The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1905-04-12

she was seated by her bedroom fire
deep in thought The freight glim-
mersd upon the rich folds of her white
satin dress. Her elbow was on her
knee and her chin rested on her hand;
she was lost in thought, gazing absent
ly upon the red glowing Goals as
though she wanted to look through
them and beyond them to some bright
er, happier life on the other side. And
the bitterest part of the whole thing
beginning to end. She hal been given
a far larger share of happiness than
falls to the lot of most people, and she
had thrown 1t 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 to make it as beautiful as
possible, all the thought and care of
the husband who had idolized her and
whose love she had thrown away on
her wedding day.
1t had been one of those misunder-
stndings and mistakes which have no
real cause. She had been proud and
wilful, had told him that all her love
had been given to her cousin before she
ever met him, and that her marriage,
like hundreds of fashionable marriages
every year, had been a marriage Of
convenience" 1t was hardly fair news
to a husband on his wedding day, but
Arthur Davenant was a man who
wanted love for love, and would ac-
cept her on no 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 had passed a month in Paris for
the honeymoon, and then he had
brought her to his home, the home
prepared by an eager bridegroom for
the reception Of dearly loved wife.
For nearly year they had lived to-
gether, outwardly as friends. but see
ing nothing of each other except at
meals or in the presence Of guests.
The house was usually full and she
made an ideal hostess. He always
treated her with the utmost courtesy
and consideration; and he bided his
time. He was in parliament and man
aged his own estate-was, indeed en-
crossed in his own life, she thought,
and left no room for her For so per-
verse 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 girlhood she had
been devoted to cousin who was alb
solutely penniless and who went out TO
try his luck in Virginia.
No actual engagement had ever eX-
listed between them, and after he had
been gone some years and any hope of
a marriage was as distant as ever Ar
thur Davenant had wooed her, and her
parents urged her to accept him. He
was a man few girls could have re-
sisted, but ler heart was so wrapped
up in her cousin that she fancied she
would never have any love to give.
Arthur Davenant had found her cold
to his wooing, but he had the conf
dence Of an ardent lover that he would
win her when she was his wife.
She was naturally very self-con-
tanned, and as the months went by he
never guessed her secret that she was
learning to love him with all the pas
sion of her woman's life-a love be-
side which the feeling for her cousin
had been a mere girlish fancy. Kind,
courteous, and considerate as he was
he was unapproachable. Doubtless he
had ceased to love her; other things
had filled his mind. Love is of mans
life thing apart" and it was over for
him probably, and too late she had
learned to value the pearl she had
spurned. The very sight of him as he
sat opposite to her at the table made
her heart throb. According to her own
request he never kissed her or even
her hand on bidding good night. How
could he guess that the mere touch of
his fingers made her thrill? She would
have given all that she possessed for
the careless caresses he gave to his
dog. She envied his little nephews and
nieces when they came to stay and she
watched him showering kisses on their
young faces. All! if it had only been
aifferent, children of his own might
nave climbed. on his ,knee-her chill
lren.
Two years before he had volunteered
for the front. She often wondered how
she lived through those years. He
wrote to her kind, affectionate letters,
but no word of love; just the letters a
brother would write to sister; it was
she who had forbidden everything else
And now she sat by her fire thinking,
thinking. till her brain felt bursting
One week ago he had come home from
South Africa, brown and lean and care
worn, with two years sufferings and
hardships marked on his strong face.