Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-09

: pressing him to take more. His hand moved unthinkingly to his coat pocket. and she said at once: Yes, do smoke! do wish you would. 2
 He lit his pipe.
 N Do you live here all the year round q he asked.
 "Yes. Summer and winter
 s'Not alone?''
 She flushed very slightly. My hus- band is away to-day. He Is up in the city. Generally he Is at home. ex- poet him back in little while
 He looked round him again at the bare room, indecent in it's silent avowal, at her sitting there with her. restless face, her work-hardened hands. and risked all his psychological insight in one sim pie cast.
 why, dear girl, why did you do it?''
 She laughed
 Why? o, it's simple; isn't 1t ]? So you .knowl' She leaned back, her fingers < gripping the chair edge. "It's all writ- ten out for you; you can just come right in here and read it. I supposei did it because was 8 fool-a fool--a fool! There! guess you wonder at my sit ing here saying 1t to you, but I've got to just that point I'd say 1t to anyone just anyone at all that came along!"
 The childishness went from her face. She rose, pushing her chair aside, and walked about the room. E isI buess T. don t have to telly you any thing, do I? I was young, and didn't know anything, and 1t all sounded very nice and beautiful, and wanted to try it. I thought 1t would work. A two roomed cottage and some books and an acre of ground. g. We'll, I've found it out. Isn't 1t funny, isn't 1t humorous, the sort of thing you read about in books! My God! Do you know when you came along to-day I'd got to such pitch-I was nearly crazy. felt I had to have some one to speak to-some one to talk to-just anyone at all, so long as it was 8 stranger Icould tell 1t all to. and then have them go away and forget every word. And if you hadn't come in I'd have made you, if hadto go down on my knees to youi Isn't that shame less! Don't you guess I'm crazy?"
 She had spoken quickly, breathIessly, as though every moment were of value, and she had to get it all out before he should go his travellers way and leave her. Now, as she stopped short her hn- gers went out to the chair-back and clung to it, working nervously.
 How old are you?'' he said.
 "How old do you thtnk?"
 Thirty"
 She laughed again.
 'Yes, knew you'd guess that! I'm 25. That's what it's done to me- I used to be pretty. You wouldn't guess 1t, would you? Look at my hands, aren't they lovely? And I've had four years of itfour years! It was all right at first; liked 1t. thought 1t would go always, but it didn't. found it out If any, one had told me that three years ago I'd have laughed. I wouldn't have be- lieved it. But I've found out Hehasn't; he thinks it's all right; and he'll never know-that's the funny part. Icare just that much for him still-that I'd hate to have him find it out, to know it was all a big, mad failure. So I've got to stick to 1t; only sometimes-some- times"
 She moved nearer to him across the bare floor.
 "I'm so glad you came to-day" she said. ''I'm so glad, because if you hadn't I'd have.gone crazy. would! Iwant- e ed some one to tell 1t all to. Do you know, I've gone out sometimes and talked to the cabbages? Isn't that a symptom of insanity? We'll. I've done that before now! And you're stranger: we've never met before, and we never will again, and you can go right oR and forget it. Don't think me mad. Only had to tell some one. Now I'll be all