The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1902-06-20

II was so uaTk anu stiAi Al IAe "OouS
49, not a sound, save the scanty, al
.sosf uoiseless plash of rain, could be
...rd by the two breathless listeners
a. the buggy. The woman was hold
-. one hand out to feel the drops; her
cars were sharpened until even the
hreaking of a twig made her start.
"There is nothing" she said at
lat. I'VE could hear a horses hoofs
two miles off,"
"Go on, then. as fast as you cam"
you'll not forget that you're TAX
,rg the name of John Whiting? l
marked all your clothes with 1t this
EARNING before l packed the valise and
nut those handkerchiefs that were IA
Tiers with the same initials embroid-
ered on them; and
Her companion broke in with a dis
cordant laugh.
~ guess the old man would rise up
IN his grave If he knew 1t. He never
took much stock in me anyway"
The woman shivered slightly.
~ was going t o say" she continued
without replying to his remark, that
Won can't be recognized by the silver
watch. 1t was never used, you know.
Your gold one I've put away"
"You can give it to Bob when he
crows up. And l say, Annie, are you
going to let the children know"
mot more than l can help, Robert.
The little ones need hardly hear OF 1t
yet a while, but. OF course, Bob n
Eleanor will. Nobody can keep the
papers from them"
Its rather rough on them" NUT
tered the man. Pm 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 l do a lot of things diff
ferent? I've lived my life, that's all,
and now I'm ready to drop out OF 1T.
Jackson was to blame, curse him, for
winding me up SO 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? l heard
something"
"Sh-sh! That was a Gala mans
voice." he whispered e%xcitedly. You
hold the reins, If they come; I'll jump
and cut" But it was the scream OF
q 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
oil this? Were you an honest maj In
the beginning, as-as believed you to
be-or have your friends been deceived
in you all these many years?
II 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 woman"
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
ary of a bank clerk. But you can't
say | 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; you
kept us well housed and clothed and
fed. But what you took the money
Tor, then, was your-love-for herr
why, if you want it in plain terms,
yes. Pm like a good many other fell
lows, | guess" He laughed uncom-
fortably. Now l suppose your next
question will be, How did l come to
fancy anybody SO different from you,
en-? Well, l may as well have it out
with you l don't mean any ~offense,
you know, and l appreciate your being
a good wife and all that. You won't
md | 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 fellow to live up to 'em. BY Jove!
one gets enough Of the serious side of
lie in his business without having to
Jackie 1t when he's at home! Yes,
know what you'll say; but it's SO. /