Middletown transcript., 1905-07-22

could, by little finesse, be kept secret
or, if not the actual visit itself, its purport
at least.
Yet, in spite OF all his care, something
seemed to have leaked out. A change
had come over Louise. As lie sat at his
desk, he heard her singing no more al
her household work. A sadness to which
he could not Shut her eyes was settling
over her face. This panied him exceed.
ingly, the more so because lie had been
so very careful-not to give her offense
and he set to work at once to reinstate
their old relations. But, in spite of his
best endeayors, the wall between him
and his wife grew higher, inch by inch,
day by day. His caressess seemed forced
even to himself and his words Of endear.
ment had the hollow ring Of insincerity
"a state of affairs for which he was
utterly unable to account, unless indeed
it was because Louise had withdrawn her
confidence from him So the first time
that she should venture to speak of his
relations with Mrs. ~Farmington-as she
probably would soon-he intended, in a
kindly manner, to open her eyes TO her
sin.
But with a wisdom which one would
hardly have suspected in such simple
heart, she said nothing, or at least only
once, and then indirectly That was
when Trench announced to her, one
evening at supper, that he thought Mrs.
Pennington would soon join the church.
ooh, Enoch," she exclaimed, tremu-
lousy, Pm afraid to have her do it -
"Why? ?" he asked, bruskly.
Because that Mrs Holmes, from Gin
cinnati, who visited the Gastons, told
here that Mrs. Pennington was not a
widow, but divorced woman and there
has been good deal OF talk about it,"
Trench started. "Wlen did you hear
that? ?"
about three weeks ago"
"Then why didn't you tell me at
once?' lie demanded, harshly.
For answer, Louise began to cry
Trench should have been surprised, even
amazed, at this outbreak but lie was
not. He should at least, he felt, have
feigned amazenent. But though not
unversed i'll the arts of hypocrisy, he
found it beyond his power at the moment
to even feign amazement. 1t was too
low, too mean. So lie sat in silence in
stead, with strange sense OF a harden
ing heart, offered neither consolation nor
explanation, and helplessly watched the
widening Of the gulf between him and
the partner of his life.
\ little later, in his study, his better
nature asserted itself. The scene with
his wife had Jared him out Of his fatal
apathy to the drift of events, and he re-
solved not to see Mrs. Pennington again
for one week. That was as long as he
could then stay away without exciting
her suspicion. Later he could lengthen
the period. Yet, in the teeth of this
resolution, he weakly called on her the
very next afternoon. Her divorce was
uppermost in his mind. lie was, in
truth, not half so much shocked by the
divorce as he was hurt i'll his vanity by
her concealment of it. She had contided
SO much Of her past to him, as a kind of
father.confessor, that he fancied he knew
all about her and he recalled with some
thing like fury certain afternoon when
he had offered her the comforts of re-
ligion iii her bereavement. She had
hoodwinked him beautifully, and actually
cried lie called on her to-day, there
fore, for the purpose Of taxing her with
this perfidl.
1t never rains but it pours. As he
waited impatiently for Mrs. Pennington
i'll the little music room to which he was
now always admitted as a favored guest,
he noticed tray containing glass and
a tall black bottle. lie had seen such
bJttles etore. in the days prior to Ills
call to preach but TO make sure, he
stepped swiftly and noiselessly over to
the table and glanced at the label. lie
had Just time to regain his chair when
Mrs. Bennington entered. She, too,
noticed tile bottle and rang for the maid.
"Suzanne, remove my II alt bottle,
please"
That's not malt bottle, I" said Trench
blunty, after Suzanne had ieirel. Its
a beer bottle.
She started at the unexpected attack,
but instantly recovered her characteristic
composure.
You read the label, then y she asked,
coolly. "Or did you recognize it from its
shape ~ the added, with biting sar-
casm.
II read the label, as | had right
to do
ooh, let's not quarrel, said she, in
stantly changing her tone. Il called it
malt to save your feelings, Doctor Trench.
| see 10 harm in little beer or wine,
but you are minister, and it is probable
that you do, broad as you are and did
not wish to offend you"
Il am 10 crank, Mrs. Pennington, as
you ought to know by this time. But |
have something more serious than the
drinking OF beer to charge you with.
Why did you not tell me that you are a
divorced woman p
She turned pale-to his secret satislac-
tion-and then her eyes filled with tears.
because | dare not, Doctor Trench.
Our friendship has grown SO sweet to me
that | was too weak to jeopardize 1t by
telling you the truth. intended to tell
you some day"
'But you cried over your dead hus-
band, as | then imagined him, when |
talked with you once" he insisted,
though in a milder tone.
$40 YOU think his loss was less bitter
TO me because he was divorced and not
dead | would thousand times rather
he were dead" said she, plaintively.