The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-10-30
Our Daily $bort Story

1 the woman grew meek. volition re-
 sumed its sway. only to take up the new line of thought.
 Suppose were to do 1t. can't work" And there came to her 8 vis- ion of happy homes and holly and red
 light and laughter. She was sum- ciently sure of a welcome. At least. they always seemed glad to see her at either Ned's or Dicks. And 1t was only seven. 'Time enough. goodness knowsv Her glance went lingeringly | around her own four walls. Compan- ionship Is one thing; a crowd is anoth- er Aye, Lord. If they didn't all talk at once." And she sighed as she began to pull off her office coat. T wonder if would have been such a selfish beast if he hadn't died. The chances are that should have gone on heaping up silver as silver to the end of the chapter. That's what mar ried woman's life really amounts to. (. Poor fellow, death was a boon to him. We'll. let's have look at the night
 Fifteen years ago tonight. If he had lived-all this time and still five years more" She stood musing before the fire as though forgetful of her inten- | lions. then: Well. he is dead; and I am going l grimly forth to attempt the gladdening
 of others. because I see in 1t a bare
 chance of getting some gladness into 1 my own hollow heart. Just as we'll tell myself the truth. since it Is not | likely that I'll ever tell 1t to anyone | else. We'll, he is dead!" She crossed
 the room impatiently swept aside a
 curtain. flung open the glass door and
 stepped out upon the porch. A man walking away resolutely from the door stopped and turned back eagerly. But 1 the lonely woman had grown singular ly fearless from long living alone. Heedless alike of shadow and sub stance, she stood in the stream of light | studying the stormy skies. There was
 self-reliance, eye, seIf-sufhciency in swung on his heel. Then a quotation slipped from her:
 Safe in the beautiful heaven" and he wheeled again in time to catch the pale flash of her face in turning-those lines of lip and brow that told of silent
 self-repressfon. .ff
 Had she suffered? People were fools-most of them. Those tales they
 had told him about her indifference andA"
 He. too. had had fifteen years in
 which to school himself in self control. but his voice shook in his turn when
 she herself opened the door. to hts
 knocking
 T should not have intruded--at this time-but I saw you on the side porch" The chords of his throat
 frightened and cut off his stammering
 speech. '' There is a fire in my study" she suggested, courteously, when he paused. It was a reporter after stun about her last book? He seemed to
 be new at the business, she reflected.
 and would probably give herself g.
 heavy half hour to hold, but she would
 have been impatient with Insolence had it spoken with that voice. So she led the way down the dimly lighted hall. speaking pleasantly of the wealth CT. and by the time they reached her study he had got back the mastery.
 Please don't turn up the lights on
 my account" he begged. with a touch of peremptoriness that soothed even while 1t hurt.
 Well. if you don't mind," she agreed. | lightly. My eyes are bothering me a I bit."
 Your eyes? Why. what is the | trouble?'' And instead of resenting the solicitude | in his tone, 1t came to the woman in a
 swift flash of sweetness that she would | like to shed her blood for this un-
 known who had brought her into thIs
 echo from her dear long-dead. She | smiled at the thought, but as she an- swered:
 Why I dare say the trouble with my eyes is merely a matter of over | driving. One doesn't violate Natures laws without paying the penalty Nor the laws of man, either" he l supplemented, nervously.
 'The laws of man? Deliver me- Give
 me rather the Comedy of Errors for a
 code" She spoke lightly. He was
 plainly rattled, but then nothing short
 of brass itself could force an interview on Christmas eve without being a bit