Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1907-02-28

even III "oruS' III ne had only trust
ed mel"
Judge Soften looked at her narrow
| ly.
Did 1t never occur to you. Esther.
that Dick Darlington might make use
of the same expression?"
Two iivid spots of color throbbed
in the woman's cheeks.
His trust was the first to be mt
to the test and he failed" she re-
piled. coldly
Yours was not worth any more. or
you would not have allowed it to be
twisted so under a so-called provo
cation"
1T seems to me that your sympa-
thies are all with him"
They are most assuredly with Won
both. And we are all human beings
Esther. Just pat yourself in Dicks
place. Suppose you should come
across such a letter in his possess
sion as he discovered in yours.
Would you have been any more
reasonable"
Il should have believed what he
said
IF he had said anything. From
what l CLEAN you refused to speak"
1T was from a sense of honor"
Honor"
Yes, to the parties involved.
told him this. He treated my-expIa.
nation with insulting incredulitv."
He did not question your veracitv.
l am sure Of that. He was bitterly
hurt at your unwillingness to take
him into your confidence"
81 had given my sacred promise n
take no one into it, not even my bus.
band"
"Then you made that mistake in
the beginning"
Mrs. Darlington had risen and was
standing with her fingers locked hard
against the back of the chair. She
was trembling from head to foot. and
even her lips were pale.
1T appears that you are all against
me" she said. quiveringly
Not at all. I am merely trying to
get at the bottom of things, as
stated before"
Then you wish me to tell you the
truth about that letter."
Just that"
We'll, it was written to a girl. Es-
Their Hillsboro, who had been a very
dear friend of mine in days gone by.
She sent it to me for my-advice. She
had been-unfortunate l could not
incriminate her"
Yet you were willing to let your
self be misconstrued ?"
IF my husband had so little faith
it is we'll that 1 could find it out in
time"
Esther, your husband had all the
faith in the world in you-he still has.
But your cool dismissal of his claims
gave him a mortal hurt. 1t is your
duty to remedy it,"
Mrs. Darlington Gained herself by
an effort Her voice was perfectly
modulated when she spoke:
Il have come here, as you know, for
that very purpose. When can 1 be-
gin proceedings?"
Right now, as a matter of fact
However, 1 want to show you Dicks
last letter to me before you take any
steps. viii you look at it?"
She hesitated a moment, divided be-
tween an aching desire to accept, and
a perverse sense of pride that babe
her not to. At length she yielded
and held out her hand
Judge Soften had taken the famil-
lar envelope from a drawer of his
desk and was turning it over in his
fingers.
My Dear Archie" it ran, Your an
swer came this morning. am re-
plying Immediately. Thank you for
the intelligence of my wife's welfare
Please keep me advised, and see that
she has everything she needs. l am
sorry she refuses to touch anything
Of mine, but of course she has plenty
In her own right. 1 need not tell you
again how utterly empty and wretch
ed my life is. l have been thinking
a good deal lately about our trouble,
and / am afraid that much of it all
was my own fault That l ever for
one instant doubted my wifes good
ness and purity is out of the question
Her lack of confidence in me is what
stung me so. But 1t seems to me that
she could not feel any wound so deep
ly unless 1t were very, very vital.
AnAA ASdA BIC DGllSNSS ! QOuDI6Q
own honor. God knows l did not,
do not, and never shalt If she would
only relent and let me come to her
again! But she never WILL after all
that's happened. Let me hear from
you as often as possible. Dick"
When Mrs. Darlington finished
reading her tears were falling fast.
The letter fell from her nerveless
fingers and she covered her face in
her hands, not trusting herself to
speak
When she looked up at last, Judge
Soften had disappeared. She turned
and walked dazedly over to a win
dow, staring with dull eyes at the fast
driving rain. She could never have
told how long she had been there,
when the abrupt clamoring of noon
day bells brought her back to reality.
Almost simultaneously the door