New-York tribune., 1901-03-10

! Ihere was a side wicket, and he stole nOiSeleSsly
i'll that way. Sailors can tired as softly as cats
Jameson Cairns stole noiselessly across the little
lawn TO the muslin curtained window of the little
paror the first home he had ever shared with
Isabel The candles in the old fashioned china
sconces that hung each side of the manteI-
Shelt were lighted. 1t was damp, cold June,
and 50 a little wood fire cracked on the hearth
And on the hearth rug stood his wife, his Isabel
in white gown. with a knot of roses at her
breast And close to her stood a man. young
anu handsome, ana stranger 10 her husband.
though evidently not to her. for he held her
clasped, and her hands We're folded round ha
neck. ana her 1ace-hushed like rose, though
/ Isabel was usually palc-Was lifted to his with a
laughing, dimp!ing. provoking clquetry which
ISabrlS husband had never seen in il before
! tie saw red and Clutched at the window sill TO
keep himself from crying out. The savage lust
/ to Kill possessed him. but before they died the
traitor and the traitrcss, Jameson Cairns would
hear what they were saying One Of the case
mentS stood open; the words came plain enough
/ to the greedy ears that listened
Where Is She" the stranger said. He had a
saiorlike look, and dressed in a loose but
We'll made suit Of serge. gilt buttOned and with
/ the blue and white mohair brading on the cuff
. and collar edge that is the uniform distinction
of the officers Of one of the greatest lines Of
passenger steamers
Isabel laughed. The laugh was round and full
and had in it something that unfamiliar
Cairns.
she is lying down. She has been watching
Obviously she meant the landlady But the
man speaking
when Will he Gomez
Not before Tomorrow"
They both laughed. and seeing the rosy lips
/ parted in their merriment so near his own the
stranger kissed them; and Cairns, with a sound
between curse and Sob let go his hold of
| the window ledge and staggered back into the
garden
/ There little summer house covered with
a wildly iuxuriant hop vine. in the shelter Of
/ which he and Isabel had spent many golden
h"urS Oh the honeymoon that had ended so alb
ruptly The stricken man crept in there and
/ crouched upon the seat and clutched his burn
/ ing head between his stiff hands. that were blue
as though with cold. and tried to think. lie had
meant TO kill them both-to kill the man only
and then go to her and say What had
/ he meant to say? Nothing. perhaps, except
that he had found out, and that ii was all over.
Those flushed checks would they bleach? Would
the laugh wither hidcously from those red lips
! OF woald they still smile as they asked him in
defiance. why did you come back so soon? You
knew all women We're alike. You might
have EuesSedi'
That sent the to hts feet as though the
words had actually been spoken. He knew now
that he had To go back and kill the man, there
before her. Nothing else would do. He remem-
bcred the revolver he carried and slipped his
hand behind him and drew it, and crouching
moved nOislessly. with CLASSY. staring eyes. and
cold. dropped jaw of Death masking a living
hate. and the burning. quenchless thirst for
Gearce back over the grass TO the window.
slight. familiar. clinking sound came to him
hc drew near His eyes dazzled by the
light and color which strcamed from the heart
OF that hOmely little dwelling lie leaned for
ward. holding his breath. and with the revolver
ready. And then he made the great the
founding the overwhelming discovery that there
We're three persons in the room. seated round ,
table. drinking tea that of them the
dark young man whom he. Jameson Cairns. had
intended to kill and that the other two his
wife Isabel. And then he knew that he was
mad. and laughed out wildly; and there was an
! exclamation in 4 voice he had once loved, up
rising from the table. and footsteps in the little
hall. and his wife out in the garden, upon
his breast. and welcoming him with soft. hur-
ried cries of joy. before jameson Cairns could
hide away the revolver
+ "Dh Jcm.' she cried. II knew il was YOU,
Something told me that you would be back be-
fore tomorrow And now. come in and let
show you something. Jcn"'
| She took her husband by the unresisting hand
and led him into the warm. bright, fra grant little
cottage parior. Jem Cairns had had pre-
! Vious experiences of emotions ut all resembling
| concealed the revolver with which he had meant
| to shoot the dark young man. when the dark
yOuua; got up with 4 welcoming smile and
| an outStrctChed hand.
1t is Mr.. Coulson." said Isabel who Is n
gagged To my sister. He brought her down here
, yesterday. and will come down again to take
! her back when her visit is over. And this is
Winifrrd." snc went ON, with little chuckle of
delight At Jcn's apparent bcwildermcnt in the
presence OF a replica Of herself You never
guessed that we were twins. did you?'
"Ncver"' said jameson Cairns. He held out
his hard to the other Isabel. the Isabel with
the flushed checks and the smiling red lips, and
she looked up at ;hc tall. haggard man in sud
! den wondermcnt and surprise at finding him
much older than she had expected
is he anything like what YOU had imagined
he would be-" Isabel asked, in her wifely pride.
And the girl answered. little obviously:
"Oh ycSt I:ut. BcIle-yOu never told me that
he had white har,'
I,,.ct he iOlisru1ntlX.