The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1904-05-12
An Anniversary

n ESSICA WAS sitting NJ q nbl
M near q window In q sashionsbl
y restaurant. waiting.
De Narville. standing At the dooi
saw her. He FASTENED 10 her. hoidin
out his hand
Are you here sionsY' be questioned
surprised
For the moment" shs answered. I"
am expecting a friend He was q
meet me here Al s."
CHANGING up AT q giant gilt clock
whose hands moved with annoying
slpwness: 1T IL not quite that yet.
abe reflected. impatienuy.
De Nsryiils smiled down upon her.
May sit here opposite your b.
asked. drawing out the chair. until be
comesr
Certainly" abe replied. and be tool
the chair.
He observed her sdmiringiy.
You are looking beautiful tonight
Jsssics." he began. How dainty your
white IL, and that touch OF rose In your
hat oid-fsshisned roses they are.
sr~n't theyr On a nsw-fashioned won
an. And your little fingers glittering
with just enough diamonds. not too
many. Just enough. There are some
who make the mistake OF wearing dis-
monds 10 the knuckles. but you. never!
Dear me. The last time I saw you.
Jes1cs, you were In tears"
Yea encoursgingiy.
you and be had just separated II
was very sad. / was not surprised AT
your tears One must weep a little for
any husband. worthy or unworthy. II
il in the nature OF woman. But ] ssid
to myself. then. In a couple OF weeks
or three abe Will be over H. She will
have entirely recovered And ] must
say that my prophecy has been full
nlled even sooner than l expected. Jes-
sica. How long has II beenf Three
After a moment employed
In upid mental calculation. -Three
And here you are. besming
more beautiful than ! have ever sesn
Jou. and waiting for q friend
nan tsosstk 49, ~. Se&1<sSs -
bent toward her.
III 10 safe 10 say.- be Whispered.
that this 10 not q woman friend for
rbom you are 90 inpsiienuy watching
he hands OF the clock with whom you
ire 20 dine
A laugh commenced AZ Jessics's eyes
md finished AZ her iipa
Hardly abe replied.
Il thought not declared De Mar
rfiie. -And why should Il bel Why
Tot 70 out 81 once with your friends,
lust you make a recluse OF yourself
While be has all the enjoyment posi-
he, He goes where be pleases- ! am
ertain OF that In fact ! have seen
~ople who saw him dining here. there
nd sreryw here. with his acqusint-
noes. man or woman. as !; suits him
Here be paused for an interval In
rider to observe the effect II was
sibsr disappointing than otherwise.
essica sitting under nre. composed as
monument and quite ~ calm He by |
nd By continued:
As a matter OF fact Jessica- you |
nd be were never suited. you were
ever intended for one another. Some
nkind fate"
Pate. you call it repeated Jesssca.
hen. delicstsiy defining the differ
ace. when IL 10 unkind. IL IL fate
hen u II kind II 10 Providence. And
% call Il fstvy'
Some unkind fate went on De
srviiis stolidly. threw you together.
GU were too much alike In the nrst
ace. Both OF intensely nervous TEN.
,ramenta. exci,ablc. high-strung. IL
as not in the nature Of things that
70 could live together longer than
ar. Indeed. many predicted q sep
alton AZ the end OF six months. or, at
. very least. seven. But II has been
year. hasn't ity'
Tonight" said Jessics. softly. Il,
. anniversary OF our wedding.
De Ssrvilie laughed
And here you are presently. "csie-
atins II by dining out with q friend
Va are nothing. Jessica. II not up to
te. You are more. You are unique.
usual All your friends say that
,ey say you are quite right in making
> thing nnal. You are 90 superior to
n In every way. You have wasted
ar OF your life on him"
Jessica shrugged her shoulders ever
slightly.
And what do they say OF him r she
estion. This That he has wasted
year OF his life on meI'
be Sarville frowned.
4 don't know. I am SURF. what they
; to him." he sfirmed. but really he
% a brute. Jessics. And why live
tn a brute as his wife"
when there are 20 many other
ties with whom one might simply
Ie," finished Jessics.
OF course. With whom one mar
70 a pleasant evening. then say
ia That IA best: freedom. II IL
- chains that gall. IL IL sad. but
.. can't reason II out Nobody
!. But the fact remains. Once a
man becomes the property OF a man
loses her charm. The sense OF
nership appears to deaden his inter
He 10 not 20 with any other thing
ich he appears to own. His horse,
dog. their value 10 only enhanced
the fact OF possession. But the
mani Once his wife. In many casss
IL no better than q SLAYER
essics. toying with her fork. marked
here and there on the
lecloth.
For centuries" abe ruminated. re
nedly. I'VE were practically slaves
cold 40 such. Perhaps, after all
( II what we were born to be-
gain De Narvilie laughed.
New that you are out Of bondage"