The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-02-01
THE OTHER MAN.
HOW A LOVER WAS SORELY
TEMPTED BY JEALOUSY.

lie stood on the BRINK of the precl-
pice and looked over. Three hundred
feet below him the sea broke on the
somher rocks
The man muscles tcnsioncd, and he
drew a deep breath. What an easy
way to end il all. Just one little step.
Those rocks below were no bunglels
They would make no mistake over their
work, and the sea would tell no tales.
and thcn-thcn he would be away from
it all and would never have to bear the
agony of hearing that she was married
TO Everett.
Married to Everett. Married to Ev-
erctt, The words changed in his ears.
He groancd aloud and bent hastily over
the edge.
y mist came before his eyes. and his
breath rose in a choking hcave To his
throat. The ground rocked Sckeningly
beneath him, and for one dizzy second
he thought he was faling-falling down
that intcrminable space.
Then the mist passed, the ground stop
ped rocking, and he gaspcd with relief
to find himself still standing safe and
sound on firm earth.
lie turned away, with scornful laugh
at his own weakness.
Home again, he flung himself into an
easy chair and lit his pipe, resolved to
give way no longer to morbid imaginings.
He picked up a magazine. but his
thoughts flew off at a tangent to the
dance which was to take place that very
evening, to which he had been invited.
He had vowed not to see her again
till he could settle once for all the demon
pf ,,.i,l A., 4
ballroom was the last place for impas-
stoned avowals.
lie thought how cool and beautiful she
would look in her white muslin. with her
fluffy golden hair framing her sweet lit
tie ilowcrikc face. Perhaps he would 20
after all. Then a second figure rose up TO
spoil the picture-handsomc happy 90
lucky Everett, with Il merry word for
every one, dancing untiring attendance
on the fascinating hostess and never
leaving her side for a moment.
How dared he take possession of her in
that way! And how could she put up
with it, unless
His pipe, mankind's universal baby
bottle, for once failed utterly in its mis-
sion of soothing He tossed it angrily
across the table and buried his face in his
hands, lost in a whrl of miserable CON
lectures.
His thoughts flew back to that dance
one week ago, one week so crowded with
hopes and fears that it seemed "a life
time.
He remembered those two dances. the
music, the scent of flowers in the con
seryatory and. more distinctly than all.
the laughing face of Dolly.
Then those few overheard words rush
ed through his brain He clnched his
fists, and his face flushed at the recolec-
ton, He had drifted from the ballroom
to the conservatory. Would she consent?
That was the question that throbbed in
his brain. Should he say the words that
would decide his future life and hers?
He had puffed at a cigarette and stared
at the thin wisps of blue smoke Would
his hopes fade into nothingness as that
fragrant smoke faded and vanished into
air? And then he heard people talking
lie recognized the voice of Everett and
then Dollys. They were seated on the
opposite side of the conservatory and had
not seen him as he sat almost concealed
behind tangle of palm leaves
dolly" Everett was saying, you
must say yes My whole life depends
upon it. We have been chums so long.
Say you will and make me the happiest
man in England. not to speak of Scot
land, Ireland and Wales Say 'yesn |
know what you want to say, that we
ought to be getting back again. And
there are all those loathSome people who
want dances. Confound 'em. You will?
l knew you would
Fraser had sat there, almost unable TO
move He did not know how long. The
music from the ballroom iloated out into
the conservatory. mingling with the
laughter and chatter of the guests All
hope, all interest in life was gone
snatched from him by those few over
heard words. People were asking for
him. What did it matter Nothing mat
tered now, a voice reused him. He
looked up and saw Everett before him
Everett, who was his friend, who was
now his rival, his enemy.
Hello, Fraser, old man! You seem
to be ten fathoms deep in the blue
dumps. What's the matter now? Come
and have a smoke with me. I've been
looking for you half the evening"
And that all happened week ago; a
week, the most miserable in his life.
And now he was trying to forget her.
What fool he was.
The thought of that steep drop down
to the sea kept recurring to his mind
again and again with fatal fascination
put it away from him as he would
Through all his broodings its somber in
vitation stood out clear and distinct. He
could see even now the jagged rocks
lurking below, dripping with spray, look
ing for their prey.
AT last he got up 1t was no good
staying in. lnaction was torture to him
in his present frame of mind. He would
try and walk it off.
lie started off rapidly without any
definite aim or intention, but uncon-
sciously his steps turned toward the
coast, and presently he found himself
once more ascending the steep little path
he had traversed that morning.
As he neared the summit he perceived
that there was mans figure before him,
STOPPING perilously over the dangerous
edge, evidently gathering some plant
from the cliff below.
1t was foolhardy thing to do and evil
IDENTIFY bespoke a strong brain.
A little nearer, and he stopped short
abruptly. The STOPPING figure was Ev-
erett.