Meade County news. [volume] (Meade, Kan.) 1900-1918, 1902-06-19

1t was SO dark and still in the woods
that not a sound, save the scanty, al
most noiseless plash of rain, could be
in the buggy. The woman was hold
| ing one hand out to feel the drops; her
ears were sharpened until even the
breaking of twig made her start.
There is nothing" she said at
last. 1--WE could hear horses hoofs
two miles off,
go on, then. as fast as YOU can"
You'll not forget that you're TAX
ing the name of John Whiting? I
marked all your clothes with it this
morning before packed the valise and
put those handkerchiefs that were IA
theirs with the same initials embroid-
cred on them; and"
Her companion broke in with dis
cordant laugh.
Il guess the old man would rise up
in his grave if he knew it. He never
took much stock in me anyway"
The woman shivered slightly,
Il was going to say" she continued
without replying to his remark, that
/ JOu Soh Uc IcSOSulHSu ~ IhC 5h'Sh
watch. 1t was never used, you know.
Your gold one I've put away
You can give it to Bob when he
grows up. And say, Annie, are you
going to let the children know?"
Not more than 1 can help, Robert.
| The little ones need hardly hear of it
yet a while, but, of course, Bob and
Eleanor will. Nobody can keep the
papers from them"
It's rather rough on them" NUT
tered the man. I'm sorry for Elean-
| or"
''She will bear as a woman knows
| how to do and has to do. But, OH
Robert, why didn't you think of that
| before?"
why didn't 1 do lot of things diff
| ferent? I've lived my life, that's all,
and now I'm ready to drop out of it.
Jackson was to blame, curse him, for
winding me up 30 soon. 1t was he
that got the bank directors here this
month. He's had his evil eye on me
all winter. Stop, will you? 1 heard
something"
"Sh-shl That was a Gala mans
voice." he whispered excitedly. You
hold the reins, if they come; I'll jump
| and cut" But it was the scream of
! a distant locomotive, followed by the
dull roaring of the train. No other
sound was audible in the silent woods
save the soft falling rain.
81 should like to ask you one thing
before we part" said his wife present.
ly, in the calm, deliberate tone which
is sometimes a feature of intense men
tai pressure. How did you come to
all this? Were you an honest man in
the beginning, as-as believed you to
be-or have your friends been deceived
in you all these many years?
Il am asking as much for Bob's sake
as my own. He is much like you and
your temptations may be his. Tell
me, was it that other weman?"
What other?''-but he faltered over
the interrogative lie. "oh, well, if you
know about her"-carelessly-'I sup
pose it may have been. A man can't
keep up two establishments on the sal
airy of a bank clerk. But you can't
say l didn't provide for my family,
Annie. Did you or the children ever
want for anything?"
She drew in a quick breath.
mot for material comforts, no; yoIi
kept us well housed and clothed and
fed. But what you took the money
for, then, was your-love-for her?"
why, if you want it in plain terms,
yes. I'm like a good many other fell
lows, l guess" He laughed uncom-
fortably. Now I suppose your next
question will be, How did 1 come TO
fancy anybody so different from you,
Ell? Well, 1 may as well have it out
with you. l don't mean any offeqse,
you know, and 1 appreciate your being
a good wife and all that. You won't
find l ever breathed a word against
you to anybody. But you were too
strict in your ideas from the start, that
was the trouble. You couldn't expect
a fellew to live up to 'em: By Jove!
one gets enough of the serious side of
life in his business without having TO
tackle it when he's at homei Yes, |
know what you'll say, but it's So I
couldn't go on being a respectable FAM
lily man all my life, and after l met
Kate l had some diversion. You were
all right enough, and you know I was
affectionate-you can't complain of
anything, can you?-bdt a Woman
with a saucy little daredevil way like
hers, 1 tell you, takes mans fancy
in spite of all he can do. She was
more my kind, Annie; there's no use
talking. 1 thought lot of her. If
she wanted diamonds or a saddle horse
1 had to get 'em for her. You never
cared about such things, you know,
and if she did, why