Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1903-06-13
DAILY SHORT STORY
Withholding a Confidence.
IOrigInSl.1

house. In the evening Wnen the NUS
band returned from business his wife
told him that she had found coy
cottage situated exactly TO her taste.
"Can you not come and look at it
with me tomorrow she asked.
Tomorrow is my busy day. L shall
be engaged all this week"
"But there is another person ready
to take it, and 1 must give an answer
at once or lose it."
"Well, sweetheart, since 1T is only
from September to May, and you are
satisfied, close the matter"
When Raymond Berthold found time
to visit the house for which he had
signed lease, he stood before the door
with an expression of establishment
and pain.
You don't like itr' exclaimed the
wife in disappointed tone.
Like it, dear heart" he stammered.
''It is charming. But
but what?"
Nothing. Come, let us go inside"
Berthold walked through the rooms
as one in a dream. Ten years had
passed since he had lived in that very
house. There he had loved his cousin
Jeanette. His mother had died there,
and Jeanette had died there. and Ber-
thold had gone out a broken hearted
man-broken hearted till he had met
Maura Doane the girl he married.
He had never told Maura of this
love. He had intended doing so, but
dreaded to reopen the wound. When
he became engaged he made an effort
to unburden himself, but failed. The
evening before his marriage he made
another attempt. still without success.
After his marriage he kept putting off
his confession till at last he began to
doubt whether it was necessary.
And now Maura was taking him over
the house, pointing out a pretty view
from window, n cozy corner beside a
fireplace, room that would be cheer
full because it would receive the sun
shine. She did not know that this
room had been his dear mothers, that
in winter he had sat with his former
love beside the fireplace and in sum-
mer had looked down with her from
the window which commanded the
view. Again and again he strove to
tell Maura that this had been his home.
but hesitated when he remembered
that the telling would involve confes-
sion--a confession that might destroy
the respect of the wife who had CON
soled him. He could not bring himself
to do It,
AS may be supposed from all this.
BerthOld was sensitive man. a man
of deep feeling. Perhaps he was weak.
He went to live in the house he had
rented without q word of his former
life there to his wife, but the matter
proved upon his mind. and his mind
affected his body. He fell ill-not TAX
ing to his bed. but going about feebly
under a loss of vitality. One evening
he and his wife were sitting In their
boudoir, Il room that had been occu-
pied by Jeanette. 4 mirror over a
mantel-it was a fixture and had been
there for years-slipped from its place.
A letter fell from behind 1t and slid
down to RaymOnds feet. He glanced
at it and turned pale.
Maura picked il up and was brushing
the dust from it when suddenly she
started. The superscription, in a wo-
mans hand. read. For Raymond"
Maura looked at her husband and
moved.
what does it mean?" she asked I'M
der her breath.
He reached for the letter. Maura
gave It to him. He held it in his hand
for moment. then. realizing that his
secret was out, handed it back to her.
81 have no wish to pry into anything
you don't wish me to know" she said.
Read it,
1t had been written by Jeanette
shortly before her death, a plaintive
note telling her lover that she knew
she could not live. az sincerely trust.
Raymond. dear" she concluded that
you who are OH the very threshold of
manhood will find some good girl to
supply my place. or at least make n
place of her own in your heart" Jean
nette must have placed It behind the
mirror till such time as she should de-
eide to let Raymond have it.
Raymond watched his wife while she
read, anxious for the first glance she
should give him after its perusal.
Would it be one Of blame for him or
jealousy OF the dead? He believed that
If she deemed him guilty she would
put down the letter and walk away
from him in silence. Then he would
be days. weeks, years in re-establishing
that sweet confidence which doubtless
was now broken. 1t might never be
restored.
When Maura read the last words,
make place of her own in your
heart" the unselfishness they express
ed begot a kindness that nothing else
would have produced. She looked ut
her husband. tears starting in her eyes.
Standing for moment as in n dream,
she went to him and put her arms
around his neck.
The confession which before had
seemed so hard TO make now came as a
confidence poured forth TO one full of
loving sympathy. Raymond told the
story of his life in this cozy home and
how he had loved and suffered there
Then he recounted the years of loneli-
ness he had passed since, the comfort