Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-05-04
CHAPTER ".
THE TENDER PASSION.


There were three very thoughtful and
serious people at Becketts Mill that
night. They were Mr. and Mrs. Banks
and Mrs. Mann. The rest of the popu-
lation, both men and women, collected
in little groups. either at a neighbours
house or on the street. and discussed
the war and the events of that day.
But those three remained aloof. their
thoughts conferred on things of far
more interest to themselves.
Mrs. Banks had never felt at home
among the people OF Postum Ridge, at
least never since she had spent a year
away at college. She knew that as a
class they were good people and well
meaning, but for all that she did not
like them, and il was not because she
did not wish to like them. but because
she could not. The whole trouble was
that she and they were not congenial
spirits and there was nothing in CON-
mon between them.
Unfortunately she felt toward her
husband as she felt toward the rest.
He was like them. and try as she
would she could not separate him from
them. She found between herself and
him that same feeling of restraint, not
TO say antagonism, which held her
aloof from the others. Instead of his
presence affording her that feeling of
sweet companionship which a wife
should End in the company of her
husband, 1t annoyed and irritated her
and made her restless and unhappy.
She had married Sim when she was
a mere child. She had liked him then.
and she had believed that she loved
him. She had attended school with
him, and in his rough way he had
always been kind to her, treating her
with more consideration than she had
ever received from any one else.
At the age of 10 she received an offer
OF marriage from Sim, and, urged on by
her parents, she had accepted him.
Then came the year at college and a
few months later the wedding.
Then there came an awakening Of
which she had never dreamed-a sad,
bitter awakening that was like a cruel
crucidxion. She realized that to make
marriage sacred and happy there must
be mutual love. and she knew that on
her part there was none, and she felt
that the time would never come when
there would be.
Sitting alone in her room that night.
she folded her arms on the table and,
pillowing her head on them, wept as
though her heart would break. She
had known many unhappy hours, but
never any SO thoroughly miserable as
that.
She felt toward her husband as she
had never felt before. Often and often
she had experienced a feeling of dis
like for some trait of his character,
but 1t was not until now that she felt
that she hated the man himself. There
had been many times when his alb
sence was a relief to her, but it was
never until this night that she had
wished with all her heart that she
might never see him again.
That James Melvin had much to do
with her feelings she could not help
but admit, although the admission
caused her face to burn with shame.
The knowledge that another man, and
that man at that, could be the means
OF making her despise her husband was
bitterly humiliating, and she wished
with all her heart that she could dispise
Melvin as well; but, alas, that was
something she could not do.
While she sat there Sim came into
the room. 1t was late, and he had
walked two miles out into the country
and back. He was restless and uneasy
and far more unhappy than he had
ever been in all his life.
Mrs. Mann's prophecy, coupled with
the words Louisa had spoken, had
made a much deeper impression on him
than he would have admitted to any
living soul, than he even liked to admit
to himself.
That there was something lacking In
his married life he knew only too well
ana ne had known 1t from his wedding
day, but never until now had it oc-
CURED to him how serious that lacking
might be. That Louisa did not love
him as wife should he had been long
assured, but the possibility of her low
Ing another man was something that
had never crossed his mind until this
day, and the bare thought of such a
thing fell on him with crushing blow.
Great God!' he cried aloud as he
uamped the lonely country road. "Such
thing cannot, must not, shall not be-
1t would Kill me. o God, it would kill
mer'
When he entered the loom. I,ouiss
did not look up, and when he spoke
her name she paid no attention to him.
He waited a moment, then asked her
what was the matter.
Nothing" she replied between her
sobs.
Then what are you cryln for?n he
asked
Nothing" she answered again.
rs it anything I've done?" he aues-
toned.
mo-
''Is it what Mary Mann saidr
''No."
Then what is tip
Nothing"
But it is somethin, Loueesy. You
know Ii is. Won't you tell me what?''
She shook her head
did you hear what Mary Mann said