Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1902-01-30
o .A.A.A.A.~.A.1.A.@-A.%'A.
: A Confidence
A Story OF One Who Misjudged
His Wife. (
@ 9 Q

ElltA. NJ LIN sAAAiiNh ellA i4-AAN-A -
fresh cigarette. He puzzled me. Ru-
NOR had led me TO expect to find him,
after my long absence, disappointed
If not soured man. | had sought him
here in the retreat where he and his
cold. uncongenial wife lived, it was
said, like a pair of hermits. Arriving
at a moment when the lady was abb
sent | thought myself fortunate and
prepared to prote the unhappiness Of
one whose affect. n in early youth had
left a very sunny spot on my memory.
I was, in fact. ready to give him all the
pity and sympathy which bachelor of
experience can feel for the irremediable
mistake of married friend.
Have you been hearing tales about
meT, he asked. Shall tell you the
story Of my welded life?'
"If il does not pain you"
"Do you know that ! have been
millionaire"
Il have heard something Of it,
.'The wealth Of an ancient relative
poured in On me after his death. How
the golden wave came and weLt is
story by Itself. For five gilded years
was transfgured in the eyes Of the
world. and it was during that period |
met and fell In love with my WIFE,"
l had heard all this and more. and !
felt sorry. | looked steadily at the OPP
posite wall lest my pity should daunt
him. I knew the story of the worldly
mother and daughter who had forced
him into n loveless marriage for greed
Of the fortune which had proved so
elusive. He went on:
1T was not alone who thought her
supremely beautiful. The world had
already bestowed on her queenship
before the June day when ! first saw
her at an open air fcte. all in white,
pale cold, severe and sweet, like q
goddess In marble Her mother walked
beside her, a woman of a different
type. AS | gazed after her in what you
would call romantic enthusiasm a
friend laughed and bade me veil my
admiration, as those women were
known to be In quest Of golden mil
lion If II be the case that what every.
body says must be true, then true II
was that the cold exquisite daughter
and the naughty, hawklike mother
were adventuresses playing game for
fortune. beauty against slender purse
and year or two of prime youth. Al
ready beauty had over and over again
dared to reject love, alteration and for
tune considerable. Their figure has
not yet been reached whispered my
cynical friend. Your million will do It.
BY this time I had proclaimed myself
an open worshiper. am bound to ad.
NIT that all the encouragement I re
ceived was from the mother. The
daughter remained icy. l persisted in
my suit and In a short time was the
accepted lover Of the woman who held
me In thrall."
"She accepted you wlllInglyT
"Tacitly so. The mother seized on me
with effusion. My afIianced wife ap-
peared juet to endure her new position
with patience, nothing more. The
mother assured me that her daughter
had n most affectlonate nature hidden
under that chill exterior. She loved
me, and she had never loveu any other
man. tried TO believe her. And so
we were wed.
"After time. when the excitement OF
my first pride and happiness had sub
sided, ! Eegan to feel reluctantly con
scious that there was something want.
ing In our life together. My wife's be-
havior was perfect from every point OF
view but there was wall Of reserve
between US which nothing was able to
break through. Wherever we went I
was aware that people said had been
married without love for the sake OF
my million. How was | to feel sure
that the verdict was not true one?
Had she given her heart to some wor-
thy fellow who was milllonless and re-
Jected him even as she had accepted
INC at her mothers bjdding1
II resolved to take things as they
came and to make the best OF tho
goods the gods had provided for me.
We led life Of amusement and Pleas
urc. Our house In town and our coun-
try house mot this house: something
much grander) were as perfect as mon
ey could make them. My wife went
everywhere dressed and bejeweled as
the world expected TO see her. We en-
tertained the smart crowd known as
society. I was proud beyond the pride
OF man when I saw the woman / had
chosen receiving the admiration which
no one could refuse her. even thought
she seemed glad Of my pride I'm her.
for once or twice as looked Mt her
across the shoulders Of crowd that
divided us I thought saw something
IN her eyes OF warmth which was alb
sent from them when we found our
selves again I'm our home.
"As time went on her reserve, which
was my despair. communicated itself
to me. and the impossible barrier be-
tween us was complete. Do you mp
prchcnd the situationr he asked.
Perfectly" I said.
"Docs all this agree with whnt my
friends say about mcT"
81 confess / had heard you had un-
fortunately married cold and heart
less woman" | said.
We went on smoking In silence At
last he said abruptly, II have more 10
tell"
"Hurt yourself no further, dear old
friend. | think can imagine all tho
rest"
"Can you? I am not so sure that you
can"
We smoked In silence for about a
minute. and then he continued:
"Somc other time | may tell you OF
how my unexpected fortune departed
as suddenly and surprisingly AS II ar-
rived. The news OF what appeared to
be total ruin reached me first in tele.
gram which l found waiting for mo
one night when ] returned homo from
q dinner party alone, my wife having
pleaded a headache and retired to her
room early In the evening. | gathered
up the letters which had come by the
Inst post and carried them TO my dress
ing room, where I sat down 60 read
them. Imagine casting onc's eyes on n
bit OF paper ns the eyes Of the owner
of n million and raising them with the
knowledge that one does not own n
penny In the world! | sat long i'm
movable, stunned with the suddennes8
Of the blow.
''IIow was | TO tell my wifei How
would she bear It, she who had mar
Tied me for the splendors which she
must relnqulsh the woman whose
beauty, whose gentle II cold compan-