The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-10-16

again, undeterred by i'll fortune, she
drew ticket from the bowl
AS she lifted her head she felt her hus-
band beside her give a galvanic start
The next instant, following the direction
OF his gaze, she knew the woman.
Plain, she meditated; evidently
1allen off! Now, L wonder if she has
charm of manner enough to make him
lose sight OF that, or if l dare venture
on an heroic course?'
MY darling, don't you think we've
Played this idiot!c game long enough?"
said Jack in a 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 humiliat-
ing.
You go, dearest" replied Mrs Max
WELL sweetly. II know you hate to be
here, and l am much too infatuated to
leave off yet myself. Go and smoke your
cigar In peace and the fresh air, and
come back for me when you've finished
II. l shall be perfectly safe, and 1 mean
to break the bankn'
Jack departed obediently, and out of
the tail of her eye his wife watched the
other woman take note of It,
Now, will she follow him. or not?"
she asked herself. mot just yet, I sup
pose.-it would be too marked. PadenzaT'
1T was ten minutes later when Mrs
birmingham sauntered carelessly from
her place at the table out through the
glass door, and Mrs. Maxwell elapsed her
hands in her lap with sudden nervous
ness. After all it was a heroic course
Had she been rash and foolhardy? There
was moonlight outside, and the tapping
Of waves. Fatal adjuncts TO such a mat
ter. In the moonlight, too, the creatures
appearance would be Softened and re-
fined. She had made mistake, perhaps
she had placed him In a tempta tien she
would have avoided. Should she join
him--rescue him, while there still time?
No. She would not; she would stand her
chance. Moonlight or no moonlight she
would risk it. Two francs more
and the devil take the hindmost!
They came fact to faee-she had
planned it so-and her slight gesture of
surprise was perfect.
i Mr., Maxwell-you2 Is it possible?"
How do you do. Mrs. Jernyngham?
= He was going to say he was
pleased to meet her, but decided not to.
II did not know you were in Dieppe.
Have you been here long?''
II have been here, with my wife, about
a month"; he answered
With your wife? Really!' She gave
faint smile-a smile he remembered
very well. so you are married-am 1
THANK you, he said; you are very
kind. Your husband is"
He's dead; so don't inquire ali ut F1s
health. You were always making blum
ders of that sort" She laughed. SCI
used to correct you in that fashion long
ago, didn't T? You see, 1 haven't chang
ed. Well, well well, and so you're mar
ried! told you you'd marry-you didn't
believe me theni"
ga h but Won were right
"Of course 1 was right. Shan't we SIT
down ?-or won't your wife let you? I say,
are you henpecked? You used to be the
sort of boy who'd be henpecked Per-
haps you've 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 man? Do you remember
how you used to VOW that never, never,
never She broke off and burst into
laughter again. And shall own some
thing? After you We're gone--sometimes
when I was inclined to be sentimental
1 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 that expression looked out OF place
on it. There was even q sadness to
him in beholding the change that time
had wrought in her. The woman whose
memory had thrilled him so was gone.
He had thought about her so much, and
now she did not exist. 1t was pathetic.
and-what was more painful stiIl-this
wreck of Nora Jernynham could not join
with him in mourning for her He wept
alone.
You are not glad to see met she said.
soul was full ef regret, of sympathy.
But he could not tell her so, and he lis
tened for ten minutes courteously to her
distressing provocations, her dishearten-
ing 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.
'"rhen suppose this Is the last. time
you will be likely to see me?'' she said,
shaking hands in good-by
II 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
Amused yourself, dearest?" she said
innoeently
Il shall be amused tomorrow" replied
Maxwell when I can laugh at myself!
Tonight, somehow, 1 cannot"
And Mrs. Maxwell understanding. was
content.