Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1901-06-01
In THE LIGHT OF A LIE.


And tonight. if you were but standing
here.
I'd give you an answer straight and true.
II you'd ask me again if / loved you,
dear! Laura c. ReddeD
She was a little out of breath when
she came into the drawing room. There
was a faint. unusual flush ON her ordi-
| narily pearl-fair cheek. and her eyes
looked large and restless. She had evil
IDENTIFY dressed hurriedly. The laces on
her bosom looked as though hastily ad
justed, and the flowers at her belt were
pinned awry. Il am late, she apollo
gized. She had come up the room TO her
husband. and lifted her lips for his Gus
tomary evening salute. Il am sorry TO
have kept dinner waiting. 1t Is unpar-
donable. II shall not occur again
He murmured few deprecating words
and they went into dinner together. All
| during dinner in the rich. old, dark pan
| eled room, where the golden sunset light
poured in through softening draperies of
thin crimson silk, she was very gay, very
entertaining. She always was vivacious,
especially when she had anything TO CON
ceal under a tide of clever tank or a
| sparkling shower of wit. And David
| Farnham was a good listener-an excel
| lent listener.
When one of his few friends, hand
some. improvident Ross Lenard, had
ended his fit of remorse over disastrous
mining speculatiOns ny putting bullet
in his brain, a letter found near him asked
| that David Farnham would look after
the little girl Farnham had accepted
the trust with the quiet consciousness
natural to him i'll matters great or unim-
portant. He had sent the girl TO the best
| schools. He had arranged that her vaca-
| tions should be safely and pleasantly
spent. He had acted precisely as though
she were a blood relative. legally entitled
| to his protection and assistance. But
| when she came to him from school,
| quite bewitchingly fair and accomplished
| young woman. he was temporarily dis
| mayed. Whatever was ne to do with
such charming encumbrance? For
| year she lived with widowed sister of
| his. All her mothers people were across
| the ocean. and being strangers TO her she
refused to go 10 them. Farnham went
punctually at stated periods 10 see his
ward. and was in every way Solicitous for
her comfort. But daily the realization
grew on him shat she was not as well
| and carefully guarded as she should be.
In his perpleXity he asked her 10 marry
| him. Now, months after their marriage,
| strange emotions thrilled him when he
| recalled the manner of her reply. She
had turned her head away for moment.
| Then she had looked up at him. her face
| flaming scarlet. Her eyes met his full
and steadily.
"Yes-if You are sure you want me
| yes" she said.
story to him since then. He was lord of
a palace, and the beautiful princess was
| his-only his. In all his uneventful, hard
working life he had never imagined what
it might be TO live in paradise; that its
gates should ever swing wide for him had
not entered into his imaginings.
1t was a delightful Drama she went
| on apropOs of the matinee Of the after
noon. 1T is likely to have long run.
Almost every one who is left in town was
! there
Il passed the tneater as the crowd was
| coming out" he said. Il had an impera-
tive business engagement, so could not
cross over: but | think l saw you'as you
| left. I'm almost sure it was you. hut
YOU know how nearsighted / am. You
wore white, did you not-a white coat
and hat:"
Yes" she said. in breathlesS sort of
way. She laid down her roll and looked
| over al him. Yes
He slipped slowly. almost retrospective
| ly. at his Burgundy. Il thought | could
not be mistaken. | was sorry / had not
time to make sure-to meet You. Be
sides. you were not alone You had the
carriage. And-there was someone with
| you coming ont, was there not? A tail
man. You We're not alone. | was not
positive. but it looked like Andrews.
Was it Andrews"
Her fork fell on her salad plate with q
so near-sighted after all.' she laughed.
Then it was Andrews?"
YES" she answered. That sudden rose
color again stained ner check. Her
bright. eager gaze never left his face.
Tit was Col. Andrews"
Then she was off in the sparkling mar
ration of the chief comedy scene in the
| play. telling it with delicious humor, in
| imitable mmicry and scintillant flashes
of original comment. And all was made
meSmeric by the cleaning laughter of
! purple-blue eyes. the little airy gestul Is
| of white perfect hands.
And David Earnham, eating his fruit
| and cracking his walnutS. listened and
! looked, his slow. sweet smile deepening
around his firm lips.
And she was his-his, David Farm
ham'S-his wife. this exquisite girl. with
| the snowdrfts Of her stainless life be
hind, and the wild rose garden of her
| beautiful life before. He put his hand
to his throat at the thought. For an in
| slant something hot under his eyelids
| blurred the flowers, the damask, the gilt
| tering silver of the table, even the radi-
| ant. glowing, gracious young vision be-
| y0nd
Come" she cried, Il shall play for
you"
And play she did, while he smoked and
listened. wild, merry, capricious music
| that gradually merged into a little sob
(
fainter suddenly it ended in a false
chord. Then there was silence.
David Farnham rose-crossed the
room. He laid his hand on his wife's
| shoulder. She looked mp at him.
Evelyn" he said. Evelyn
The pang of bitter prescience cut him
to the heart. He was too old, too grave,
too sad for her. 1t had been all a terri
bic mistake. And she-she was finding
it out. For in that long, penetrative look
he saw that she was weak. and white.
and spent. All the light and bloom of
her beauty had been blown out as though
| by an extinguishing breath. A passion
of sorrow slumbered in her eyes, and on
her lashes the tears stood large and
| bright
David" She stood up. She put her
arms around his neck and hid her face
against his breast. Il wonder how-how
well you love me. David"
| How well"' he repeated. hoarsely.
"God-Evelyn, How well!'
| The answer seemed to satisfy her. for,
although she did net offer to kiss him,