The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-04-14
An Anniversary
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saw her. He hastened to her, holding
out his hand
Are you here aIonef" he questioned
surprised
For the moment" she answered. II
am expecting a friend. He was tc
meet me here at g."
Glancing up at q giant gilt clock
whose hands moved with annoying
slowness: 1T is not quite that yet
she reflected, impatiently.
De Naryille smiled down upon her.
MAY | sit here opposite your he
asked, drawing out the chair, until he
-comesr
Certainly" she replied, and he took
the chair.
He observed her admirlngiy.
"You are looking beautiful tonight
Jessica," he began. How dainty your
white Is, and that touch Of rose In xpuf
hat Old-fashlened roses they are
aren't theyl On new-fashioned won
an. And your little fingers ggtterine
with just enough diamonds, not toe
many. Just enough. There are some
who make the mistake Of wearing dia
monds 70 the knuckles, but you, never
Dear me! The last time | saw you
Jessica,' you were in tears"
"Yes," encouragingly.
"You and he had just separated II
was very sad l was not surpassed al
your tears. One must weep little fol
any husband. worthy or unworthy. II
is in the nature Of woman. But | said
to myself, then, In a couple Of weeks
or three she will be over 1t. She will
have entirely recovered And must
say that my prophecy has been full
filled even sooner than | expected, Jes
slca. How long has 1t been2 Three
weeks?" After a moment employed
In rapid mental calculation, "Three
weeks! And here you are, beamine
more beautiful than l have ever seen
you, and waiting for friend"
Half closing his eyes qulzzically, he
bent toward her.
ut is safe to say" he whispered
that this Is not a woman friend fol-
whom you are so impatlently watching
the hands of the clock with whom you
are to dine"
A laugh commenced at Jesslca's eyes
and finished at her lips.
Hardly" she replied.
"I thought not" declared De Mar
willie. 'sAnd why should 1t beH Why
not go out at once with your friends
Must you make recluse Of yourself
while he has all the enjoyment posi-
ble2 He goes where,he pleases. am
certain of that. In fact have seen
people who saw him dining here, there
and everywhere, with his acqualnt
ances, man or woman, as 1t suits him
Here he paused for an interval, in
order to observe the effect 1t was
rather disappointing than otherwise
Jesslca sitting under fire, composed as
monument and quite as calm. He by
and by continued:
"As matter Of fact, Jessica, you
and he were never suited, you were
never intended for one another. Some
unkind fate"
"Fate, you call IT," repeated Jessica.
Then, dellcately defining the differ
ence: "When 1t is unkind, It is fate.
When 1t is kind, 1t is Providence. And
you call 1t fateI"
Some unkind fate" went on De
Narville stolldly, threw you together.
You were too much alike in the first
place. Both of intensely nervous tenn
peraments, excltable, high-strung, II
was not in the nature of things that
you could live together longer than a
year. Indeed, many predicted a sep
arat0n at the end of six months, or, at
the very least, seven. But 1t has been
a year, hasn't ltH'
Tonight" said Jessica, softly, SIS
the anniversary of our wedding.
De Narvllle laughed.
"And here you are" presently, "cele-
bratlng 1t by dining out with friend!
You are nothing, Jesslca, If not up to
date. You are more. You are unique,
unusual All your friends say that.
They say you are quite right In making
the thing final. You are so superior to
him in every way. You have wasted a
year Of your life on qllm,"
Jessica shrugged her shoulders ever
so slightly.
"And what do they say of him2" she
question. 'This. That he has wasted
year of his life on meP'
De Narville frowned.
81 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,
awhen there are % manyo other
brutes with whom one might simply
dine" finished Jessica.
"ot course. With whom one may
pass pleasant evening, then say
a.ta That is best; freedom. 1t is
these chains that gall. 1t is sad, but
true. can't reason 1t out Nobody
can. But the fact remains. Once a
woman becomes the property Of man
she loses her charm. The sense Of
ownership appears to deaden his inter
est. He is not so with any other thing
which he appears to own. His horse,
his dog. their value is only enhanced
By the fact of possession, But the
womanl Once his wife, in many cases
she is no better than slave"
Jessica, toying with her fork, marked
helroglyphio here and thereoon the
tablecloth.
For centuries" she ruminated, re-
signedly, I'VE wep practically slaves
and som as such. Perhaps, after al,
that is what we were born to be-"