Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1907-01-11
7 II E Louis; :'1 Tracy,
PILLAR Of f. !; (:
- Morning"
FL 1904 by
IL j
Copyright. 1904, by
Edward j. Clode

sumc MS task. In the next room. s'pa-
rated from him only 10y a brick wall,
was his wife. \ wall. Why should
there always he a wall between them:
1t was not Of his building. Had she
made II impossible during the long
years? And what would be the out
come now that Constance was in daily
communion with her mother? The doc
tor in kindly ignorance had told him
that Mrs Vansttart was convalescent
and would be able to travel In few
days. III response TO question the
doctor added that the lady herself
asked when she might be moved.
What was her plan? Mr.. Trail that
day had written him 4 sympathetic let
ter, mentioning the fact that Mrs. Van
sittart had voluntarily rescinded her
promise TO marry him and indeed.
Judged by the light Of present knowl-
edge, had determined on that course
since she first knew that her former
husband was living.
Suddenly Brand pushed back his
chair from the desk at which he sat.
1.-THE young dog" he growled. He
had, in fact, followed the exact mental
process which I'yne mapped out for
him. The letter, the drive, Mrs. Shep-
rard's absence, Ends uneasy wrig
Cling at the door, We're all parts Of an
ordered plan. lie was to be given an
opportunity Of seeing his wife and dis
entangling the twisted strands of
twenty years. lie rose impatiently and
paced the room quietly withal lest the
woman in the next room should hear
him. A decision had been forced on
him. He could shirk it no longer
"Pyne has contrived this" he NUT
tered. "IIe thinks he can see more
clearly into the future than a man
twice his age. Enid is in the plot too.
And Connie! No, not Connie. Dear
heart! She Is worn with anxiety, yet
she has never once mentioned her
mother to me since sh,. carried her in
to the house like an ailing child"
Back and forth he walked, wrestling
with the problem. See his wife he
must and before she quilted Cornwall.
Was 1t advisable in her present state
Of health to take her by surprise?
Pyne evidently thought so. And the
doctor! Good heavens! Was the doctor
In the thing too?
At last he tugged at the bell.
MARY" he said, TASK Mrs. Vansit-
tart If she feels able to see Mr.. Brand"
There; it was done.
Mary, rosy checked and soft Of
speech, dreading only Mrs. Sheppard's
matronly eye, knocked ut the door of
the sitting room. He heard her deliver
his message. There was no audible
answer. He was lamenting his folly,
hoping against hope that no Ill results
might be forthcoming to the invalid
thus taken by surprise. when he caught
Mary's formal "Yes'm," and the girl
came to him.
please, Sir" she said, "the lady
says she is anxious to see you"
He walked firmly to the door, opened
It and entered. He had made up his
mind what to say and how to say 1t.
It would be best to ask his wife to dis
cuss matters in a friendly spirit and
for their daughters sake agree to
some arrangement whereby Constance
should see her occasionally. There
need be no tears. no recriminations, no
painful raking through the dust heaps
Of the vanished years. The passion, the
agony, Of the old days was dead Their
secret had been well kept 1t was
known only to those whom they could
trust, and they might part without
heartburnings, while Constance would
be spared the suffering of knowing
that her mother and she were sepa-
rated forever.
These things were well ordered In his
hrain when he loolrod nj hia wifo Qho