The times., 1901-03-17

with Isabel, 1t was a proper cradle for
/ love, the bosom of the sea.
Ii Cairns had ever read any poetry. he
! would have known that these thoughts
Of his We're poetical. but they seemed to-
him the merest. mos. natural prose. lie
walked a q good pace along the country
lanes. his broad shoulders well set back.
his head up. his stick swinging. He had
! left his bag at the station; II was To Be-
sent out to the cottage later on.
The quaint. thatched roof of the cottage
rose into sight against the background OF
the strip of woodland where Isabel ;
nightiugales sang, Cairns felt a sick sort
of sinking at the heart when he saw no
figure waiting at the gate to welcome him.
. Next moment he laughed, thinking of the
surprise i'm store. He would not go in by
the front gate, lest Isabel should see him.
There was q side wicket. and he stole
noiselessly in that way. Sailors can tread
as StOftly as cats jameson Cairns stole
noiSelesSlV across the little lawn To the
loT, the first home he had ever shared
with Isabel. The candles in the old fash
Toned china sconces that hung on each
side of the mautelshelt We're lighted IL
was a damp, cold June, and SO a little
wood fire cracked on tn" hearth. And
on the hearth rug stood his wife, Isabel.
i'm a white gown, with a knot of roses at
her breast And close to her stood man.
young and handsome, and = stranger to
her husband, though evidently not TO her,
for he held her CldsDed, and her hands
were IOlicu round MS uttNr dtlu Iltl lave
flushed like rose, though Isabel was
usually pale-was lifted to his with a
laughing, dimpling. provoking coquetry
which lsabeIs husband had never seen In
it before.
He saw red. and clutched at the window
sill to keep himself from crying out Ihe
savage lust to Kill possessed him: but be
fore they died the traitor and the tralt-
ress, Jameson Cairns would hear what
they We're saying. one of the easements
stood open: the words came plain enough
To the greedy ears that listened
Where is She" the stranger said lie
had Il sailOrlke look. and was dressed IN
a loose but well made suit Of serge, gilt
buttoned and with the blue and white
mohair braidiug on the Gun ana collar
edge that IL the uniform distinction OF the
officers of one of the greatest lines of pas
senger steamers.
Isabel laughed The laugh was round
and full and had in it something that was
unfamiliar 10 Cairns.
she is lying down. She mas been
watching all day-foT him.
obviously she meant the laudlady. But
the man was speaking
when will he come
Not before tomorrow.
They both laughed and. seeing the rosy
lips parted in- their merrment. SO near
his own, the stranger kissed them ana
Cairns wit h a sound between curse anu
=, sob let go his hold 81 the window leuBe
and staggered back into the garden.
There was a little summer hours, coy
cred with wildly luXuriant hop Nlue, IN
,i,e shelter of which he and Isabel had
spent many golden hours OF the honey
moon that had ended SO abruptly. The
stricken man crept In there ana cToucned
mon rho seat and clutched his burning
head between his stiff hands, that were
blue as though with cold. and tried 10
think. He had meant to Kill them both
to kill the man only. ana theh go 10 her
and saw What had he meant TO
say? Nothing, perhaps, except that he
had found out. and that it was all over.