Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1904-02-13
AN ANNIVERSARY.

LeF. lie haStcLcd 10 her, holding on
his hand
Are you Eerc aIone?7 he questioned
surprised
FOR tie moment" she answered. q
am expecting a friend. lie was to NEE
Tue here al s.
CHANGING up At a giant gilt clock, who's
hands moved with annoying Sl2wness
1t Is not qgite that yet, she reflected
impatieEtly.
De NarTil,e smiled down upon her.
May | sit here opposite YOU ht
lsised drawing cut the chair, until ht
e0.ncsY
"certainly," she replied, and re too2
The chair.
lie Oh rived kcr ad;niFingiy
You are looking beautiful tonight, Jes
sica, he be-an. How dainty youi
white is. end that touch of rose in youi
hat. Old-faShiaEed roscs they are, aren't
they? On A aeW-ias!ioned woman. And
your l,,tle fingers siitieriHg with jlsl
enough diamond rot too many. just
enGush. There are some who make the
mistake OK wearing diamonds 70 the
buckles. but YOU neyer Dear me. The
last time | saw sou, Jcssica. yoa We're in
teafs'
Yes" encouragingly.
You aBd lie lad just separated. II
was very sad. | was not surprised at
your fears. One must weep a little for
any husband, worthy or unworthy. 1t
is in the nature of things. Particularly
1t is the nature of woman. But | said
TO myself, then. In il couple of weeks or
three she will be over it. She will have
entirely recovered And | must say that
my prophecy has been fulfilled even SOON
er than | expected, Jessica. How long
has it been? Three weeksY After Il
moment employed in rapid mental calcu-
la4 .
beaming, more beautiful than | have ever
seen you. and waiting for friend
Half closing his eyes quizZcally, he
bent towards her.
1T is safe to say" he whispered, that
this is not q woman friend for whom you
are 50 impatientiy watching the hands Of
the clock, with whom you are to dine.
A laugh commenced ut Jessica's eyes
and finished at her lips.
Hardly" she replied.
Il thought NOT" declared De Naryille
"Ani why should it be? Why not 90
OUT at once with your friends? Must you
make Il recluse Of yourself, while he has
all the enjoyment possible? lie goes
where he pleases. | am certain of that
In fact, have seen people who have seen
PEOPLE who saw him dining here, there
and everywhere, with his acquaintance,
man or woman, rs il suits him."
Here he paused for an interval, in or
der TO observe the effect. 1t was rather
disappointing than otherwise, Jessica sit
ting under fire, composed as a monument
and quite as calm. He by and by CON
tlnued:
As a matter of fact. Jessica, you and
he were never suited, you We're never in
tended for one another Some unlxind
fate
Fate, you call it." repeated Jessica
Then delicately defining the difference:
WHEN il is unkind it is fate. When it
Is kind, it is Providence. And you call
il fateF'
''Some unkind fate" went on De Mar
vile stolidly, threw you together. You
were too much alike in the first place.
Both Of intensely nervous temperaments,
eHsitablc. highstrung, it was not in the
nature Of things that you could live to-
Eethef longer than Il year. Indeed,
many predicted a separation at the end
OF siX months, or, at the very least. seven.
But II has been a year. hasn't liz"
Tonight, said JesSica, softly, is the
anniversary of our Wedding
DE Naryille laughed
Ana here You are, presently. "cele-
hrating it by dining out with a friend,
You are nothing, Jessiea, if not up to
date You are more. You are unique.
unusual. All your friends say that.
= hNa ."s -" Atc 1'AE WIGHT III lHahlns
the thing final. You are SO superior to
him in every way. You have wasted a
year of your life on him"
Jessica shrugged her shoulders ever SO
slightly
And what do they say 10 him." she
Questioned "ThlS. That he mas wasted
a year of his life on met
DE Naryille frowned
Il don't know, | am sure, what they
say TO him." he affirmed, ''but really he
was a brute. Jessica. And why live with
a brute as his wife,
when there are so many other brutes
with whom one might simply dine" fin
ished Jessca.
"of course. With whom one may pass
n pleasant evening, then say ia ia. :
That is best; freedom. 1t is these chains
that gall. 1t is sad, but true. l can't
reason it out Nobody can. But the
fact remains Once woman becomes
the property of a man she loses her
charm. The sense of ownership appears
to deaden his interest. He is not so with
any other thing which he apears to own.
His horse, his dog, their value is only
enhanced by the fact of possession. But
the woman! Once his wife, in many
cases She is no better than Il slaver
JesSica. toying with her fork, marked
NtGInStN l4nANS ANAt t'hN AAANhN Wa AAAN va
blecloth.
For centuries" she ruminated, re.
signedly, I'VE were practically slaves and
sold as such Perhaps, after all, that is
what we were born to be-"
Again DE Naryille laughed.
''Now that you are out of bondage"
said he. 'you can look back over the sit
uation and laugh. 1t has some humor
for you. That is better taan tears. Ana
sorrow is, to certain extent beneficial.
1t sharpens the wits. Not that youNhave
not always been quick witted. On the
contrary So much more so than he, il
was pity, your friends said, to see you
with him
YES, they said that to me" interrupt
ed JesSica. But what did they say to
him p
She answered her own question.
The self same thing, turned round the
other way"
De Narvile looked hard at her in the
bright light of the glowing electricS
Freedom becomes you, Jessica." he
declared. Il aim almost ready To fall in
love with you myself. tonight"
Almost, repeated Jessiea. ruefully.
Quite asserted DE Narville You
look content, joyous, radiant. | wish
other friends of yours, vino have seen
You in tears, could gaze upon you now.