Barton County democrat., 1901-10-04

'I must co. Alison rose abruptly.
Her lips were dry, her voice sounded
harsh. 81 must go. You make me-''
she sought an impressive word, and
could find only the tame one, "un-
comfortable" Its inaptitude made her
laugh, nervously.
Zone moment. I must tell you
that. at least, I have been punished
for my sin against you-punished
enough, I think-much as deserved.
For such jealousy as mine ewas-an
illness, an agony, fire that threat
ened to burn my very life away What
L suffered! I cannot speak of It, even
now, without feeling sick and faint.
There was long and painful 81
lence. The atmosphere seemed too
heavy to breathe; each could hear the
other painting softly. At last Alison
said, with a jerk
"You feel things strongly"
eyes, and so do you That is why
I know you can understand and for
give me. Sometimes I wonder what
I should have done if''-her voice fell
to whisper-'tif had found out that
that my suspicious were true and
he-loved someone-else. 1.-The mere
thought of it almost kills me-"
A violent shudder passed through
her frame, and the happy, comely
face was convulsed into age and plain
ness for a moment. Her next words
came with a gasp that was like a
sob.
''How weak and silly you must
think me, Miss Cole. But you are re-
sponsible for this schoolgirlish out
break. Does not everyone you meet
wish to confide in you? Can anybody
resist the. spell of your sympathy? :?
If I might only have you for a friend!
But that is asking too much, 1 know.
should bore you with my uninterest-
ing affection. Yet if you ever need a
trustworthy friend, if I can do any
thing to atone for having once
wronged you in my thoughts, nothing
could make me happier
She took the limp hand formally
extended to her. Goodbye" she
said, with a winning smile of apology
and kindness still lingering about her
flexible mouth: Goodbye, I do hope
you'll be happy, you deserve to be-"
Alison shrank as if she had received
1y, however, and asked. on a sudden
impulse: Are you happy?" The
other woman dimpled into laugh.
''Come and see me with my chill
dren. You will not need to ask then"
Out in the air Alison Cole reeled at
first, then set off as fast as she could
walk, under a drizzling rain, of which
she was scarcely conscious. Her
thoughts whirled deliriously.
''At 1ast-at last we've met! Rivals
and enemies, by all the laws of con-
vention, yet two women who could
have loved, and understood, and
helped each other. She wanted to be
'friends'-think of it! And my face,
that told her so much, did not tell her
the truth, though I writhed before
her. Thank God for that! Thank
God she can still be happy"
She pulled up on the curb and hailed
a hanson driving towards her. But
someone had already claimed it. The
cabman pulled up a few PAGES off, then
drove away with another fare. Alison
walked on.
First come, frse serve So all
through life!" She laughed at this
prosaic illustration of a theme for
tragedy. ''The first, not the fttest!
Because he met her before I crossed
his path-and there is nothing to tell
us what the real face of love will be
like when we see it. We are made
ignorant. and then punished for our
ignorance? Is it fairs it just?''
"Ah, yes she thought; perhaps
things are leveled more than they
seem to our tangled notions of JUS
tice. She has her husband, her home,
and her children, while 1 am alone and
have nothing. But 1 have never been
jealous-she has. I have always been
sure of him-she has not. If she has
his children and sits at his table, have
I not shared all the romance of his
life? Do we not sit at the feast of
memory together, he and always
So the sum balances out:
And why should she not get her
hearts, desire?'' Mrs. Kynaston was
too, on her way home.
She felt sure that dear Miss Cole had
a story-a secret sorrow which she
longed to share. And she told her
husband so.-Black and White.
The Duke to n Quack.