The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1904-05-14

I'll near a window in a fashionable
restaurant, waiting.
De Narville, standing at the door,
saw her. He fastened to her, holding
out his hand.
"Are you here alone?" he questioned,
surprised.
'For the moment" she answered. II
meet me here at g."
CHANGING up at giant gilt clock,
whose hands moved with annoying
slowness: sit Ia not quite that yet"
she reflected, impatiently.
De Narville smiled down upon her.
MAY 1 sit here opposite your" he
asked, drawing out the chair, until he
comesW
Certainly" she replied, and he took
the chair.
He observed her admiringly.
"You are looking beautiful tonight,
Jessica," he began. "How dainty your
white is, and that touch Of rose In your
hat. Old-fashiened roses they are,
aren't they? On new-fashioned wom-
an. And your little fingers glittering
with just enough diamonds, not too
many. Just enough. There are some
who make the mistake of wearing dia-
monds to the knuckles. but you, never!
Dear me! The last time I saw you,
Jessica, you were in tears"
EYES," encouragingly.
"You and he had just separated It
was very sad. I was not surprised at
your tears. One must weep little for
any husband, worthy or unworthy. 1t
is in the nature Of woman. But I said
to myself, then, In a couple Of weeks
or three she will be over 1t. She will
have entirely recovered And I must
say that my prophecy has been full
filled even sooner than expected, Jes-
sica. How long has 1t been? Three
weeks" After a moment employed
in rapid mental calculation, "Three
weeks! And here you are, beaming
more beautiful than have ever seen
you, and waiting for a friend"
Half closing his eyes quizzically, he
DenC toward ler.
1T is safe to say" he whispered,
"that this is not woman friend for
whom you are so impatiently watching
the hands Of the clock with whom you
are to dine"
A laugh commenced at Jessica's eyes
and finished at her lips.
Hardly" she replied.
II thought not" declared De Mar
vile. "And why should it be2 why
not go out at once with your friends?
Must you make a recluse Of yourself,
while he has all the enjoyment posi-
BILE? He goes where he pleases. l am
certain of that. In fact, l have seen
people who saw him dining here, there
and everywhere, with his acquaint-
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,
Jessica sitting under fire, composed as
a monument and quite as calm. He by
and by continued:
"As a matter of fact, Jesslca, you
and he were never suited, you were
never intended for one another. Some
unkind fate"
Fate, you call it." repeated Jessica.
Then, delicately defining the differ
ence: when 1t Is unkind, it Is fate.
When 1t is kind, it is Providence. And
you call it fate2
Some unkind fate" went on De
Narville stolidly. "threw you together,
You were too much alike in the first
place. Both Of intensely nervous tenn
peraments, excitable, high-strung, 1t
was not in the nature Of things that
you could live together longer than a
year. Indeed, many predicted a sep
aration at the end Of six months, or at
the very least, seven. But it has been
a year, hasn't it?'
Tonight" said Jesslca, softly. sis
the anniversary Of our wedding.
De NarVille laughed.
"And here you are" presently, "cele-
brating 1t by dining out with a friend,
You are nothing, Jessica, if not I'D TO
date. You are more. You are unioue
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 him"
Jessioa shrugged her shoulders ever
so slightly.
"And what do they say of him2" she
question. "This. That he has wasted
a year Of his life on mey
De NarviIle frowned.
II don't know, am sure, what thew
say to him." he affirmed, "but really he
was a brute, Jessica. And why live
with brute as his wife"
when there are SO many other
brutes with whom one might simnlv
dine" finished Jessica.
"Of course. With whom one NAV
pass a pleasant evening, then saw
'ta-ta.' That is best; freedom. It Is
these chains that gall. 1t is sad, Int
true. I can't reason it out Nobody
can. But the fact remains. Once .
woman becomes the property of man
she loses her charm. The sense of