The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1900-11-22

busy Altogether Doris E'ernald was
not depressed The separation would
be only for a few months The spirit
of returning health spark1ed on the
pages he wrote One-two-of his late
stories had been honored by generous
and complimentary acceptance He
hoped she was not depriying herself to
send him the checks she did He would
pay her back many times over one OF
these days OF course it was pleasant
to be able to move about. and enjoy
the numerous beauties of this bewil-
dering Colorado But March had
stormed itself away-AprII had cried
her eapricious heart out-May had
passed. a cool. fair maiden, all blue and
gold.-*sthe deep, red June" had drawn
her last lovely breath, and July was
drifting towards sultry extinction, be-
fore Marmaduke Ferna1d forsook the
fantastic beauty of western solitude-s,
and came back to the calm skies and
placid plains of Illinois.
| Doris met him rapturous1y- She was
radiant-almost beautiful-with the
| joy OF welcome long deferred. Tall,
erect, bronzed, smiling, he was hand
somer than ever He accepted her
| eager greetings complacently. Yes. it
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 they had ever been He
talked freely of his journalistic aspira-
tfons-frankly, it seemed. also, of his
personal experiences in the Rockies
| He praised her numerous late sue
cesses, which had been social we'll
| 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 a new and
| alien interest which she noticed? Was
| it the introduction of unknown per-
sona1 interest in his life which had
wrought the subtle alteration? Or was
she merely ginative-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 7 should not
wonder he answered. One night he
| was going to a dinner-a function of
Importance. Doris was getting his
clothes together for him was her
habit. a pair of cuff buttons he treas
ured-an heirloon-she could not find
Perhaps she had forgotten to remove
| them from his dress suit case when he
she FOUND the buttons III
! the case-aISo picture. It had been
| thrust between the lining and the
| leather of the Casa space cut to
| permit its passage She sat a long
time looking at it. The photograph
| was that of a woman in the full ma
| turity of sumptuous beauty The pose,
the barred bosom, the lovely, languor-
| Gus face recalled Meredith's Lady of
| Carrabas:
"oueeniy she leaned on one round. white
| With that regal. fndolent air she had
So confident of her charm.'
On the back was written a 1ine-just
| a few tender words Doris Fernald's
little brown face famed She carried
the picture to her husband where he
stood ready-dressed save for the links
she had gone to find
who is she?'' she asked.
Suddenly, before he replied, she
knew that all which had perp1exed her
was plain and clear In that moment,
| before the dumb, gorgeous challenge
of that piece of cardboard, she felt
her own physical insignihcance as she
had never felt it before.
Duke Fernald flushed, stammered,
was silent Don't ask me to- can't
tell you, Doris
sYou must tell mel" she insisted,
quietly
Indeed, she frightened him little,
she was so quiet
1t would be better if you were not
to say any
| She showed him the line on the re-
verse of the card. t'Is this the woman
you love2''
There was the silence of the grave
between them She heard the ticking
of his watch where it lay on the dress
ing-tabIe.
Doris he said, one hand outhung,
you know 1 loved youi''
Yes" Her nat bosom rose sharply.
you thought so-once-''
Il didn't mean that" He spoke
hoarse1y. you have given every
thing-hea1th.- hope, new courage-op-
portunities- You are the best wife in
the world, Doris, and
She broke in with a passionate ex-
clamation- Il cannot accept gratitude"
she said Go on You 5@sye her, then,
And she-is she free?
He bowed his head in shamed ST.
1ence-