The times., 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 so soon? You know all
women We're 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 10 go back and kill
| the man, there, before her. Nothing else
would do. He remembered the revolver
he Carried. and slipped his hand behind
MIN and drew 1t, and. croUching. moved
nJiSeIesSly, with CLASSY. staring eyes and
cold, dropped Jaw of death masking a iiv-
lls nate, ana the burning. quenchleSs
thirst for vengeance. back over the grass
To the window. A slight, familiar clink-
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 ne made the
great, the astounding. the overwhelming
discovery that there We're three persons
IN the room. seated round 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 Out
wildly; aud there was an exclamation ia
a voice he had once loved. an uprising
from the table. and footsteps in the little
hall. 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, II knew IL was
yOut Something told me that YOU would
he back before tomorrow And now. come
in and let me show you sOmeth hing Jemi''
She took her husband by the unresisting
hand and led him into the warm bright
fragrant little cottage parlOr Jem Cairns
had had NO previous experiences of emo
ttOnS at an resembling those he had Just
gone through. He hastily concealed the
revolver with which ne had meant 10
shoot the dark young man. when the dark
young man got up with a welcoming smile
and an OutStretched hand
1t is Mr.. COulson, said Isabel who
l. engaged to my sister He brought her
down here yesterday. and Will come down
again to take her back when her visit il
over Aud this is Winfred. she went on.
with little chucke of delight al Jems
apparent bewilderment in the presence OF
a replica of herself. You never guessed
that we were twins. did yOu?'
Never said Jameson Cairns. He held
out his hand 20 the other Isabel the Isabel
with the flushed cheeks and the smiling
red lips and she looked up at the tall
haggard man in sudden wondermeut and
surprise at finding him SO much older than
she had expected.
is he anything like what you have I'M
aeined he would be- Isabel asked in her
wifely pride. And the girl answered a
little dubi0usly:
oh yes, But. Belle-you never told me
that he had white HART
Because he hasn't cried isabel iuiig-
nantly Then her eyes went 10 her hGs-
band. and she uttered a cry OF conSterud-
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 Ihe
Sketch.