Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1907-08-22

lTlenus- BEFORE you go any Iurtner.
mug. disabuse you of that idea"
She looked at me in open astonisn.
Eisnt- "You do not know why mT
.G.shand has left me?"
"UE1:.. a few minutes ago. 1 did not
know that he had left you." l 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 it a one-sided AFFAIR.
Well. l 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 I understood. you have
been misled, Mrs. Langdon," said |
gently, plying her as the victim of
her insane jealousy. You have
ASK your wife" st2s 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
I coldly, "let me set you right. My
wife was at n time engaged to your
husbands brother, but"
"Tom?" she interrupted. And her
laugh made me bite my lip. $50 she
told you that! l don't see how she
dared. Why, everybody knows that
she and Mowbray were engaged, anc
that he broke it 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 I 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 a
romance; only the yeracious chroni-
Gle of certain husman beings. My
first emotion was-relief that it was
not Tom Langdos1. Il ought to have
known she couldn't care for him."
said | to myself. I, contending with
Tom Langdon for a woman's love had
always made me shrink. But Nov.
bray-that was vastly different. My
respect for myself and for Anita rose.
NO." said l to Mrs. Langdon, my
wife did not tell me, never spoke of it.
What | said to you was purely a guess
of my own I had no interest in the
matter-and haven't. / have absolute
confidence in my wife. l feel ashamed
that you have provoked me into say
ing So" l opened the door.
Il am not going yet" said she an.
grily. Yesterday morning Mowbray
and she were riding together in the
Riverside drive. Ask her groom"
What of it," said l. Then, as she
did not rise, l rang the bell. When
the servant came, l said: please
tell Mrs. Blackjack that Mrs. Langdon
is in the library-and that I am here,
and gave you the message"
AS DOR as the servant was gone,
she said: mo doubt she'll lie to you.
These women that steal other wom-
ems property are usually clever at
fooling their own silly husbands"
II do not intend to ask her." l re.
piled. ITO ask her would be an in.
suit.
She made no comment beyond
~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
n glance at her. turned-it must
have been Observation-Disclosures her
accuser. l had not doubted, but
where is the faith that Is not the
stronger for confirmation? And con.
irmation there was in the very at
mosphere round that stately, still
figure. She looked calmly, first OF
Mrs. Langdon, then at me.
81 sent for you,' said l, because |
thought that you, rather than |, should
request Mrs. Langdon to leave your
house"
At that Mrs. Langdon was on ner
feet, and blazing. Fool" she fiared
at me. "Oh, the fools women make OF
men!" Then to Anita: ''You-you
- But no, l 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
side drive yesterday.
l stepped between her and Anita
my wife will not answer you," sait
I. Il hope, Madam, you will spare
us the necessity of a painful scene
But leave you must-at once"
She looked wildly round, clasped
her hands, suddenly bust into tears
If she had but known, shA could have
had her own way after that, without
any attempt from me to oppose her
For she was evidently unutterably
wretched-and no one knew better
than l the sufferings of unreturned
love. But she had given me up:
slowly, sobbing, she left the room
opening the door for her and closing
it behind her.
Il almost broke down myself" SAID
| to Anita. Poor woman! How can
you be so calm? You women In YOU
relations with each other area mys
terry"
Ito be C%ontinued.)