Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1903-04-27


"The attraction of opposites, I sup
pose" he thought sayagely. "Geoff
was always q lucky dog"
Mrs. Geoffrey did not often speak of
| her husband. Neither did she write to
| him.
HE hasn't any address," she said
frankly, when Mrs. Longworth asked
her for it. Dear me, don't you know
he is simply buried in Central Amer
lea? He can't write to me or 1 to him
until he gets back to the coast. AnX-
ious? Oh, no, not at all. Geoff has
chronic habit of turning up safe and
sound"
ITO think that I should have hated
you once! said Maurice to her one
day.
Il knew you liked me against your
will at first" said Mrs. Godfrey "NYhy
was it?'
81 never liked your photograph"
''Isn't it good one?"-demurely
Good? Well, suppose it is as far
as features go. But it isn't you. The
expression is altogether wrong"
Mrs. Geoffrey got up and turned the
photograph in question toward the
| wall.
There! Let it stay so. 1 never
was excellent"
One day Maurice made a discovery.
1t was at Mrs. Anderson's garden
party, where Mrs. Godfrey carried on
rather marked flirta ton with Charlie
Scott She was somewhat more given
to such an amusement, people thought,
| than young woman who had q hus-
band exploring Central America ruins
ought to be- But Mrs. Geoffrey was
serenely Indifferent to public opinion.
She smiled at Charlie Scott with eyes
and lips, talked to him in her velvety
| undertones, and finally disappeared
down a shady path with him.
Maurice had been watching them
with scowl. When they passed out
of his sight he went home. 1t was of
no use to pretend to himself that he
! was angry at Mrs. Geoffrey's firta-
tons on Geoffrey's account. He knew
that he loved and he was honestly ap-
| palled. He shut himself up in his room
for the rest of the day and tried to
think the matter squarely out. Even
| tu3lly he came to q resolution and by
way OF keeping it he began to avoid
Mrs. Godfrey whenever it was posi-
bic and to treat her with grave, cold
| politeness when it was not.
That unrepentant young person had
come home from the garden party in
radiant spirits. At first she looked
upon Maurices chilling attitude as the
result of pique. When she realized
that it was something more serious
she held council of war with herself
This won't do. Oh, dear, what q
| mess! 1 might have known some such
predicament would result from my
folly. What will he think of me-?
| What will they all think of me? And
| oh, what will Godfrey say when he
finds it out-for of course he will find
it out now? He will be dreadfully
angry"
And Mrs. Godfrey cried little
not very much-for she wanted to look
her best that night, and it would never
do to spoil her eyes.
81 must go home next week." she
announced sweetly as they rose from
the dinner table that night. "Oh, yes;
1t is more than time. 1 have stayed
too long already. Geoff will soon be
| getting back to civilization, and 1 must
be home before he is"
Maurice followed her miserably into
the music room. Mrs. Godfrey sat
down at the piano In the mingled dusk
and moonshine and sang tender old
ballads in alluring succession until
Maurice could endure it no longer. He
came up behind her and put his hands
on her shoulders.
"Oh, Muriel, Muriel, I love you! I
have no right to say it, but must say
it once. / never will again."
"Why .lot?" asked Muriel softly.
"Why not?" cried Maurice. He had
never thought that Mrs. Godfrey was
n particularly devoted wife, but he
could not believe that she was the kind
of woman her words would indicate.
Because 1 have no right to! You are
my brothers wife,
81 am notp' She got up and faced
him tragically. 81 am Muriel Heath
the cousin Of Geoff's wife-and free as
air"
"Muriel~ gasped Maurice.
"Oh, l know you'll think it terrible" )"
said Muriel with q sob in her voice,
1--WE never meant to tell you-but I
must now. And Muriel Longworth
will be furious at me! Geoff's wife and
l are ridiculously alike, so far as fea-
lures go, but there the resemblance
ends. She is small and fair, while l
am tall and dark. You see, when Geoff
decided to go on this Central American
expedition he said Muriel must come
down here because your mother wished
it. Muriel didn't want to come, put
| Geoff insisted, and she had to give in