The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-11-29
The Globes Daily Short story

bottle of cheap whisky in the pocket of
the hero's top coat. The bottle is wrap
ped in a piece of newspaper containing
marked reference to a certain disrepu-
table female who has recently scored
hit as a songster and dancer at a GER
tain disreputable place of entertainment.
The discovery shocks the heroine dread
fully. A mighty wave of sorrow breaks
over her. For weeks in the privacy of
her chamber, she weeps and takes on:
but in the presence of the hero she forces
her Wit and her laughter thinking she
may deceive him. Her confidence in him
is being tested All true wives have
suffered similarly. 1t is a wholesome
experience but extremely painful and
just a wee bit dangerous. The hero OBJ
serves her distrait manner however; he
sees the marks of sorrow in her eyes.
! he notes the diseordant ring in her voice,
and he is much troubled in spirit. At
last he asks her to tell him what he
has done to offend her, and she permits
her anger to blaze forth. Her anger is
magnificent. She accuses him of double
dealing; of falseness to his vows. She
makes spectacle of herself, striding
back and forth between the piano and
the front door, raving like a queen OF
tragedy. HBut what have 1 done?" he
repeats in bewilderment. You know,
she replies. like an ordinary woman,
you know. -" q do not" he asseverateS.
and drops to the couch, resting his head
upon his arm. The attitude inpresses
her. She pauses, contemplating him. Her
tone changes to that of a woman sad
dened beyond reparation, but who still
loves; and she confronts him with the
evidence of his perfdy. The hero takes
the center of the stage and cuts fine
figure. He upbraids her gently for her
lack of confidence The heroine is
crushed. MY darling" he says in a
milder tame than she deserves, you are
laboring under q delusion. I see it all
plainly. My top coat was left in the
carriage, and that vile wretch, the comb
er of the lawns and horses, wore it. He
alone is responsible for the agony you
have endured He has deceived me. 1
shall have my revenge" He bolts from
the room and the heroine follows, wiring
ing her hands. The chapter concludes
with stupendous1 combat between the
hero and the villain, in which the villain
is finally chased into a corner and round
ly kicked. After which the hero limps
back to the bowersof bliss, the heroine
clinging to his arm and looking up into
his flushed face with eyes that dim the
sunshine by the lustre Of their loving
admiration"
i ne girl might HdVSZDeen expected TO
laugh at this juncture, but for some rea--
son she did not do So A serious express
sion had come upon her face, and her
eyelids dropped do you really think
she asked after an interval, that all
wives question at times the sincerity of
their husbands affection?"
81 have been. told that such is the
case replied Lionel, by men who
should know. They have referred to it
as the only introconvertible evidence of
womans love, and they have lkened
to an insufferable idiot the man who at
tempts an explanation under such cir
cumstances. Wonans nature, they say
but pass that. My hero explains, not
satisfactorily alone, but interestingly.
Do you not consider him hero worth
while?'
The girl hesitated. 'sHe-he is almost
too good to be true, she said. HE
seems to combine quite happily the every
dayness Of the realistic sort with the
should win, think. But how, may 1
ask, do you propose to sustain the in
terest of the story to the end of the
book?"
ssBy the triumph of true love at the
end of every Chapter replied Lionel
promptly; by alternating the weakness
Of the heroine with the strength of the
hero, and the weakness OF the hero with
the strength of the. heroine want you
to help me a bit with the-With the he
roine.''
"What sort of a house do they live
imp" inquired the girl abruptly "You
should describe the house in the very
beginning of their married life"
.'I thought we had better arrange that
together Lionel hand left the arm of
the chair and rested tightly upon the
girls hand You see, he went on hast
lily, .'it would be ever so much more de-
sirable for the heroine to have a voice
in the planning 5of Hhe house. The hero
does not really cane about such things.
He gauges everything by price. He
"But the hero is not planning the
house; you are doing that
Yves, know, but"-Lonel was floun-
dering-.do you not see, dear? You are
the heroine-to be-if you will
The sheets upon which was written the
first chapter of the story fiuttered in
confusion to the floor The hand OF Lio-
mel frightened its clasp.
'sYou must, DEAR, he whispered, for.
the sake of literature-for the sake of
my book. Refuse. and swear that moth
ing shall prevent me from publishing it,
{ The girl shuddered slightly, then lifted
her eyes to his. She said nothing. Words
are puny, pitiable things at such a time.