The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-06-15

ESM-MII was out. DO you Know
where Mrs. Dolby is, MarthaI' he
sailed to the girl in the kitchen.
The mistress went out. sir. about
zen minutes ago, and said she'd be
pack in half an hour"
Edmund returned to the sitting room
md lay back in the low armchair by
he fire in gloomy meditation. He had
oeen uneasy in his mind all day. for
he night before he and Lefty had
luarre u, and it was because this had
oeen fretting him and he was wistful
)f making his peace with her that he
1ad contriyed to get home so much
earlier than usual. And now she was
)ut.
The fact that 'h.s Glanced to he his
birthday gave a keeucr edge to his suf.
:erings. and made her absence when
ae came yearniug for reconciliation. so
much the more ineXcusabe. He sat,
lunched in the armchair. brooding m.
Ill he began to see n sinister signifi.
2auce ia her not being there TO well
come him; it became as clear to him
again as If 1t had been last night that
ne had been Justified In the complaints
he had made. and that her Indignation
lad been assumed simply to blind him
The facts in connection with that
luarre. were. chiefly, these: Edmund's
one particular friend in Watford was
Alfred Hilbert and Lettys one partic-
1lar was Nelly Hilbert. his wife. Once
week the DOlbys went round the cor.
ler and spent an evening with the Hi.
3erts, and once a week the Hiberts
came round the corner and spent an
evening with the Dobys. Moreover
they frequently dropped in on each
other informally; the wives occasion.
lily shopped together. the husbands
.ook Sunday strOlls together. and their
triendliness would have been abso.
ntely ideal but for one jarrlng circum.
stance.
There had been a time when Alfred
Hilbert was desperately in love with
Lefty. Twice she had rejected him,
when Edmund made her acquaintance
and they fell IN love with each other
at sight.
Alfred resigned himself to the newt.
able so completely that. few months
later, being breezy Young man whose
heart was too well seasoned to break
Easily, lie transferred his affections to
Nelly, who was already Letty's dearest
friend and had remained 50 ever since.
Edmund knew all about this from
the beginning. Alfred treated It as a
lest. After they were all married he
would speak of his past mfatuaton
openly at their weekly meetings. and
laugh about 1t. never seeming to real
lie that nobody enjoyed the joke but
himself
He was that sort Of man. Instead
Of growing Injured to his facetious de-
scriptions Of his extinct passion. Ed
mund more and more resented them.
even rebuklng Lefty now and then. as
II she were to blame for having been
passively responsible for Alfred's fas-
cinatlon.
Last night, after the Hilberts were
gone he had rebuked her with unrea.
sonable Irritation, for he was OF a nat.
urally jealous temperament. and had
gradually persuaded himself that Al.
fred was much too attentive to his
wife, and that Lrtty's manner toward
him WAS unnecessarily gracious. He
told her so in no measured terms. mag.
nifying his grievances and saying more
than he meant as an angry man will.
Lefty was disposed atr the outset TO
answer him laushlngly, but her flip
pancy cXasperate1 him Finally. he so
lost control OF herself that his prepos-
ferrous hints and innucndoes stung and
msultcd her. Her cold dignity was nm.
abated by breakfast time this morning.
and. as he could not humble himself
ana surrender. he had gone off 10 the
city sullenly. without kissing her.
Away from her he remembered all
her sweetness and was ashamed that
his jealously could 50 outrageouSly be.
Too. him. He yearned to he with her
th.nLlf= OF tender things he would say
TO her; he would even ask her TO for.
give him; and only TO imagine how she
would lean her head upon his breast
and cry brought tears to his eyes
He had pictured II all vividy: he had
hastened home 70 fUlhll his happy i'm.
aginings she was ont.
III she had sent me "A telegram ask.
Ing me TO come home II would have
been nothing astonishing" be NUT
tured. bitterly. "but, instead OF that.
she Isn't even waiting for me when |
do come"
There was piece OF crumpled paper
lying In the fender. lie had noticed 1t
idly. directly he sat down. and now.
suddenly. seeing there was writing on
II. he picked It up, Strengthened It out.
and read IL:
Have got the tickets. Be at nv
Office not later than 7. and we will 20.
TIL death and after. Alfred"
He sat stunned. rereadIng II mechan.
ically, as II II meant nothing TO him.
Gradually the words seemed TO burn
into his brain. Here. then. was full
and dreadful confirmation OF his worst
suspicious. He had not been mistaken
asst night In thinking there was some
secret understanding between them.
Here was their secret flashed bewil.
deringly before him.
He started to his feet aud snatched