The Philipsburg mail., 1900-12-21

be only for few months. The spirit
of returning health sparkled on the
pages he wrote. One-two-of his late
stories had been honored by generous
and complimentary acceptance. lie
hoped she was not depriving herself to
send him the checks she did. He would
pay her back many times over one OF
these days. OF course 1t was pleasant
to be able to move about. and enjoy
the numerous beauties of this bewll-
dering Colorado. But March had
stormed itself away-April had cried
ber capricious heart out-May had
| passed, cool, fair maiden all blue and
gold,-"the deep, red June" had drawn
| her last lovely breath, and July was
drifting towards sultry extinction, be-
fore Marmaduke Fernald forsook the
fantastic beauty of western solitudes,
and came back to the calm skies and
placid plains of Illinois.
Doris met him rapturously. She was
radiant-almost beautiful-with the
JOY of welcome lor & deferred. Tall,
erect, bronzed, smiling, be was hand
somer than ever He accepted her
eager greetings complacently. Yes, 1t
was good to get back He had never
felt so fit. He hoped she was all right.
She must have worked hard to get SO
much work written and accepted. But.
somehow, despite his caresses, Doris
felt more forlorn the night OF his
homecoming than she had during his
months Of absence. She fought the
strange conviction that he had
changed, but it would not be downed
They were apparently as close
chums as they had ever been. lie
talked freely Of his journalistic asSira-
frankly, it seemed. also, OF his
personal experiences in the ROCKIES.
He praised her numerous late sue
cesses, which had been social as well
as artistic. But there was something
she missed in him-something which
OF old he had, which now he lacked.
Or was it the intrusion Of new and
alien interest which she noticed? was
it the Introduction of an unknown per-
sonal interest in his life which had
wrought the subtle alteration? Or was
she merely maginative-unduly appre-
hensive?
Il fancy" she said to him one day,
that you are doing better work than
hitherto-deeper, richer work. 1t
seems to have new element"
He looked beyond her with mar
rowed, dreamy eyes. should not
wonder" he answered. One night he
was going to dinner-a function or
Importance. Doris was getting his
clothes together for him as was her
habit. A pair of cuff buttons he treas
ured-an heirloom-she could not find.
Perhaps she had forgotten to remove
them from his dress suit case when he
returned. She found the buttons in
the case-als. picture. 1t had been
thrust between the lining and the
leather of the case-a space cut to
permit It's passage. She sat IA long
time looking at it. The photograph
was that of woman In the full ma
turity of sumptuous beauty The pose
the barred bosom, the lovely, languor-
GUS face recalled Meredith's Lady o1
Carrabas:
arm,
With that regal, indolent air she had
So confident of her charm!
On the back was written a line-jus
few tender words. Doris Fernald's
little brown face famed She carried
the picture to her husband where ht
: stood, ready-dressed save for the link!
she had gone to find.
"Who is she?" she asked.
Suddenly, before he replied, sh'
knew that all which had perplexed he
was plain and clear. In that moment
, before the dumb, gorgeous challeng'
her own physical insgniticance as sht
had never felt it before.
Duke Fernald flushed, stammered
was silent. Don't ask me to- can
tell you, Doris
"You must tell mel" she insisted
quietly.
Indeed, she frightened him little
she was SO quiet
ut would be better il you were no
, to say ANY,
: She showed him the line on the re
verse of the card "Is this the woman
you love-"
There was the silence of the grave
> between them. She heard the tickinl
Of his watch where it lay on the dress
ngtable.
"Doris,' he said, one hand outfuDg
you know | loved you!"
Yes" Her fiat bosom rose sharply
"You thought so-once."
Il didn't mean that" He SPOKE
hoarsely. "You have given me every
thing-health. hope, new courage-op
portunities. You are the best wife il
the world, Doris, and"
She broke in with a passionate ex
, clamation. 81 cannot accept gratitude,
she said. GO on. You love her, then
And she-is she free?"
He bowed his head in shamed 81