The Red Cloud chief., 1900-11-23

49,
her again. She had treated him afro
ciously he had considered At the time.
Englished, she had amused herself with
him. and then given him his congee. She
was a married woman and he had been
a boy.
He recalled every incident of the fare
well A youthful passion II may have
been. but-he could not dispute IL even
now-it was a passion that left It's mark.
There had been a conservatory opening
out of the rooms she occupied IL was In
the conservatory that ho had made him
self the most absurd-iherc. and for a
moment Mt the plano. at which she had
seated herself indlferently, and where
he had knelt TO her like n lover In The
London Journals" She had strollcd
along. smiling ut the flowers. saying
cruel things to him In her new and care
less voice. and he had followed her visit
fully like n whipped dog. pleading to be
readmdtted to favor. A spray OF fern
that she had dropped had been captured
BY him passionateiy-she had touched II
In their last moments together. She
shrugged her shoulders with a sneer. and
his eyes filled at her cruelty.
what do you suppose there was In .
boy like you to hold a woman Ike me-"
she had asked.
II was the harshest thing she could
have said. and he remembered hat at
that he had broken down altogether.
Good heavens, how prepostcrous he had
been-how wrongly he had gone to work.
always being pathetic and reproachful!
III a jeunesse savait, 81 la vieillesse pou-
watt!
However, II was over. He had not
-found balm 1or his wound In six months"
as she had prorhcsied. but in nine years
he had married. ana forgotten her exist
encc entirely until u was recalled to him
by the sight OF her name In the visitors
list.
Now the recollections rushed back at
him. and while he laughed at his former
self rs a fool. he was conscious of a
strange tremor at the prospect OF seeing
her once more.
lie loved his wife sincerely. Twelve
months ago he could have contemplated
meeting Mrs. J~ernyngham without mis-.
giving. But he had been married twelve
months. The time had not lesscned his
love. but II had naturally d.spelied the
romance. After all. to be ''ln love- with
a woman Is a greater safeguard against
others than to love her" He was bound
to acknowledge to himself tina he was
frightened at the thought of seeing Mrs.
J~crnyngham again, lie had. IA a matter
OF fact. avoided the Casino since he knew
she was In Dieppe.
He put down his paper. and looked
across at Nellie reading "a Tauchni,z nov
81. How pretty she was. and how trust
fui! would she say. could she d.
vine his present mood? Sinlcss az II was,
Il would cut her to the heart. Bah, he
naA N fol -, la.tt 49,. .z.t- 49,
afraid to venture out OF doors! He was
not fond Of her still--of course he was
not.
Maxwell's lap.
"wha arc you thinking about darling?' 90
she asked.
~ was thinking how charming you look
In that frock. my dear he answered. lie
preserved the habit OF making graceful
speeches to his wife. Cynical bachelor
friends said ne forgot who she was-that
Il was the force OF habit,
She shook her had doubtfully.
"There was a nasty black wrinkle be-
tween your eyebrows. Jack, and YOU were
tugging your mustache. rs you always do
when you're 'put out ] do look charm
Ing In this frock, I admit-but you
weren't thinking 80"
He obeyed n sudden impulse.
"Ncllle. come here. Do you remember.
soon after we were married. you asked
me a question. You asked me II I had
ever cared deeply for another girl than
yourself"
'I remember" said Nellie. eyes"
"I told you what an internal idiot I had
once made OF myself over a married
woman. l asked you. too, never to use a
certain scent because It reminded me OF
her. You know all thatr"
81 know: I know: go on"
"well. she's here. that's all. and-con,
found it-f'm rather sorry"
'Oh!'' said Nellie. And then there was
q pause between them. She was the one
to break II.
'U's-it's quite all over. Jack? Shs
couldn't. she daren't. attempt to-? You're
marrled--you would simply have to bow
and pass on. Besides. by your own ac-
count she was-weii. she d,dn't care fol-
you any more. Why should you mine
seeing herr"
~ don't know he muttered lrresolute,
ly: I'd rather not. that's all. Anyhow
lets talk of something else. We ar,
leaving Dleppe the end OF the week; as 4
matter OF fact, I dare say I shall neveI
come across her!'
Mrs, Maxwell, however. was not salts
fed. For one thing. she wanted to remain
longer In Dicppe than they had at AIRS
proposed. and for another. she objecte,
on principle to her husband being nervous
Of a %rencontre with any woman In tn
wide. wide world
''come for a walk" she said, 'snd don
be such a stupid boy, One would thinl
you were In love with her now, TO hea
you talk. Youn make me jealous," An,
she made a mirthiess pretence at a laugI
which would have deceived no living sou
but a husband. Get ready. I'm going :
put on my hat-and II you're very goo,
you shall come and watch me lose al
eur money In the Casino"
She had never been more bewitchlnI
or coauettish In their courtship than sh
was during that evening. Far more plain
ly than the man himself she realize
that she had n rivai-though It might b
only a memory-and she put forth all he
forces to annihilate her. Beautiful