The Scranton chronicle. (Scranton, Miss.) 1897-19??, 1900-12-08
| An End to All Things

=
She had treated him atrociously, he
had considered at the time. Eng
lished. she lad amused herself with
him, and then given him his congo.
She was married woman ana he had
Deen boy.
He recalled every incident of the
farewell. A youthful passion it may
have been, but-he could not dispute
1t even now-it was passion that left
its mark.
There had been a conservatory
opening out of the rooms she occu-
pied. 1t was in the conservatory that
he had made himself the most alb.
surd-there, and for moment at the
piano, at which she had seated her.
self indifferently, and where he had
knelt to her like a lover in ''The Lon.
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 wistfuly like 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 sneer, and his
eyes filed at her cruelty.
"What do you suppose there was in
boy like you to hold woman like
me?" she had asked.
1t was the harshest thing she could
have said, and he remembered that al
that he had broken down altogether
Good heavens, how preposterous he
had been-how wrongly he had gone
TO work, always being pathetic and
reproachfull
However, it was over. He had, moi
"found balm for his wounds in sis
months as she had prophesied, bui
in nine years he had married, and for
gotten her existence entirely until i
was recalled to him Dy the sight O.
her name in the visitors list.
Now the recollections rushed bacl
at him, and while he laughed at hi'
former self as FOOL he was consciou.
of 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. Jernynghan
without misgiving. But he had beer
married 12 months. The time hat
not lessened his love, but it had nat
urally dispelled the romance. Aftel
all. to be sin love" with woman il
greater safeguard against Others
than to 'slove her." He was bound tt
acknowledge to himself that he wal
frightened at the thought of seeing
Mrs. Jernyngham again. He had, al
matter of fact, avoided the Casino
since he knew she was in Dieppe.
He put down his paper an.. looked
across at Nellie reading Tauchnit;
novel. How pretty she was, and how
frustfuli What would she say, coult
& she divine his present mood? Sinles'
as it was, it would cut her to the
4 heart. Bah, he was fool. Why
should that make him afraid to ven
ture out of doorsi He was not font
of her stiil--of course he was not.
The Tauchnitz novel dropped t.
Mrs. Maxwell's lap.
'What are you thinking about, dar
ling?" she asked.
ST was thinking how charming yo,
look in that frock, my dear" he an
swered. He preserved the, habit o
making graceful speeches to his wife
Cynical bachelor friends said he for
got who she was--that it was tn,
force of habit.
"There was a nasty black wrinkle
Between your eyebrows, Jack, ane
you were tugging your mnstache, al
{ you always do when you're put out.
II 4 do lcok charming in this frock,
admit it--but you weren't thinking
6o."
"Nellie, come here. Do you remem
Der, soon after we were married, yor
1slxed me a question. You asked ms
Il had ever cared deeply for another
Fri than yourself"
Fl remember" said Nellie. "Yes?"
Fl told you what an internal idiot
had once made of myself over a mar
xfed woman. / asked you, too, never
ID use certain scent because it re.
|S N@&<Adtu hAc VI dS8s 1Ou hhoW atl
that %
n know; 1 know; go oni"
We'll, she's here, that's all, and
eonfound it-Im rather sorry"
"Ohl" said Nellie And then there
Wns pause between them. She was
the one to break it.
tIt-it's quite all over, Jack? She
couldn't, she daren't attempt to-
You're married-you would simply
Eave to bow and pass on. Besides, by
your own account she was-well, she
didn't care for you any more. Why
mould you mind seeing her?"
II don't know" he muttered, ir'
xesolutely; I'D rather not, that's all
knyhow, let's talk of something else
S Fe are leaving Dieppe the end of the
eek; as matter of fact, dare say
ehall never come across her!"
Mrs. Maxwell, however, was not sat
ed. For one thing. she wanted tc
pain longer in Dieppe than they
at first proposed, and for another
objected on principle TO her hus'
u being nervous of a rencontrs
any woman in the wide, wide
ID.
ome for walk" she said, "and
8 be such stupid bog. One would
you were in love with her now
bear you talk. You'll make me
ousl" And she made a mirthless
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