El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-10-16
The LOAN
OF A LOVER


1t was only after innumerab BILE pieces of
evidence. the meaning of which there was
absolutely no installing. that little Mrs.
Denison was at last reluctantly forced to
the conclusion that her husband had real
ly got tired of her. His days were given
up to the office. his evenings to the club,
he had ceased to care about his appear
ance and his clothes had become deplora-
bly, untidy. For a week she could think
of nothing else. At the end of that time
she began to look about for means of
consolation. For a woman she took
strangely philosophical view. She knew
that she could not live without love. but
instead of sitting down and deploring her
lot she just determined to make the best
of things.
Algie Owen was little more than a boy
and had long admired her in silence.
word from her would, she knew, be suffi
cient to bring him to her feet Within an
hour from the time she came to her de-
cision Algie had received n note asking
him to come round to tea the next day.
Within week he had become her con-
slant companion, and her husbands indif-
ference had lost half its sting And at
the end of month Mr.. Denison, coming
home unexpectedly, had surprised Algie
In the act of pressing kiss on her lips.
His first impulse was to kick the hoy out
of the house. his second to leave it him
self Neither impulse. however. prevail
ed. He just stood there looking. And
as Mrs DeniSon was far too frightened
to speak it was Algie who at last blurted
out his face rosy red and his lips Quiv
ering-he was really very boyish indeed,
despite his grown up airs:
well. sir. what is to be done?'
THAT, sir" said Mr.. Denison, almost
smiling-the pair before him looked more
like two naughty children than anything
else-''that. sir. lies with you. What
ironically-"is your suggestion?'
II will tell YOU, stammered Algie, |
what What Mrs. Denison wants. She |
-she"-it was really a very daring thing |
to say-"she wants to marry me. and she |
wants you to go-go and do something |
that will get-get her-her a divorce"
The suggestion was so cool that for a |
moment it quite took AR. Denison's |
breath away.
"Well. I'm hanged he CALCULATED at |
last.
He was silent for a moment, thinking.
"Now," he said at last. ''go. Oh, by |
the way" he added Algie turned to-
ward the door, ''can you come in to din
ner this day week? We shall be very
pleased to see you"
Algie's blue eyes widened into stare.
But when the question was repeated
and he saw that Denison was in earnest,
o..
And then he went out, wondering what
thing would happen next
and trying to remember If he had ever
heard any reports of madness in the Dem
son family, and Tom Denison, after ring
ng for his wife's maid and telling her to
zee after her mistress. as she wasn't very
we'll. strobe off to his club to think out a
certain little scheme.
That day week, when Mr.. Denison
walked into the little drawing room
lbout 20 minutes before the dinner hour
his usual practice was to get home, il
It all, about ten minutes after it had
been announced-Mrs. Denison opened
Ter eyes very wide indeed. Instead of
he old shabby tail coat he had donned
what was evidently brand new dress
uit, cut in the latest fashion. His hair
lad been freshly cut and trimmed, the
leavy mustache was curled off his lips
md the yellow rose in his buttonhole be-
anne him to perfection. He looked at
east a dozen years younger.
He just bent over his wife and gave
Ter a kiss and then sat himself down at
he piano, and, his fingers straying over
he notes, began to sing more to himself
APPARENTLY than to her Music always
ppealed to her, and she could not help
in pause that came between
he verses that it was very pretty song,
nd she had no idea he could play SO
IeH.
1T comes from the new opera at the
he said. Il haven't got it
ute right, but 1t went something like
hat, think, as far as 1 can remember"
lie had bought the music three days be-
ore and had been trying to get right
yer since.
You are very spruce tonight" she j.
aid, looking up as he shut down the .
iano and took up his stand against the )
Are You going out anywhere? I'm ,
Ding TO supper. and you will have Owen
, entertain you. He is sure to stay
tie. He hasn't seen you since yesterday,
as he?"
She ignored the sarcasm in the sugges-
on aud. still looking up at him, reflected q
18th an inward sigh that she wished AL q
lie was half as handsome as this hus- Il