Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-03-24

she Is, Jack! Not-not dying? You
didn't mean that?"
Dying No! What rubbish you do
talk, Ellice! Always the black side Of
things, upon my word We shall pull
through right enough now, bet your life
Look here, I'll call round tomorrow for
the other, and let you know"
Tomorrow! Oh, / must see her to-
night! I'm going now-at once. If any
thing were to happen l should"
ooh, well, just as you like" was the off
hand answer, There's no need, assure
you; but please yourself. Women gen
orally do. So long: Pm off to see to this
other business" He turned on his heel
abruptly.
Ellice Winston, her lip quivering, stood
there an instant looking after him; then
she, too, turned and made her way as fast
as feet and bus could carry her to far
off Islington. Her heart beat painfully.
What would she find there!"
The house she sought was reached at
last. A shrinking, tentative knock on
the door Then-thcn it opened, and a
woman was peering out of the darkness
of the passage into her face.
Mother! You!" That piteous little
cry. She tottered inside-leaned against
the wall for support. The breath seemed
choking in her throat. "Then-then
you're not ill It's all lie! lie has
tricked me again; and I-I-heaven help
me!-Ive left Alan for this!" The older
woman stretched forth a quick arm
just i'll time. Ellice Winston had tainted.
Dusk, and a fire that sent ghostly shad-
ows playing round the book-i lined walls.
The trim servant entered, drew down the
blinds, lighted the swinging centerl lamp,
and Withdrew; but the man huddled up
in the low armchair sat on supremely
unconscious. On the table his work lay
waiting. He had promised to have that
article ready by the morrow; once he
turned and wrote a few words only to
dash the pen aside next moment with an
angry exclamation. No, he could not
work tonight Ridiculous, childish, alb
surd; but there it was. For tile fiftieth
time he told himself that he was fool
fool to care two stTaws about her.
What was She to him-he to her-now?
Dead, alive, wanting, OF aflluent, what
did it matter? She had chosen to go out
of his life; she must pay the price. There
impossible! And yet-and yet-three
years! 1t seems incredible, Why, he
had but to close his eyes and--yes---
there he was living through that bitter
night again, plain as any reality. The
white set face, the dawning fear in the
round baby eyes, that sudden shrinking
from him in absolute nameless terror
all came rushing back in vivid recollec-
ton.
Tit shall be as YOU wish, Alan'
Again the low words thrilled through
him; again that feather-light burning
kiss was on his forehead; again he knew
the sudden sense of loneliness that came
with the closing of the door, and the
swift impulse, swifter crushed, to rush
after her, strain her to his breast, and
cry out, with rain Of fierce, hot kisses on
the quivering lips, chat it was all a mis-
take-bhnd, mad, senseless folly! All,
if only impulse had been followed!
Too late afterwards! Too late The
psychic moment had gone by. "Fllice,
Ellice!" he had called, going hurriedly
| from room to ROOM "Where are you /?
Speak to me! Answer me. daringl''
And for answer--silence Silence and
that growing agony of fear Grim, abso-
lutte certainty it became next moment.
He had found her note on the dressing
table in their room, torn it madly open
with fingers that trembled like Il palsied
mans, and-yes, she had gone!
Dearest, Dearest Alan: You must
! forgive me-you will forgive me l have
taken eleven pounds out of your drawer;
but you shall have them back shortly
Please do not try to follow me, to find
me. / want to be forgotten, to sink out
of your life altogether 1t has been a
mistake; that is ALL | have never made
you really happy; and this is the best for
both of "a. DO not think too hardly of
me; and now goodbye, my Alan, for
the last time. Your sadly failing wife,
Ellice.'
Gone! With that pitiful little legacy
of overweight nature left to tell the
tale! At first he could not realize it,
could not believe it to be actual fact.
Like Il blind man. cropping painfully for
direction, he stood there with the sheet
of paper huttering in his fingers, trying
to see through the binding mist, to choke
back the sobs that rose spasmodically in
his throat. Gone! One long tragic mo-
ment while he orasped its deeper mean
ing, then he mad rushed madly down tine
stairs, past the startled housemaid, and
was racing hatless along the street peer
ing grimly into every passing face, shout
ing her name everywhere -evervwhere.
People must have thought him mad.
: Mad-ycs He swung up suddenly
now frem the low chair and threw the
sheets of manuscript into an untidv
Leap; no more whipping of the tired brain
tonight Out i'll the cool September night
the breeze struck gratefully in his face.
lie walked quickly without any special
direction; across the Thames. HYDE
Park, then to the right, northwards from
the Euston road, past the Angel. on once
more to the right. Soon he found him
self in neighborhood unfamiliar to him,
Londoner born and bred though he was.
1t was region OF small, squalm tene-
ments, OF narrow courts aud blind allcvs.
, where ragged loafcrs at the corners eyed
! i,,,i-s IS