Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1900-12-22

BUSY. Altogether LOFTS FornAiu was
not depressed. The separation would
be only for q 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 bewil-
dering Colorado. But March had
stormed itself away-April had cried
| her capricious heart out-May had
passed, a 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 beaut,ful-with the
| Joy OF welcome loI g-deferred. Tall,
erect. bronzed, smiling. he was hand
somer than ever. He accepted her
eager greetings complacently. Yes, 1t
was good to get bach. He had never
| felt so 1T 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. He
talked freely of his journalistic assira-
tions-irankly, it seemed. also, OF his
personal experiences in the Rockies.
He praised her numerous late sue
cesses. which had been social as 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 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 a 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 OF
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-ais. a picture. 1t 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:
| "Queeniy she leaned on one round, white
| With that regal. sndolent air she had
So confident of her eharm!'
On the back was written a line-just
few tender words. Doris Fernald's
little brown face famed. She carried
the picture to her husband where he
4 CT he, int =
she had gone to find.
who is she?" she asked.
Suddenly. before he replied, she
knew that all which had perplexed her
was plain and clear. In that moment.
before the dumb. gorgeous challenge
of that piece of cardboard. she felt
her own physical insignificanee as she
had never felt it before.
Duke Fernald flushed, stammered.
was silent Don't ask me to- can't
tell you, Doris"
You must tell mel" she insisted,
quietly.
Indeed, she frightened him a little.
she was so quiet.
1T would be better IL you were not
| " Sdy
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 ticking
OF his watch where 1t lay on the dress
ing-table.
Doris" he said, one hand outfiung
you know / loved you,"
Yes" Her fiat bosom rose sharply
You thought so-once."
81 didn't mean that" He spoke
hoarsely. You have given me every.
thing-health. hope. new courage-op
portunities. You are the best wife II
the world, Doris, and"
She broke in with a passionate ex-
clamation. Il cannot accept gratitude
she said. Go on. You love her, then
And she--is she free?"
He bowed his head in shamed 81
lence.