Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-10-20

pOlnLInenC ducCt0U Mm puySlCdiy. At attacked him in the back and in- tensified the pain there. It made him feel weak and unlike himself. He rang the ben
 ''Go round," he said to the butler, ito Dr. Damer and ask him to call in during the evening If he has time."
 The butler busted himself with the coffee tray, hesitating, desirous of gaining time.
 Anything wrong, sir? hope you are not feeling ill.," he said nervously.
 ''Ill, sirw cried Sir John. Hang it, no; do look i'll? Just obey my orders, if you please"
 My Dear Jack-At the risk of being considered an interfering old woman, write to ask you whether you are not soon coming to England again. As you arc aware, your father and I knew each other as children. We have known each other ever since-we are now almost the only survivors of our generation. My reason for troubling you with this com is that during the last six months I have noticed a very painful change in your father He Is getting very old. He has no one but servants about him. You know his manner; 1t is difficult for any one to approach him. even for me. If you could come home regret 1t in after life. I need not sug- gest discretion as to this letter. Your af- fectionate friend.
 CAROLINE CANTOURNE.
 Jack Meredith read this letter in the coffee room of the hotel of the Four Seasons in Wiesbaden. It was lovely the sun shone down through the trees of the Friedrichstrasse upon that spotless pavement, of which the stricken wot The fresh breeze came bowling down from the Taurus noun tains all balsamic and invigorating. It picked up the odors of the syringa and Towering currant in the Kurgarten and threw itself in at the open window of the coffee room of the hotel of the Four Seasons.
 Jack Meredith was restless. Such odors as are borne on the morning breeze are apt to make those men rest less who have not all that they want. And is not their name legion? The breeze is to the strong the of the sentimental. That which makes one vaguely yearn incites the other to get up and take.
 By the train leaving Wiesbaden for Cologne, lover Mainz," as the guide book hath it, Jack Meredith left for in which country he had not set foot for fifteen months. Guy Oscard was in Cashmere. The simiacine was almost forgotten as nine days won der except by those who live by the ills of mankind. Millicent Chyne had into restless society hack. With great skill she had posed as martyr. She had allowed 1t to be that she, having remained faithful to Jack Meredith through his time of adrersity, had been heartlessly thrown over when fortune smiled upon him and there was a chance of his making a more brilliant match. With 8 chivalry which was not without keen shaft of irony father and son al- lowed this story to pass uncontradicted. Perhaps a few believed it. Perhaps they had foreseen the future. It may have been that they knew that Milli- cent Chyne, surrounded by the halo of whatever story she might Invent, would be treated with certain careless non- chalance by the older men. with re- spectful avoidance by the younger. Truly women have the deepest punish ment for their sins here on earth. for sooner or later the time will come, after the brilliancy of the first triumph. after the less pure satisfaction of the skilled siren, the time will come when all that they want is an enduring, honest love. And 1t is written that an enduring love cannot, with the best will in the world. be bestowed on an unworthy object. If a woman wishes to be loved purely ,he must have pure heart and no past ready for the reception of that love. This is a sine qua non. The woma. with past has no future.
 The short March day was closing in yer London with that murky sugges- ion of hopelessness affected by metro olitan eyentide when Jack Meredith resented himself at the door of his ather's house.
 In bis reception by the servants there ras a subtle suggestion Of expectation which was not lost on his keen mind -here Is no patience like that of ex- ectation in an old heart. Jack Mere itn felt vaguely that he had been ex- ccted thus, daily, for many months asst.
 He was shown into the library. and be tall form standing there on :he earth rug had not the outline for rhich he had looked. The battle be- ween old age and stubborn will is ,ng. But old age wins It never discs the sege. It starves the garri- Dn out. Sir John Meredith's head pemed to have shrunk. The wig did gt fit at the back. His clothes. al- -ays bearing the suggestion of empti- css. seemed to hang on ancient given nes as if the creases were well estab- shed. The clothes were old The ltefuI doctrine of not worth while had st in
 Father and son shook hands. a7d Sir ohm walked feebly to the sti6 backed hair. where he sat down in shame lcel silence He was ashamed of his lfirrnfties. Ills was the instinct of the oc that goes away into some hidden