The Prescott daily news., 1907-11-19
THE WIFE
 WOMAN
By I'M THRIFT

M the nlSnt III"
 ~ 'nd the hour were the potential things.
 Ssis % was the eve of decision and
 .,.,,ro ,n could not balance the scales
 Rim with either smiles or tears.
 ", u;s eyes watched the entrance of .,arsstaurant. She seemed. to emerge
 asrn % the shadows and, glide toward sim almost. as though she were part 1 of them. s
 ,.v dn fest, when circumstances had .rossed their paths six, months be-
 Ore It pleased his fancy to think of her thus:. she was so essentially all that goddess was not. -,s,S@ t
 Had he been a man about town, as so many of those he knew, he doubted ,ot that they might have met and n.rted as do wayfarers in fog, bearing only hay rememberance of a face and voice of the world. but that sort !, thing had never appealed to him. Not that he was saint among mem there was a home and one who waited him there-but his nature was merely nassiye 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 1t quite seriously.
 I'm sorry If I've kept you waiting" she said. There was a blockade on the l..
 The man nodded abstractedly. He was dealing with the phases of pos siblity and so was scarcely conscious of her words
 What will you have? You look tired tonight" he said when he spoke. with a lack,interest voice.
 T don't care for much-dear." she replied softly, and he gave light or der for her
 'Dear"-in the way it was spoken the word had sharp significance for him. Again he took up the problem. He had been playing with fire. as children and men sometimes will, and the realization of it was waking his brain to new activity.
 It was quite characteristic of him that he reached his decision quickly and announced it abruptly. His way was often brutal, without his knowing how much so.
 T shall not see you again after to- night"
 The woman strengthened curiously, as though she had taken the shock of an unseen blow. A flame of color slowly mounted her cheeks and then receded. leaving them white again.
 We have been drifting in very peasant current. and it has carried us Tar from conventional shores. It is better that we part now rather than ariit on in company and before many days come to the breakers, the whirl. pool and the rocks" He attempted to make his tone light.
 And, more than this, there is the tuner woman-my wife She has be. heVed In me. even though she has not Il siVeh me love. It is not right that we should continue to disregard her. :" mas been pleasant-this friendship ne searched for the word-"but it mas closed our eyes to many things 'hal are vital" He paused.
 The woman gave a weary little ges- aute' Why not be sincere" she said :. you are tired of your playthings."
 me man gazed at nothing. Per maps he said abstractedly.
 But sometimes playthings-human pia!thlngS-learn to care for those "no play with. them,' she pressed.
 Ahu when they do" he paused.
 one leaned forward and searched his ace before she took up the gauntlet ne had thrown.
 CT :" means everything" she hazarded. could make you happier than you ano"' would give you my days and .ns He l would be devoted com ."ue, woman who met your every 1oou Sympathetic when you wanted s'npdthy tender when you wanted sn'uefhess, gay when you wanted aa.e.' everything. There could be o'nihg you might desire in a woman piness 'o' 'p
 what has she-this wife-woman- ote el oone to hold youg Has she
 "used her life to fit yours. has she Haa ue'oted herself to pleasing you? n,1 o She ever given you a moment of s,eaSure ha at the cost of an hour of sh own selfish desires? Why should r's e oome before me? Because she is ha" na' 'he world calls a good woman; .auSe ,hst she has never loved so much
 nothing mattered-nothing at all So v' even the voice of the world."
 n, que stopped with half-sob. sh He man laughed uneasily. He knew ~ac spoke tha frpth TIA -AL -.