ing?" she asked.
Il was thinking how charming you
] look in that frock, my dear" he an
swered. He preserved the habit OF
making graceful speeches to his wife
t Cynical bachelor friends said he for.
got who she was-that 1t was the
force of habit
There was a nasty black wrink-e
between your eyebrows, Jack, ano
you were tugging your mustache, as
YOU always do when you're put out
I do look charming in this frock,
| admit it-but you weren't thinking
60"
ssNeIIie. come here. Do you remem-
Der. soon after we were married, you
asked me a question You asked me
if had ever cared deeply for another
girl than yourself
Il remember said Nellie. "1es2'
ssI told you what an internal idiot
| had once made of myself over mar
ried woman. I asked you, too, never
to use a certain scent because 1t re-
minded me of her. You know all
| that?"
ct know; I know; go oni"
@WeIl, she's here, that's all and
confound tim rather sorry.
/ @Oh,- said Nellie. And then there
was a pause between them She was
the one to break II.
Tits quite all over, Jack? She
couldn't, she daren't. attempt to?
You're Iaarried-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 seeing herr"
Il don't know" he muttered, ir-
resolutely; I'D rather not, that's all.
ANYHOW, let's talk of something else.
We are leaving Dieppe the end of the
week; as a matter of fact, I dare say
I shall never come across her!"
Mrs. Maxwell, however, was not sat
! isfied- For one thing. she wanted to
remain longer in Dieppe than they
had at first proposed, and for another,
she a1,iecfed on prineiple to her hus-