Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1905-03-03
Mben the Mist
Cleared
BY Kate NJ. cIsary



Isabel had known that the meeting
With him would be a shock. but she
had trusted to the hope that. being
forewarned, she would also be fore
armed. And she felt holplessly furious
to realize hat she Ind grown cold and
white the Instant he stood before her.
She had been crossing to the parlor
from the dining room after luncheon
when Roy Cameron had come along
the hall.
"IsabelI' he exclaimed, lis voice low
II significant. "Isabelv'
She was more beautiful thul the girl
he had wooed. She had bloomed out in
the atmosphere Of luxury and in the
assured social position that had come
to her with her marriage. And he
found this new charm immensely at
tractive. lie ~rejoiced that the hand
she gave him an instant trembled in
his own. But his eyes, that dwelt as If
In fascination upon her face, were dark
with unutterable reproach.
Her first words were piteously defen-
sive.
ut was all in the papers, she fall
tered. Every one believed 1t. Your
wi mother accepted the news OF your
death rs true"
Il wish God that II had been!' he
said p~nssionately. "NYhen later l read
Of your marriage-well. / hated those
who pulled the Spanish knife out of my
sidel'
She %shuddered, her sweet lips pallng.
But you look quite well; quite like
your old SELF she said anxiously.
"Oh. | got over that hurt all right.
It's the other 1 can't get over. Put on
your hat and come down on the beach,
Isabel-thnt is. II your husband doesn't
object he added, with a slight sarcas-
tic curl Of his handsome lip.
She drew herself up proudly.
my husband she said coldly, lob
jects to nothing that do. / will go
with you for a short walk"
And she told herself the while she
flung on her golf cape and crushed a
little scarlet Tam o. Shanter down on
her dark hair with hands that still
shook that this was the only time h
would speak with him alone. she
owed him an explanation, and he
should have 1t. He must not be per-
~ fAaA AE AN (AAAOAA0AA u oA6AN
of him INTO belief that she still har-
bored a romantic attachment toward
him.
Towering cliffs hid them from the
sprawling, fashionable town. The roar
of the surf came up to them in a low,
booming, thunderous monotone. Ahead,
behind, over the vistas of sand and
vast surges of the ocean, hung a fog,
dense, illusory, silvery, mysterious. In
its riffs phantom ships were visible,
dipping and courtesying on their noise
less course.
It's all very harmonious" said Roy
Cameron grimly. Might have been
made to order as a setting for our lit
tie comedy. Ell? Nothing around us
but vague o%bscurlty aud we three
the most hopeless of all the ghosts that
Walk
"We-threeT" she repeated, not COM
pretending.
"You and land the ghost of our
vanished happinessl" he said.
"OhI" she murmured. Then for a
little while they walked on in silence.
Isabel" he asked suddenly, bending
AEu " lOOk lllO ntI dNtIAbu lhttg
why did you marry that rich manf'
Her wifely pride rose Instantly in
arms at the ~insinuation.
you speak as though Robert Graeme
were n rich man only" she said in
dignantly. HE is a good mana wise
and honorable man."
but you did not love him." Cameron
went on mercilessly. And you were
engaged to me-"
'They told me you were dead in the
Philippines she burst out, harassed
and eager to have the talk over. "My
brother Frank was In tremendous mon
etary difficulties. There was disgrace
of some sort ahead for him. Mother
was breaking her heart over the whole
matter. And then-then Robert asked
me TO be his wife. l knew he could
fix up everything. Besides, l was very
FOND of him. l always admired him
very much!' she ended dehantly.
"AhI' he said quietly-toO quietly.
''That was the way, was itT'
They had walked rapidly, quite out
stripping all the others sauntering In
the same direction. Isabel was breath
less from haste. The hulk Of an old
boat drawn high on the beach offered
shelter from the rising wind II the
too insIstent clamor of the waves.
Mrs. Graeme sat down on an embank-
ment Of sand some children had made
in the shadow OF the boat.
II shall rest a few minutes. Then
we viii 20 back she said.
She was wholly unprepared for the
violence with which he broke into
speech.
Back You would go back to him?
When it Is !, Isnbel-I. who have the
best, first, real right to you! II 1t
were not for that accursed blunder
about my death you would have been
waiting lJr me still"
White, stricken, shocked, she sat
there while he raved on. She had new
er imagined such madness nor such
selhshness. for It was all OF himself he
s%poke-all for himself he cared. He
would miss her 80. He had great pos
slbilities, which only she could inspire.