The Prescott daily news., 1907-11-20
INYO3Y$S4o< o<o3097O4AS04D9kl < ! DISENCHANTINC OF ALONZO
By NELLIE cRAvEY GILMORE
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(Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Col

Bobby Merriwether sat watching his wife administer the final touches to a perfect toilet with lazy, cynical eyes. When she finally turned from the mirror he drew deep breath and smiled appreciativel.- into her dazzlingly beautiful face.
 I've almost come to the conclu- sion, Fedora, that you are an artist. was the unexpected comment upon her peerlessness.
 The woman shot him a swift, un' voiced query. Something in her hus- bands manner to her of late had set the wheels of her apprehension in motion.
 For several minutes Fedora Merri- wether dallied about the room, an incongruous nervousness marking every gesture that should have been full of the accustomed ease of hereto fore. At last she turned to Bobby with little abrupt smile, and she fastened the lace boa about her throat. "Good-by," she said.
 80 long," He wheeled in his chair
  evasible eyes. his nonchalance drop ping from him in flash.
 Despising herself for her perturba- ton, the woman turned and came back into the room. 'I-I forgot my fan." she stated, in tone that tried apologetic.
 Merriweather smiled absently, with out lifting his suddenly-lowered eyes. But she felt him reading her as pierc- ingly as though his eyes had been red-hot gimlets, boring into her soul. Once more she started away. but paused at the head of the stairs and called back:
 "Will you be home for dinner, Bobby"
 Perhaps"
 With petulant toss of her head and sudden tightening of her crmi- son lips. Fedora ripped down the steps and out of the front door.
 When Mrs. Merriwether had whirled on down the glistening ave- nue in her runabout. Bobby turned from the window where he had gone to watch her. and went quickly down stairs to his study. His debonair face indexed now an entirely different set of emotions. He pulled open a drawer and drew forth several jag. ged bits of paper secreted there. The writing on them was in Dit rich's odd, unmistakable characters, and that was what first atatracted his attention on glancing casually into the waste-basket by his wife's writing desk. Pieced together, the words ran as follows:
 My Darling: If possible, meet me Thursday afternoon at the "tryst." l shall be able to leave now in about fortnight. and we must talk over our arrangements as soon as we can. Alonzo."
 Merriwether whistled as he pro- ceeded to paste the scraps of paper on solid sheet. formulating his own plans with cool deliberation He neith CT knew nor cared where the "tryst" was-he judged that as yet, his wife conduct had not been ultimate. and the time was not ripe for his experi- ment When he had finished with the letter, he sealed 1t up in an envelope and replaced it in the drawer, lock. ing 1t securely. Then he went back to his dressing-room and changed his clothes. Afterwards he left the house, going immediately to a pho. tographer's supply company, where he purchased first-class camera.
 He had an appointment at the club at five, which he managed to keep to the minute. and get back home by $50 Fedora had proceeded him by only few moments, and he sur prised her in the process of disrob- ing. He pridefully exhibited his new toy, and laughingy took half dozen snapshots of his wife at different stages of her kaleidoscope shifting Of toilet. When she finally decided to retire. Bobby followed her to her boudoir to test his kodac with a few | flashlights.
 For the first time since their honey moon, Fedora began to entertain a spicy interest in her jolly consort. little vague regret began to stir in her heart, and she half wished-But bah. Alonzo Ditrich was a prince beside this man. and his love was like lava in her veins. It was near midnight when Bobby Merriwether took leave of his wife. When he gained the privacy of his own room, the expression dropped from his face like a mask. a look of