The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1907-07-22

news would affect me, | should have
answered that II would give me a SEN
sation OF relief But instead OF re-.
lief, felt the stunning blow OF a wave
OF sorrow which has never wholly re-
ceded. Not because loved her-that
| never did. Not because she was the
mother OF my children-my likes and
dlslilos are direct and personal. Not
because she was my wlfe-that bond
had been CALLING. Not because was
fond OF hor-she was one OF those
cold. angry natures that forbid NJ.
fection. No; ! was overwhelmed be-
cause she and | had been lntlmates,
with all the closest interests OF life
In common, with the whole world,
even my children. whom loved pas
sionately outside that circle which
fate had drawn around us two. i'm.
agine this is not uncommon among
married people-this unbeatable break
In their routine OF association when
one departs No doubt II often passes
with the unthlnklng for love belatediy
discovered.
'She did not suffer-" said Woodruff
gently. 1T was heart disease. She
had just come In from n ride with
your Oldest daughter. They were rest
ing and talking In high spirits by the
library are And then--the end
oame-liko putting out tho light"
Heart diseased Often l had noted
the irregular beat OF her heArt--a
throb. long pause. n nutter. short
pause. a throb. And I could renem-
Der that more than once the sound
had been followed by the shadowy ap
pearance. In the door OF my mind. OF
one Of those black thoughts which try
TO tempt hope but only make II hide
In shame and dread. Now. the mem
DRY Of those occasions tormented me
into accusing myself OF having wished
her gone. But II was not so.
She had told me she had heart trou-
bic. but she had confided TO no one
that she knew Il might bring on the
end at any moment She left a let.
ctr. sealed and addressed 10 me:
Harvey. I shall mover have the cour-
age 90 tell you, yet I feel you ought 90
know. think every one attributes 20
every one else less shrewdness than he
Possesses ! know you have not given
me the credit u seeing that you did not
love me. And you were NO kind and
conaiderate and 80 patient with my
moods that no doubt ! should have been
deceived had I not known what love n.
I think. 90 have loved and Go have been
loved develops IN = woman a sort u
siNth sense HenHitiveness 90 love. Aud
that had been Developed In me. and when
u never responded 10 your efforts 10 de-
ceiVe me. l knew you did not loye me.
Well. neither did I love you. though I
was able 10 hide u from you. And Il has
often irfitntcd mo that you were 30 un-
ohnoryant You know now the cause Of
many OF my difiicult moods. which have
seemed causeless.
admired you from the hrst time
We met ] liked you. I have been proud
% you. I would not have been the wife
q any other man Ia the world. ! would
not have had any other father Tor my
children. Hut ! have kept on loving the
man ! loved before I met you
Whyi ! don't know ! desriscd him
Tor hiH weaknesses ! should never have
married him. though mother and "a
both feared would. y think loved him
because I knew b. loved me. That n
love Independently. Men like 90 love:
women like 90 ~ loved. And poor. IN
worthy creature that he vas. stiii he
would have dIrd fnr me. though God had
denied him the HtrcnEth % live Tor the.
uui an that God gave hin,-ths power 20
love he gave mo And 80 b. VAS diner-
cnt in my Cyos from what be was Ia any
ones cleo in. Tho World And loved him.
I don't ton you this because : feel re-
rrct o. rrmnrne. don't. there never
vas n wife trurr than I. Tor ! put him
completely aside tell you. bccause !
want yuu q remember me riEht after
I'm gone. Harvey dear. You may re-
memi.r hos ! waa silly and JEALOUS o.
fou and think ! am mistaken about my
sun feelings uut Jealousy doesn't mean
lve When people really love. ! think
o. seldom that they're Jealous. What
.Iakra people Jealous usually u suspect
los the other person Of having the same
.aft ~ secret they have themselves. IL
Htrt ms vanity that you didn't love mo.
and u stunE me O. think you cared Tor
come one sise. just a. ! ala
want You % remember me gently.
A. 4 somehow. think that. after You've
-l 4 this you Wiii even N you did love
.s.ts one else ~ you ever 80 this a
u Harvey and I may tear u 40 some
.aT nn impulse bot u you ever do see ".
hall L. dead and We shall both be
Anu . MNANNA 80 ~" $3.50
tt "a me and
Il ended thus abruptly. No doubt
she had intended 20 open the envelope
and nnlsh it-but. what more vas there
90 say
I think she must have been content
With the thoughts that were In my
mind az looked down az her lying In
deaths Inscruiable calm. ! had one
Of my secretaries hunt out the man
she had loycd-a sad. stranded wreck
Of n man he had become: but since
that day he has been sheltered AZ
least from the worst Of the buretinga
20 which hia lnoapacity for life eK'
posed him.
There was a time when ] despised
lncapabics: then piued them. but
lattorly have felt for them the sym
pathetic sense Of brotherhood. Arc
We not all incapablo7 Differing only
I'm degree. and how slightly there. II
We look NJ ourselves without vanity;
like practice sketches put upon tho
slate by Natures learned hand and
lmpartlaily spongcd away.
To be continued
The Infant Terrible.