The Cairo bulletin., 1904-04-11

at hpr. y piillul Sl0Ae LVtth over lL'
cir}s face underneath her dotted veil.
She put her hands out as though to
catch hold of something. Then She tot
tered ana faIl The saAn sofa caught
her. ana the cold woman was warmed
up 10 the extent of filing the fainrln-
crI's veil ana pulling on her gloves,
willie she rang the bell for assistance.
Before anybody could answer it Been,
ia Ind come to herself and had sat up
on the sofa. looking the proud mother
before her full in the eyes.
Tell ne" she said breathlesSly-
"to'l me before anybody comes-is Iohn
we'll? Tell mel Tell me"'
Yes. said Johns mother, a Scorn
creeping over her handsome face, which
was the counterpart Of her s2a'S. Il
cannot imagine WHY you want TO know.
But John is Gnely established in New
York we have many friends ana reia-
tives there and he is very happy"
"Oh, ne no" bre0tbed thr s.rl. tears
streaming slowly down her rlce.
80 lie writes" pursued the mother
mereicSsly.
Tel him. Brenda said presently,
with al her courage-"tell linn that |
am gad-that be is happy" Then
her crushed pride gave a great recol,
and without Intending the words or
fairly knowing that she was utterjne
them she added, Tell him that II ain
going To be married."
Somehow she emerged from the house
ana made herway home she felt ttat
everything was gone, ana Il ala not
make any difference now what became
Of her. She might rs well please her
father and mother and do what she
could to make their lives easier She
broke into the quiet living room at
homo as though sEs were crazy.
Mother" she said. you may tell
Martin Mears that | viii marry him.
"Nheu?" casped the startled mother
Tomorrow" And II was done.
Five years passed. and Brenda was
the mother Of two children. They
were girls. with all Of her blond beau
ty. Martin had been 4 devoted hus
band. He had put Bcenda's brother
Digby in the way Of earning we'll, and
all the comfort which the family had
anticipated from the marriage had been
realized
One day Brenda was In her store
room, when in moving a small box Of
her husbands. which he always kcp;
locked. it fell to the floor. The lock
broke. and a package Of unopened let
ters dropped out. Brenda's bl0ad froze
in her veins as she looked at them
They were addressed to her In tile
handwriting Of John Masters She
tore them open feycrishly and read
them-lettcrs full Of love at first of ae-
onized doubt and fear later, then Of
despair, One letter had been written
after her marriage "Oh. how could
you leave me, my darling: Could you
not wait for me? Have I not doae all
that could for you: You have strip
ped life forever Of all Brightness for
- Oh If could only know .t1iat las
%snt between us"'
She we7t in great gusts Of passion as
she read ON. And her husband bad
kept these letters from her. She hated
him
When be came 70 his dinner the let.
ters les beside BIS plate He ccog-
nized them instantly one Of ,he chil-
dren was taking It's MONDAY nap lie
sent the other to be fed by the negro
woman in the Kitchen. Rrenda was sit.
ting in her place colorleys and her eyes
fixed on him and burning with re-
pToach He gazed at her moment
Then he dropped upon the toor and
groyeled at her feet. and she spoke for
the first time.
"lIow could you, Martin; how could
you?"
"0h, know It wasn't right. Brendar'
he said hoarseiy but loved you SO, You
don't know how | loved sou, Nobody
ever loved anybody So | had to have
you, and 50 got Digby to get the let
ters, and paid him not TO let yol have
them. Oh. IT wasn't right. But it was
the only way that saw 10 get You
And haven't been good 10 you Bren.
da? Haven't done everything for
youf"
She rose and lcf; him His touch
seemed TO poison her
week followed Of horrible. silent
suffering for them both Then came a
scene which she had pictured to herself
for maay years. Evau since her mar
riage she c0ald not help sometimes i'm
agining It, thoHgh size had tried to be
good and faithful wife 10 the one who,
as she now knew. had robbed her " the
only man whom she had ever loved
John Masters came back to Bermuda
She knew nothing Of it Until be ap-
pcred before Ter. though her husband
he'd piioted In the steamer which had
brought tie e~ilo in.o harhor on the
previous day and had seen him among
the passengers. lie came to Brcnda's
home 10 tic sweet twilight Of q May
evening She was playing with her
children under fhe blooming oloandcrs.
lie entered the gate almost like an
oil man, though be was scarcely thir-
~ His face was strongly marked and
his hair WAS ssrc9ked with cr1yy She
hud grown more beautiful than ever
with motherhood fIe turned pale as
she caiae forward and took his hand