The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1908-07-31
IN CONFIDENCE.
From the London Sketch.

' EAOll lllS <oildol wv
When Margaret Ridley and Eustace
Conroy were first married. I thought
them both the most fortunate beings
, In the world. He was the young hero
of the story books to look at, and she
was fairer than a flower. It was a
union Of mature minds, and there was
money on both sides; prospect, there
! fore, of more bliss and success in life
than follows the popping of average
champagne corks. Friend Eustace was
ambitious. This promised to keep him
up to his work at the bar. He had a
future before him-uncles in high
places. and SO forth; in fact, the sun
shone upon their joint path, and yet
the clouds came.
AS a friend of both families I re-
ceived the condolences of both from
time to time.
You are an old fogy, Cousin Ar
thur" Margaret would a Il can tell
o anything. In confidence. of course.
Strictly between you and me-"
Qualified or not for the diploma of
old fogyism, what man ever seriously
objected to receive the condolences of
q pretty woman?
As a matter Of fact, l rather liked
the idea. Whenever she wove the fab
rio OF a hint, I always asked to see the
embroidery.
Eustace. on the other hand, was a
hundred degrees more nervous 1t was
seldom. Il want to nov this or that"
or II want to tell you such-and-such O
matter" He talked of himself in the
third person and in the conditional
J mood.
III a man were willfully to rake up
something in the past. when he could
easily let it slip and live as though it
had never happened, what would you
call him?"
.aA cool, ,,j1 r
Somehow this failed to give pleasure.
"Of course, old man, I was putting
! a purely hypothetical case. This time
your judgment strikes me as a trife
crude. No offences! You know I rate
your opinions tremendously high, as a
rule
Well" I vouched. looking straight
at him, they're honest, at any rate.
Face to face with the fool himself I
SHOULD give THO same
Next day came Margaret. She looked
tired, I thought.
you know what a rush London is.
I never did pretend to be robust.
One would need to be Of strong metal
to stand it,
mo doubt, the ladies of the iron age
had the best of it,"
why, you exalt the dead above the
living!"
But I aon't like to see you iaded."
I demonstrated. THAT air doesn't suit
you. When 1 look back at your we'd
ding day-let me see, how long ago was
that? Three years this week"
FANCY your remembering!"
"One always notes the critical times
In the lives of ones friends
"Critical??"
The end of the third year is a very
dangerous stage"
Margaret sighed.
"How about those confidences?" 1
inquired.
aoh. Cousin Arthur: if I only had
some one to lean on"
Your father"
Father" She bit her lips and
frowned. Besides, father is really ill.,
II am sorry" laid / convemtionally.
"Fiscalitis. a bad attack."
THAT explains everything"
"Mother is worse"
Well. after ALL" I ventured, light
ly. they do belong toGtae older gener-
alton. I'm of yours. you know, in spite
OF the gray hair. We're more on a
j level"
It's a woman." Margaret said, sud-
denly.
"Of COURSE
Don't laugh"
But one must" I explained gently,
"At his stage one positively must. 1t
Is much too early for tears"
cousin Arthur, We're you never in
love?"
That" said I, gravely. sis quite an
other story. Perhaps You shall hear
It some day. In confidence, you know.
Strictly between you and me-"
oh" she said, flushing. II was-1
Bile is not 10 days old, but it seems a
lifetime"
The signs?" I inquired.
IT should never dream Of prying,
Cousin Arthur, but there are letters"
"Yes?"
Which he destroys unread"
"Hopeful!"
Some day I feel sure he will open
them"
your pessimism shocks me-"
II is different toward me when he
has received one."
DO you tax him with it?"
ut would be degrading"
"Be careful" 1 said. "There are
breakers ahead"
"And it's so easy to break a wom-
AM"
You shan't be broken" 1 promised
alianti Wen see this through to-
gether."
Eustace was my next visitor. He
dumped himself down in one Of nv
armchairs. Soon he grew restless and
began to pace the room.
I've seen her again." hi said, r.
THE devil you have!!"
IT can't get her out of my head. II
amounts to what those literary chaps
call and obsession."
He was toying with &. delicate piece
of my cherished satsuma.
put that down." 1 said. land settle
yourself to talk. Have a weed and
look forward 20 years."
That sobered him.
Il oppose one must admit" he re-
marked, that there = a good deal of
the beast left in most of u.s."
Yet you've a rare wife in Margaret"
I'm not brute enough to deny !.
But that's just the point. She's a thou
sand times too good for me. I see the
fact quite clearly"
Speak on"
"A urn OF the head did it,"
your head must be easily turned
Don't I admit that: Hang it all
weakness is human!"
S 1 learned from Dr.. Kennedy's
Principal"
you don't help me out a BIT"
II was Thinking Of Margaret"
He colored up.
Well" he said slowly, turning as
suddenly ashen. you'll have time ia
think sol.e more about her. I'm hard
hit. It's the old i%nfatuation O
thar ever. There can only be one end
to it. And l want you to break it to
I tried TO reason with the man. R,,