The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-06-09
AFTER FIVE YEARS.

Tomorrow II viii be nVe years Ber-
nice; we cannot undo those years, but
The man paused and looked across the
table to the woman. but her eyes avoided
his.
We were not the right ones for each
other. it seems he added. with q weari-
ness in his voice.
Not soul-mates, you mean" the wom
an spoke indiferently, with averted eyes
Undoubtedly you have found yours,
said the man bitterly.
The woman made no answer, and he
continued: You see. 1 thought hoped
we'll I suppose I had old-fashioned
tastes, but I wanted an old { lshicned.
homemade wife IN nearS ana 4 woman
of The world in externals-
Il have satisfied yod ir the 'extcrnals
-sarcastically.
..No. not exactly" The woman flushed
You have gone too far-I may as well
speak plainly now
Certainly"
Z heard or rather overheard your name
coupled with Warren Fields the other
night at the club.
The woman raised her eyes dehantly an
instant and he went on:
4 know have long knOwn-how much
you and he are together, how often he
comes here, how you talk and talk at all
the places you meet, but I always trusted
And now" she asked, Jelly
1T cannot matter TO you what I think.
II Is plain it does not, but my wife must
be above suspicion
The color went out OF the woman's face
and there was silence, long, painful
silence.
It was she who broke it first and her
voice was tremulOus- You are not the
only one who has been hurt, Richard
4 r--frla Of
the beginning. but there was no 'old-fash-
Toned husband 10 meet me. Can you not
understand that woman wants some
thing more than silk and jewels and a
fine house? She appreciates these in their
place. Some women may be satisfied with
these alone, but I-Oh, Richard, there
have been times when l could have torn
the jewels you have given me and tram
pied them under my feet. I have hated
them as price. I wanted the giver with
the gifts Cannot you understand
The man made no reply
Il have not been much more to you
than your dogs and horses, she ccntin-
ued Well, q little more than your names
sake and for my-our-child. Richard, /
wanted the husband, not merely his house
and servants. DID you not remember how
at first 1 came TO you with all my
thoughts? You probably do not remem-
her-they were all SO trivial to you You
never met me on the ground 1 sought.
Others have" interrupted the man.
Yes, others have" She hesitated q
moment, then said: Warren Fields, for
one He is an artist. You know how /
love art. I studied with him for while.
I believed a good woman could love q
friend not of her own sex. We were in
terested alike in art. He helped me, he I'M
derstood my aspirations. A friendship
was established between US"
"A case of platonics?' The mans voice
was irritating.
4 never name it" said the woman.
without resentment. Il had my thoughts
about life, about so many of life's ques-
tions, and had to give them expression.
To have stopped thinking would have
been worse than death. TO me- ! know
you have been good to me in many ways.
you have given me much but you have
never given me yourself. What have
known of your life, your thoughts, your
business interests? Nothing You have
never given me yourself, Richard, and
you have never taken me. have offered
myself Could I fail at your feet and
plead? %
GO on" said the man thickly.
He had bowed his head upon his hands
and he did not look UP.
Couldn't you understand that to me
my aspirations were the same as yours
were TO you? You never met me and 1
wanted sympathy"
And you found it,
yes, I found sympathy. but I wanted
more than that. 1 wanted"
The woman had risen and stood with
her hands on the edge Of the table, look
ing across at the man. He looked up as
she arose and their eyes met. She did not
avert hers now. but looked steadily into
his. and she saw there the mist OF tears.
Then great usefulness came up in her
eyes, and she said gently:
Dick, 1 wanted your sympathy. I
wanted you'll want you still. Can you
not believe it. dear?"
She reached out her hands to him with
all the womans soul of tenderness and
yearning Almost inaudibly she added;
4 was never more than his pupil never
forgot I was your wife"
"Bernicer' and the man was before
her with her hands in his. "Bernice.
have starved my own heart more than
yours-and God forgive me-can your
And then the woman's tears came. and
like the dew from heaven upon the burnt,
parched flower. fell upon the fever of
these lives.
The next day was the fifth anniversary
Of their marriage. To their friends it was
that and nothing more-to them it was
the dawn of their true union. the mar
rage of two souls.
a little golden-haired child sat between
them, turning radiant, happy eyes from
one to the other.
IN the woman's eyes, also. was a ra-
dance.
In the mans eyes-an awakening. -Bos-
ton Post.