New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-11

She was seated bv her bedroom fire deep in
thought The freight glimmered upon the rich
folds of her white satin dress. Her elbow on
her knee and her chin rested her hand; she
lost in thought gazing absentedly upon the red
glowing Goals as though she wanted to look through
them and beyond them TO some brighter. happier
life on the Othe- side And the bitterest part of
the whole thing that II her fault from
beginning 10 end She had been given far larger
share OF happiness than falls to the lot OF most
people. and she had thrown It away with her own
hand She raised her eyes. and gazed around the
luxurious room in which she sat: no thought and
no money had been spared 70 make IL beautiful
as possible. all the thought and care OF the hus-
band who had fdozed her and whose love she had
thrown away her wedding day
1t had been one OF those unisundersta ndings and
mistakes which have real cause. She had been
proud and wilful had told him that all her love
had been given 10 her cousin before she had ever
met him. and that her marriage like hundreds OF
fashiOna bic marriages every year had been mar
riage OF convenience" II was hardly fair news 10
Il husband on his wedding day. but Arthur Dav-
enant was a man who wanted love for love. and
would accept her on other terms. And so he had
given her back her freedom. only begging her to
stay under his roof and bear his name that the
world should know nothing of their story. They
passed a month IN Paris for the honeymoon, and
then he had brought her his home the home
prepared by an eager bridegroom for the reception
OF Il dearly loved wife. For nearly a year they
had lived together outwardly friends. but
ing nothing OF each other except meals or IN the
presence OF guests The house usually fun and
she made an ideal hostess. He always treated her
with the utmost courtesy and consideration; and
he bided his time. lie in Parliament. and
managed his own estate-was. indeed. engrossed In
his life. she thought and left no room for her!
For SO perverse Is wOman's heart that when he let
her go she would have given all she had IN the
wide world TO have him back In her early girIhood
she had been devoted TO a cousin who absolute
~ penniless and who went out TO try his luck In
Virginia.
No actual engagement had ever existed between
them. and after he had been gone some years and
Arthur Davenant had wOoed her. and her parents
urged her TO accept him. He a few girls
could have resisted. but her heart wrapped
UP III her cousin that she iancled she would never
have any love To give. Arthur Davenant had found
her cold 10 his wOOlng. but he had the confidence
or an ardent lover that he would win her when she
his wife.
She was naturally very seIc-contained. and as the
months went by he never guessed her secret. that
she was learning to love him with all the passion
OF her wOman's hfe-a love beside which the feeling
for her cousin had been a mere grlish fancy Kind.
courteous and cOnsiderate he he Unap
prOaChable. Doubtless he had ceased 70 love her;
other things had filed his mind Love Is OF mans
life a thing apart" and II was over for him prob
ably. and too late she had learned value the
pearl She had spurned The very sight OF him as he
thrOb. According to her request. he never
kissed her or even touched her save sometimes TO
shake her hand on bidding good night.
front SIe often wondered how she had lived
through those years He wrote TO her kind, affec-
tiOuate letters but word OF love, lust the let
ters "A brother would write 10 a sister IN was ~,
sat by her IRE thinking. thinking. till her brain
felt bursting. One week ago he had come home
with two years suferings and hardshtps marked
on his strong face. and she wondered jealousy X
looked a him when she could without observation.
The house was fun OF guests; many Of them were