The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-11-16

IhumiIiating. ssYou go, dearest, =
replied Mrs Maxwell. sweetIy. ST
know you hate 70 be here, and am
Imuch too infatuated to leave of vet
myself. Go and smoke your cigar in
: peace and the fresh air. and come back
| for me when you've finished 1t.
| shall be perfectly safe. and I mean to
break the bank I -
Jack departed obediently, and ont
of the tail of her eye, his wife watched
the other woman take note of it
Now, will abe follow him or notf''
she asked herself Not Just yet, I
suppose-it would be too marked.
Patienza u
| 1t was ten minutes later when Mrs.
Jernygham sauntered carelessly from
her place at the table out through the
glass door, and Mrs. Maxwell clasped
| her hands in her lap with sudden nery-
business After all il was heroic
course. Had che been rash aud fool
hardys There was moonlight outside,
and the tapping of waves Fatal adj
iunctsto such matter In the moon
light, too, the creatures appearance
would be softened and refined. She
had made a mistake, perhaps-she had
have avoided. Should she join him
rescue him, while there was still timef
Mol she would not. she would stand
her chance Moonlight or no moon
light, she would risk it. -. =
Two francs more-and the devil take
the hindmost.
They came face to face-she had
planned it so-and her slight GESTURE
of surprise was perfect "Mr. Max
well you? Is it possiblel"
"How do you do. Mrs. Jeryngham
l." He was going to say he was
pleased to meet her, but decided not
II did not know you were in
Dieppe. Have you been here longs''
Il have been here with my wife,
about a month"; he answered.
with your wifef Really p She
gave a faint smile-a smile he remem-
bered very we'll $50 you are married
am to congratulate your
THANK you. he said: ''you are
very kind, Your husband is -
Hes dead SO don't inquire about
his health You were always making
plumbers of that sort. - She laughed.
II used to correct you in that fashion
long ago, didn't II You see, | havn't
changed. Well, well, well, and SO
you're marriedf told you You d
marry-you didn't believe me then r.
"Ah, but you were right. y
'sOf course / was right. Shan't we
sit downf-or won't your wife let your
l say, are you henpeckedf You used
to be the sort of boy who'd be hem
picked. Perhaps you We improved since
/ those days /"
perhaps I have. There are two
chairs
Thanks Do you know this is very
, funny to me, to meet you in the
capacity of married MANI Do you
remember how you used to VOW that
, never, never, never" She broke off
and burst into laughter again. And
shall l own something's After you
were gone-sometimes when | was in
clined TO be sentimental used to
half believe You.
She leaned forward and fixed her
eyes on him in just the manner he
used to find so irresistible. Somehow
| it seemed less distracting now. The
eyes had not altered perhaps, but her
face was older, and the expression
looked out of place on it. There was
even sadness to him in beholding the
change that time had wrought in her.
The woman whose memory had thrill
ed him was gone. He had thought
| about her so much, and now she did
not exist. 1t was pathetic, and-what
was more painful still-this wreck of
Nora Jeryngham could not join with
him in mourning for her. He wept
alone.
'You are not glad to see mel she
said.
He was not he was sorry. His
very soul was full of regret, of SYM
pathy. But he could not tell her so,
and he listened for ten minutes cour-
teously to her distressing provocations.
her disheartening pleasantries. Then
he rose.
She would not make a conquest of
him again. she knew it perfectly he
had escaped from her chariot wheels
for all time.
Then / suppose this is the last time
you will be likely to see met" she
said, shaking hands in good by.
~ suppose so, he answered. But
! to himself he said that the last time
he had ever seen her had been nine
years ago.
Mrs Maxwell looked up inquiringly
as he returned to her.
"Amuse yourself, dearestf' she said
+, innocently.
~ shall be amused tomorrow, re-
piled Maxwell, swhen | can laugh at
myself Tonight, somehow. l cannot.
And Mrs. Maxwell. understanding.
was content. Black and White.