The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1904-04-29


nj near n window in 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. IL
an expecting a friend. He was to
meet me here at g."
CHANGING up at a giant gilt clock,
whose hands moved with annoying
slowness at Is 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
comesT
Certainly" she replied, and he took
the chair.
He observed her admiringly.
"You are looking beautiful tonight
Jesslca," he began. "How dainty your
white is, and that touch of rose in your
hat. Old-fashiened roses they are,
aren't they? On a 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, neverl
Dear mel The last time 1 saw you,
Jessica, you were in tears"
EYES," encouraglngly.
"You and he had just separated 1t
was very sad. 1 was not surprised at
your tears. One must weep a little for
any husband. worthy or unworthy. 1t
is In the nature of woman. But | said
to myself, then, In a couple of weeks
or three she will be over it. She will
have entirely recovered And l must
say that my prophecy has been full
filed even sooner than l expected, Jes-
sica. How long has it been2 Three
weeks?" After a moment employed
in rapid mental calculation, "Three
weeksl And here you are, beaming
more beautiful than have ever seen
you, and waiting for a friend"
Half closing his eyes quizzically, he
bent toward her.
at is safe to say" he whispered,
chat this is not a 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.
'I thought not" declared De Mar
VILE. "And why should 1t be? 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. | an
certain of that. In fact, l have seer
people who saw him dining here, there
and everywhere, with his acquaint
ances, man or woman, as it suits him
Here he paused for an interval, II
order to observe the effect. 1t wa
rather disappointing than otherwise
Jessica sitting under fire, composed a
monument and quite as calm. He b,
and by continued:
"As matter of fact, Jessica, yol
and he were never suited, you wer
never intended for one another. Som
unkind fate"
Fate, you call It," repeated Jessica
Then, delicately defining the differ
ence: when it is unkind. it is fate
When it is kind, it is Providence. An
you call it fate?'
Some unkind fate" went on d
Narville stolidly, threw you togethel
You were too much alike in the frs
place. Both of intensely nervous ten
peraments, excitable, high-strung,
was not in the nature of things tina
you could live together longer than
year. Indeed. many predicted a SCI
aration at the end of six months. or, g
the very least, seven. But it has bee
a year. hasn't it?"
Tonight" said Jessica, softly, g
the anniversary of our wedding.
De Narville laughed.
"And here you are" presently, eel
brating 1t by dining out with a frien'
You are nothing, Jessica, If not up
date. You are more. You are uniqu
unusual All your friends say tina
They say you are quite right in makiI
the thing final. You are so superior
him in every way. You have wasted
year of your life on him."
Jessica shrugged her shoulders ev
so slightly.
"And what do they say of himT' 81
question. "This. That he has vast
a year of his life on mew
De Narville frowned.
81 don't know, am sure, what tn