Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-05-08


who tries to hold man when he
wishes to CO." said Anita, with quiet
but energetic bitterness. Besides"
She hesitated an instant before going
on-"Gladys deserves her fate. She
doesn't really care for him. She's
only jealous of him. She never did
love him.
How do you known" said l sharp
~, trying to persuade myself it was
not an ugly suspicion in me that
lifted it's head and shot out that ques-
hon
Because he never loved her." she
replied. THE feeling a woman has
for man or man for woman,
without any response, isn't love, isn't
worthy the name of love. It's a sort
of baffied covetousness. Love means
why do you not ask me whether
what she said is true?"
The change in her tone with the
last sentence, the strange, ominous
note in it, startled me-
Because" replied /, "as / said to
her, to ask my wife such a question
would be to insult her. II you were
riding with him, it was an accident"
AS if my rude repulse of her over
lures and my keeping away from her
ever since would not have justified her
IN almost anything.
She flushed the dark red of shame,
but her gaze held steady and unfiinch-
ing upon mine. ct was not altogether
by accident" she said. And l think
she expected me to kill her.
When man admits and respects
woman's rights where he is him.
self concerned, he either is no longer
interested in her or has begun to love
her SO well that he can control the
savage and selfish instincts of pas
sion. If Mowbray Langdon had been
there, might have killed them both;
but he was not there, and she, facing
me without fear, was not the woman
to be suspected of the stealthy and
traitorOus.
1t was he that you meant when
you warned me you cared for another
man?' said /, so quietly that l Won
dered at myself; wondered what had
become of the BLACK Matt who had
used his fists almost as much as his
brains in fighting his way up.
Yes" she said, her head down
now.
A long pause
You wish to be free?" 1 asked, and
my tone must have been gentle.
i wish to free you," she replied
slowly and deliberately.
There was a long silence. Then
! ] said: Il must think it all out. |
once told you how 1 felt about these
matters. I've greatly changed my
mind since our talk that night in the
Willoughby; but my prejudices are
still with me. Perhaps you will not
be surprised at that-you whose pre-
JUDGES have cost me so DEAR
/ thought she was going to speak.
Instead she turned away, so that /
could no longer see her face.
Our marriage was a miserable
| mistake l went on, struggling to be
| just and judicial, and to seem calm.
Il admit it now. Fortunately, We are
both still young-you very young.
| Mistakes in youth are never fatal.
But. Anita, do not blunder out of one
mistake into another. You are no
longer child. as you We're when |
married YOU. You will be careful not
to let judgments formed of him long
ago decide you for him as they de-
| cided you against me-
4 wish to be free she said. each
word coming with an effort, las much
| on your account as on my own"
Then, and it seemed to me merely a
truly feminine attempt to shirk re-
sponsibility, she added, II am glad
my going will be relief to YOU"
Yes, it will be relief" con-
fessed. Our situation has become
intolerable." / had reached NV limit
of selfcOntrol. 1 put out my hand.
"Good-by," said.
II she had wept it might have modi.
ned my conviction that everything
was at an end between us. But she
did not weep. Can you ever forgive
me?" she asked
Lets not talk of forgiveness" said
l.. and 1 fear my voice and manner
were gruff, as l strove not to break
down. Let's try to forget" And
touched her hand and fastened away,
When two human beings set out to
misunderstood each other, how fast
and far they go! How shut-in we
are from each other, with only hating
means of communication that break
down under the slightest strain!
AS was leaving the house next
morning, | gave Sanders this note for
her:
Il have gone to live at the Down,
town hotel. When you have decided
what course to take, let me know. II
my rights ever had any substance
they have starved away to such weak
things that they collapse even as try
70 set them up. I hope your freedom
win give you happiness and me
peace"
You are i'll. sir?" asked my old
servant, my old friend. as he took the
note. ss.;4za