Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-03-13

A FTER years spent abroad, Ralph
"a Marsden was almost "A stranger i'll
his own country. AS he sat on the
piazza of the big seaside hotel he was
thinking Of the many changes in the
ten years since he had left his home.
Attracted by the strains of music from
the brilliantly lighted ballroom, he
threw away his cigar and strolled in
side.
"Who is the lady over there in the
black dress?" he asked of the master
of ceremonies.
"NIrs. Marsden, of Philadelphia
was the reply. "She comes here almost
every summer"
"Would you mind saying to her that
| should like to be introduced"
A few minutes later the master of
ceremonies returned. "What name,
please?" he asked, as they moved
across the room.
"Marsden," was the brief reply.
She looked up with an air of surprise
as they approached, while the clerical
gentleman to whom she was talking
leaned back in his chair. The intro
duction was made in formal manner.
Mr.. Marsden was compelled to smile at
the solemn farce of it. "Is it the next
dance YOU want?" she asked.
"The next vacant-cne. Is that diff
ferent thing?"
mo, it amounts to the same" She
smiled and turned TO the clergyman.
Marsden walked away.
His name was the same as yours, |
believe?" the clergyman remarked. as
that why you smiled?'
Possibly" she said. "There is a
possibility that we've met before"
Indeed" he said. "What curiously
small and unassuming place the world
is. after all. 1t is a creation that, in
my humble opinion, upholds to itself
too little decorous modesty, if one
might be allowed to call it so, when so
many others fill the realms of space. 1
suppose, Mrs. Marsden, you have lost
your husband?"
"Irrevocably, I'm afraid"
The air of another interest fell on
his face, the interest which any right
minded clergyman takes in the soul Of
a pretty woman.
"He is dead?" he presumed.
She looked at him closely, perhaps
critically. isn't that band pedantic y
was all she said.
Ralph Marsden came and claimed the
dance.
She rose.
"Come downstairs and get an ice"
he said. "They are sure to be indiges-
tible."
'eWell, of all strange things" she
said, refusing his arm and lifting her
dress with a vacant hand.
"This is by no means the strangest,"
he interrupted. "If woman has ever
been your wife whom else would you
meet. even if you would 60 to Brazil
to get away from her?"
as that where you have been" she
asked.
Further" He handed her an ice and
a wafer.
Lets take them outside" she said,
leading the way through the hall to a
French window that opened onto the
gardens. He followed with claret cup
and cigarette.
There's seat looking over the sea,
up little side path the other side of
the lawn. Let's come TO that" she
said. "
How many weeks were you here be-
fore YOU found that out?" he asked.
The smoke Of his Turkish cigarette
blew across his face and reminded him
of something,
"Did YOU ever know me take longer
than the first night?" she asked him. ,
Cant say that I did," he replied.
"Wasn't that something about the
length Of our engagements"
Our acquaintance, you mean-be-
fore we were engaged" ="
at amounted to the same thing in
those days; we were both so abomi-
nably young-especially YOU"
And now? You don't think I'm de-
crepit now, do you?"
you're 10 years older"
"Wen. and what's that? 1t only
makes me 90"
"You might have learned as much
in a month" he said, at isn't the age,
it's the time"
He smiled to himself as he thought
of her as she was-a slim little girl
with wideawake eyes and lips that
were supersensitive to anything.
'In the first place." he replied, chad
it ben 10 years ago you wouldn't have
looked t me this evening. You used to
be so proud-as proud as the frills you
wore around your neck. That pride, in
fact. was really the reason for-for
everything. I don't know if you have
learned to realize that, have you? Why,
do you know" he went on, putting his
glass down on the gravel, "do you
know why you married me at all? Sim
ply because you wereA baby and mar
rage seemed to be such q grown-ul
affair, so pride persuaded you into it,
"How ridiculous" she ssid, GROSSLY
"You are talking all nonsense. You