The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1907-10-02


she, when tty e"rvant had withdraw
closed the door.
1--WE come" she began, without
seating herself. ito make Yea as I'M
happy. fear as | am. I've hesitated
long before coming But am desper.
ate The one hope I have left is that
you and | between us may be able
to-to-that you and may be able to
help each other"
waited
II suppose there are people" she
went on, who have never known what
1t was to-really to care for some one
else. They would despise me for
clinging TO a man after he has shown
me that-that his love has ceased"
Pardon me, Mrs. Langdon," in
terrupted. you apparently think
your husband and ] are intimate
friends. Before you go any further.
| must dlsabuse you of that idea"
She looked at me in open astonish-
ment. You do not know why my
husband has left mel"
Until Il few minutes ago, | did not
know that he had left you," said.
And do not wish to know why"
Her expression of establishment
changed to mockery. OH" she
sneered. Your wife has fooled you
into thinking 1t a onesided affair.
Well, | tell you. she is as much to
blame as he--more. For he did love
me when he married me; did love me
until she got him under her spell
again"
thought | understood. You have
been misled, Mrs. Langdon," said
gently plying her as the victim OF
her insane jealousy. you have"
ASK your wife," she interrupted
angrily. Hereafter, you can't pre-
tend ignorance. For I'll at least be
revenged. She failed utterly to trap
him into marriage when she was a
poor girl, and -"
Before you go any further" said
coldly, let me set you right. My
wife was at one time engaged to your
husbands brother. but"
TONI" she interrupted. And her
laugh made me bite my lip 80 she
told you that / don't see how she
dared. Why, everybody knows that
she and Mowbray we're engaged, and
that he broke 1t off TO marry me"
All in an instant everything that
had been confused in my affairs AT
home and down town became clear.
| understood why had been pursued
relentlessly in Wall street; why had
been unable to make the least i'm.
preston on the barriers between
Anita and myself. You will imagine
that some terrible emotion at once
dominated me. But this is not
romance; only the veracious chroni.
Gle OF certain husman beings. Ny
first emotion was-rellef that II was
not Tom Langdon. II ought to have
known she couldn't care for him."
said to myself. I. contending with
Tom Langdon for a womans love had
always made me shrink. But Now.
bray-that was vastly different My
respect for myself and for Anita rose
NO" said to Mrs. Langdon, my
wife did not tell me, never spoke of II.
What said to you was purely guess
of my own. | had no interest in the
matter-and haven't. have absolute
confidence in my wife. feel ashamed
that you have provoked me into say.
ing So" opened the door.
Il am not going yet" said she an
grily. Yesterday morning Mowbray
and she we're riding together In the
Riverside drive. Ask her groom"
What of it," sad l. Then, as she
did not rise, l rang the bell. When
the servant came, said: Please
tell Mrs. Blackjack that Mrs. Langdon
is in the library-and that am here,
and gave you the message"
AS soon as the servant was gone,
she said: mo doubt she'll lie to you
These women that steal other WON.
ems property are usually clever at
fooling their own silly husbands"
II do not intend TO ask her." re-
piled. ITO ask her would be an In.
suit.
She made no comment beyond a
scornful toss Of the head. We both
had our gaze fixed upon the door
through which Anita would enter
When she finally did appear, /, after
one glance at her, turned--it must
have been triumphantly--upo hei
accuser. had not doubted, but
where is the faith that is not the
stronger for confirmation? And con.
firmation there was in the very at.
mosphere round that stately. still
figure. She looked calmly, first at
Mrs. Langdon. then at me.
II sent for YOU" said |, because /
thought that you, rather than |, should
request Mrs. Langdon to leave your
house"
AZ that Mrs Langdon was on ner
feet. aud blazing. Fool" she fared
at me. "Oh, the fools women make OF
menl" Then TO Anita: "You-you
- But no, | must not permit you
to drag me down to your level. Tell
your husband-tell him that you were
riding with my husband in the River
d a 4 n -.