The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17

These flushed cheeks would they bleach.
W ould the laugh wither hideously from
those red lips, or would they still smile
as they asked him in defiance, why did
You come back SOON You know all
women were alike. You might
have guessed
That sent the man to bis feet. as though
the words had actually been spoken He
| knew now that he had to go back and XIII
the man. there. before her Nothing else
would do. He remembered the revolver
ne carried. and slipped his hand behind
MIN and drew II, and. crouehng, moved
nolselesslS, with CLASSY. staring eyes and
cold, dropped jaw of death masking "A liv.
ing hate, and the burning. quenchless
thirst for vengeance, back over the grass
to the window. A slight. familiar clfnk-
ing sound came to him as he drew near
Ills eyes were dazzled by the light and
color which Streamed from the heart Of
that homely little dwelling. He leaned
forward. holding his breath and with the
revolver ready. And then he made the
great. the astounding. the overwhelming
discovery that there We're three persons
i'll the room. seated round q table drink
ing tea, that one of them was the dark
young man whom he. Jameson Cairns,
had intended to kill and that the other
two were his wife. Isabel. And then he
knew that he was mad. aud laughed QUE
wildly; and there was an eNclamat ton in
a voice he had once loved. an uprising
from the table. and footsteps in the little
hail. and his wife was out in the garden.
upon his breast. and welcoming him with
SOFT. hurried cries of joy. before jameson
Cairns could hide away the revolver
'Oh, Jemi" she cried, Il knew IL was
yout Something told me that you would
he back before tomorrow And now, come
in and let me show you something. Jem!'
She took her husband BY the unresistins
hand and led him into the warm, bright
fragrant little cottage parlor Jem Cairns
had had no previous experiences of emo
tons at all resembling those he had just
gone through. He hastily concealed the
revolver with which he had meant To
shoot the dark young man, when the dark
young man got up with welcoming smile
and an outstretched hand.
1t is Mr.. Coulson, said Isabel, who
j. engaged to my sister. He brought her
down here yesterday. and Will come down
again to take her back when her visit IL
over. And this Is Winifred.' she went on.
with little chuckle of delight al Jem's
apparent bewilderment in the presence OF
replica of herself You never guessed
that we We're twins, did you?
Never said Jameson Cairns. He held
ont his hand to the other Isabel the Isabel
red lips. and she looked up at the tall
haggard man in sudden wonderment and
surprise at finding him much older than
she had expected.
as he anything like what you have inn
agined he would be- Isabel asked I'm her
wifely pride And the girl answered a
little obviously:
'Oh, yes But. Belle-you never told me
that he had white hair
Because he hasn't" cried Isabel irliC-
nantly Then her eyes went to her nus
band. and she uttered i cry Of eonsterna-
ton and alarm.
The warmth and the light and the relief
were thawing the ice from about his heart.
But he looked in the little cottage chin
ney glass as he uttered the words, and
knew that the snow upon his head would
never be melted.-Clo Graves In Inc
Sketch.