The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1907-03-29

I've come, she began, without
seating herself, ito make you as un.
happy, fear, as | am. I've hesitated
long before coming. But | am desper-
ate. The one hope | have left is that
you and | between us may be able
to-to--that you and | may be able to
help each other"
l waited.
II suppose there are people," she
went on. who have never known what
ii 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," | in
terrupted. You ap. 1rently think
| your husband and | are intimate
friends. Before you go any further,
| must disabuse you of that idea"
She looked at me in open astonjsh.
ment. You do not know why my
husband has left me-"
Until few minutes ago, did not
know that he had left YOU" | said.
| And | do not wish TO know why"
Her expression of establishment
| changed TO mockery. OH" she
sneered. Your wife has fooled you
into thinking it "a one-sided affair.
! Well, | 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"
] 4 I
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 a
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
hat he broke it off to marry me-
All in an instant everything that
'ad been confused in my affairs at
home and down town became clear.
| understood why had been pursued
relentlessly 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 | 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 il.
What | said TO you was purely a guess
of my own. | had no interest in the
matter-and haven't. l have absolute
confidence in my wife. I feel ashamed
that you have provoked me into say
ing So" opened the door.
Il am not going yet" said she an.
grily. Yesterday morning Mowbray
and she were riding together in the
Riverside drive. Ask her groom"
What of it," said l. Then, as she
| III
the servant came, said: please
tell Mrs. Blackjack that Mrs. Langdon
is in the library-and that | am here
and gave you the message"
AS soon as the servant was gone
she said mo doubt she'll lie to you
These women that steal other WON
ems property are usually clever al
fooling their own silly husbands"
Il do not intend to ask her." I re
piled. ITO 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-upon heI
accuser. | 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 al
Mrs. Langdon, then at me.
II sent for you," said /, because
thought that you. rather than I, should
request Mrs. Langdon TO leave your
house"
At that Mrs. Langdon was on mel
feet, and blazing. Fool" she fisreo
at me. "Oh, the fools women make oil
mem" Then to Anita: "You-yoU
- But no. must not permit you
to drag me down to your level Tel
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
/. II hope, Madam, you will. spare