The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1907-11-08
THE WIFE WOMAN
lcopyrIght. y paIIy story pub. c0.l
By TIM THRIFT

N~VPy AeAtt ~ Df'fiS
II was a rainy evening, but to the
solitary diner at Finley's the mood
Of the night mattered little. The place
and the hour were the potential things,
This was the eve of a decision and
Nature could not balance the scales
for him with either smiles or tears.
His eyes watched the entrance Of
the restaurant. She seemed to emerge
from the shadows and glide toward
him almost as though she were part
Of them
The Goddess Girl he had called her,
half in Jest, when circumstances had
crossed their paths six months be-
fore. 1t pleased his fancy to think Of
her thus; she was SO essentially all
that a goddess was not.
Had he been a man about town. as
SO many Of those he knew, he doubted
not that they might have met and
parted as do wayfarers in a fog, bearing
only a hazy remembrance Of face
and a voice Of the world, but that sort
of thing had never appealed to him.
Not that he was a saint among men
there was home and one who waited
him there-but his nature was merely
passive to emotion. From the time
that he had spurred himself to mar
riage and found it disallusioning he
had never needed the curb. It pleased
him to toy with life; never to take it
quite seriously.
'I'm sorry if I've kept you waiting, I"
she said. There was a blockade on
the L."
The man nodded abstractedly He
was dealing with the phases Of a pos
sibility and so was scarcely conscious
OF her words.
What will you have2 You look
tired tonight he said when he spoke,
with lack-interest voice.
Il don't care for much-dear," she
replied softly, and he gave a light or
der for her.
'Dearp-in the way it was spoken
the word had a sharp significance fol
him. Again he took up the problem
He had been playing with fire, as
children and men sometimes will, ant
the realization Of 1t was waking bis
brain to a new activity.
It was quite characteristic Of hin
that he reached his decision quickly
and announced it abruptly. His way
was often brutal, without his knowing
how much so.
Il shall not see you again after to
night"
The woman Strengthened curiously
as though she had taken the shock o
an unseen blow. A flame of colo
slowly mounted her cheeks and thel
receded. leaving them white again.
We have been drifting in yer,
pleasant current, and 1t has carried II
far from conventional shores. It
better that we part now rather thai
drift on in company and before man
days come to the breakers. the whir
pool and the rocks" He attempted /
make his tone light.
And. more than this, there Is tn
other woman my wife. She has b,
lieved in me, even though she has nc
given me love. It is not right tina
we should continue tn disregard hel
It has been pleasant-this friendship
-he searched for the word-"but
has closed our eyes to many thing
that are vital" He paused.
The woman gave a weary little gel
ture. Why not be sincere" she said
you are tired Of your playthings.n
The man gazed at nothing. .Pe
haps," he said abstractedly.
but sometimes playthings--huma
playthings-learn to care for thos
who play with them, she pressed.
And when they do" he pausel
She leaned forward and searched hi
face before she took up the gaunuc
he had thrown.
1T means everything" she aazardel
J 4 could make you happier than yo
know. I would give you my days an
} my life ! would be a devoted con
: rade, woman who met your ever
, mood. Sympathetic when you wante
sympathy. tender when you wante
J tenderness, gay when you wante