Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-05-01
trouble you to close tie door?" said
she, when the servant had withdrawn.
| closed the door.

seating herself, Ito make you as IN
happy, I fear, as l am. I've hesitated
long before coming. But l am desper-
ate. The one hope have left is that
you and l between us may be able
to-to-that you and may be able to
help each other"
1 waited
Il suppose there are people" she
went on, who have never known what
it was to-really to care for some one
| else. They would despise me for
clinging to man after he has shown
me that-that his love has ceased
Pardon me, Mrs. Langdon.' 1 in
terrupted. You apparently think
| your husband and l are intimate
| friends. Before you go any further,
I must disabuse you of that idea
She looked at me in open astonish-
ment. You do not know why my
| husband has left me?"
Until a few minutes ago. did not
know that he had left you,'' said
And l do not wish to know why
Her expression of establishment
changed to mockery. Obi" 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.
l thought understood. You have
been misled, Mrs. Langdon," said |
gently, plying her as the victim of
her insane jealousy. You have
ASK your wife, she 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
poor girl, and -"
Before you go any further" said
coldly, let me set you right. My
wife was at one time engaged to your
husbands brother, but
"Tom?" she interrupted And her
laugh made me bite my lip. so she
told you that! l don't see how she
dared. Why, everybody knows that
she and Mowbray were engaged, and
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 had been pursued
relertlessly 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 veracious chroni-
Gle of certain husman beings. MY
first emotion waS-relief that it was
not Tom Langdon. Il ought to have
known she couldn't care for him."
said l to myself. /, contending with
Tom Langdon for a woman's love had
always made me shrink But Now
bray-that was vastly different My
respect for myself and for Anita rose.
No said to Mrs. Langdon, my
wife did not tell me, never spoke of it.
What l said to you was purely a guess
of my own / had no interest in the
matter-and haven't. I have absolute
confidence in my wife. / 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 We're riding together in the
Riverside drive. Ask her groom"
What of it?" said l. Then, as she
did not rise, I'rang the bell. When
the servant came, I said: Please
tell Mrs. Blackjack that Mrs. Langdon
is in the library-and that 1 am here,
and gave you the message
AS soon as the servant was gone.
she said: No doubt she'll lie to YOU.
These women that steal other wom-
ems property are usually clever at
fooling their own silly husbands
Il do not intend to ask her." l re-
piled. TO ask her Would be an in
suit.
She made no comment beyond a
scornful toss OF the head. We both
had our gaze fixed upon the door
through which Anita would enter.
When she finally did appear, I, after
one glance at her. turned-it must
have been triumphantly-upo her
accuser. l had not doubted, but
where is the faith that is not the
stronger for confirmation? And con-
firmation there was in the very at
mosphere round that stately, still
figure. She looked calmly, first at
Mrs. Langdon, then at me.
Il sent for you,'' said /. 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 flared
at me. "Oh, the fools women make of
men!" Then to Anita: 'Ypu-you
- But no, / 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.
: | stepped between her and Anita.
My wife will not answer you," said
. l. Il hope, Madam, you will spare