Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1903-03-19
CEOFFREY'S WIFE
Case of Where Mistaken Identity Turned
Out Well.

tnat poor, plain GeOH would have such
a handsome brother?"
Mrs. Geofrey speedily won her way
into all hearts. Geoffrey's mother and
sisters adored her, his old friends ad-
mired her, and even those most merci-
less Of critics, his former sweethearts,
could find no flaw in her. She was
an emphatic success.
Maurice was devoted to her. They
discovered that they had all their
tastes in common. They We're both
musical; they liked the same books,
the same songs, the same amusements.
Maurice wondered a dozen times a
day how Geoff, plain, plodding, COM
monplace Geoff, had managed to win
such girl.
''The attraction Of opposites, I sup
pose," he thought savagely. "Geof
was always a lucky dog"
Mrs. Godfrey 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 to him
until he gets back to the coast. Anx-
ious? Oh, no, not at ALL Geoff has a
chronic habit Of turning up safe and
sound"
''To think that I should have hated
you oncer said Maurice to her one
| day.
II knew you liked me against your
| will at first" said Mrs. Geoffrey. "Why
| was it?'
II never liked your Photographic
''Isn't it good one?'-demurely.
"Good? Well, I suppose it is as far
| as features go. But it isn't you. The
expression is altogether wrong"
! Mrs. Godfrey got up and turned the
photograph in question toward the
wall.
There! Let it stay So I never
liked it myself, but Geoff thought it
was excellent
One day Maurice made a discovery
It was at Mrs. Anderson's garden
party, where Mrs. Geoffrey carried on
a rather marked Irritation with Charlie
Scott. She was somewhat more given
to such an amusement, people thought
than young woman who had a hus
band exploring Central America ruins
ought to be. But Mrs. Godfrey wa:
sererely Indifferent to public opinion
She smiled at Charlie Scott with eyes
and lips, talked to him in her velvety
undertones, and finally disappeared
down shady path with him.
Maurice had been watching then
with a scowl. When they passed ou
of his sight he went home. 1t was O.
no use to pretend to himself that h
was angry at Mrs. Geoffrey's firta
, that he loved and he was honestly ap
, palled. He shut himself up in his roor
for the rest Of the day and tried t
think the matter squarely out Ever
I tually he came to a resolution and b.
way Of keeping it he began to avoi
y Mrs. Godfrey whenever it was poss
BILE and to treat her with grave, col
4 politeness when it was not.
!. That unrepentant young person ha
:. come home from the garden party
h radiant spirits. At first she locke
upon Maurice's chilling attitude as tl
- result Of pique. When she realize
o that it was something more seriou
a she held council of war with hersel
RI ''This won't do. Oh, dear, what
i. mess! I might have known some sue
k. predicament would result from n
70 folly. What will he think of nj
Al What will they all think of me? Al
ID oh, what will Godfrey say when
w finds it out-for Of course he will fiji
IS it out now? He will be dreadful
as angry"
And Mrs. Godfrey cried a little
to not very much-for she wanted to 10
lis her best that night, and it would nev
"a do to spoil her eyes.
le- 81 must go home next week." S
announced sweetly as they rose fro
ny the dinner table that night. ooh, "
id, it is more than time. I have stay
at too long already. Geoff will soon
IS. getting back to civilization, and m,
be home before he isl
ev' Maurice followed her miserably il
W. the music room. Mrs. Geofrey
he down at the piano in the mingled dr
!. is and moonshine and sang tender
of ballads in alluring succession I'll
to Maurice could endure it no longer
Id, came up behind her and put his hal
ice. on her shoulders.
ind "Oh. Muriel. Muriel. love you!