The St. Johns herald., 1901-03-09
An End to All Things

TITHEN they parted he had fallen w at her feet and kissed the hem of her dress. How ridiculous dem- onstration it appeared to him to-day, and yet he dreaded to meet her again. She had treated him atrociously, he had considered at the time. Eng lished, she had amused herself with him, and then given him his conge. She was a married woman ana he had ceen a boy.
 He recalled every incident of the farewell. A youthful passion it may have been, but-he could not dispute it even now-it was passion that left its mark.
 i. There had been a conservatory opening out of the rooms she occu- pied. It was in the conservatory that he had made himself the most ab- surd-there, and for moment at the piano, at which she had seated her. self indifferently, and where he had knelt to her like lover in "The Lon don Journals" She had strolled along, sniffng at the flowers, saying cruel things to him in her new and careless voice, and he had followed her wistfulIy like whipped dog, pleading to be readmitted to favor. 4 spray of fern that she had dropped had been captured by him passion .ately-she had touched it in their last moments together. She shrugged her shoulders with a sheer, and his eyes filed at her cruelty. ; What do you suppose there was in boy like you to hold woman like me?" she had asked.
 1t was the harshest thing she could have said, and he remem bered that at that he had broken down altogether. Good heavens, how preposterous he had been-how wrongly he had gone to work, always being pathetic and reproachfull
 However, it was over. He had not "found balm for his wounds in six months as she had prophesied. but in nine years he had married, and for gotten her existence entirely until it was recalled to him Oy the sight of
 
 Now the recollections rushed back at him, and while he laughed at his former self as fool, he was conscious of a strange tremor at the prospect of seeing her once more.
 He loved his wife sincerely. Twelve months ago he could have contem- plated meeting Mrs. Jernyngham without misgiving. But he had been married 12 months. The time had not lessened his love, but it had nat urally dispelled the romance. After all, to be 'in love" with woman is a greater safeguard against others than to Hove her" He was bound to acknowledge to himself that he was frightened at the thought of seeing Mrs. Jernyngham again. He had, as a matter of fact, avoided the Casino since he knew she was in Dieppe.
 He put down his paper an>- looked across at Nellie reading c Tauchnitz novel. How pretty she was, and how trustful What would she say, could she divine his present mood? Sinless as it was, it would cut her to the heart. Bah,. he was fool. Why should that make him afraid to ven ture out of doors! He was not fond of her still-of course he was not.
 The Tauchnitz novel dropped to Mrs Maxwell's lap.
 What are you thinking about, dar-. ling?" she asked.
 ''I was thinking how charming you look in that frock, my dear" he an- swered He preserved the habit of making graceful speeches to his wife Cynical bachelor friends said he for got who she was--that 1t was the force of habit
 There was nasty black wrinkle between your eyebrows, Jack, and you were tugging your mustache' as you always do when you're put out. do look charming in this frock' l admit it--but you weren't thinking ao."
 Nellie, come here. Do you remem- Der. soon after we were married, you asked me a question. You asked me ifIhad ever cared deeply for another girl than yourself"
 ..I remember" said Nellie. "YesV
 ''I told you what an internal idiot l had once made of myself over mar ried woman. I asked you. too, never 10 use a certain scent because it re- minded me of her. You know all that2"
 ''I know; I know; go oni"
 Well. she's here, that's all, and confound it-I'm rather sorry"
 "Oh!" said Nellie And then there was a pause between them. She was the one to break it.
 "It-it's quite all over. Jack? She couldn't. she daren't attempt to-? You're married-you would simply have to bow and pass on. Besides, by your own account she was-well, she didn't care for you any more Why should you mind seeing herr"
 al don't know" he muttered, ir- resolutely; "I'd rather not, that's all. Anyhow, let's talk of something else. We are leaving Dieppe the end of the week; as a matter of fact, 1 dare say 1 shall never come across her!"
 Mrs. Maxwell. however, was not sat isfied. For one thing. she wanted to remain longer in Dieppe than they bad at first proposed, and for another she objected on principle to her hus band being nervous of a rencontrt with any woman in the wide, wide world.
 'NCome for a walk" she said. "anC
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