The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-16
CONTINUED From Yesterday

nesley, stepping quickly TO embrace
the small, slight figure Of the woman
now entering the doorway. what an
| age it is since we metz Then again,
my dear Idreana!"
The small woman smiled-a rather
grave and doubtful smile.
ut is pleasant to see You again,
Laura" she said in a low voice. Then
with a touch of something like appeal
in her tone, Let me i-ntroduee-my
husband
A tall heavily made a thickly
| mustached. with fine eyes and a some
what flushed face, bowed.
charmed to meet you." he
drawled. cold friend of my wife's-de-
lightful! Awfully good of you to put
us up"
"Oh, the pleasure is mine, | assure
youi" exclaimed Mrs. Annesley, eager
~, anxious to put an end to the tenn
porary embarrassment of introduction,
and %nerVously conscious that she had
taken an instant dislike to Captain lie
Marchant. 81 cannot tell you how de-
lighted | am to see dear Idreana again.
And as sweet as ever. Positively, my
dear. YOU look a mere child still;
no one would ever take you for a mar
ried woman. Do sit down and have
some tea before you go to your rooms.
Claudei Claude!'
Colonel Annesley, part of whose mari
tai duty it was to be always within call
on the arrival Of visitors, entered from
the veranda.
"This is my husband said Mrs. An
nesley, with a sudden glow of unac-
customed pride as she noticed that
poor Claude did really look singular
ly distinguished as c~ontrasted with lie
observation-disclosures Annesley, Captain
lie Marchant; and this, Claude, Is Mrs.
lie Marchant, my dear little friend OF
old days at home, %Idreana."
Colonel Annesley bowed. not without
a certain grace. In one keen glance
he had taken in the characteristics of
the married pair.
1.-THE man is of the fine brute bull
throated type" he said inwardly, and
his wife-poor little sweet SOUR
These were his only mental COM
ments; he was accustomed to disguise
his feelings. He sat down by Mrs. lie
Marchant and began talking to her,
now and then asking her husband the
particulars of their journey and other
trifes, in order to bring him into the
conversation For once Mrs. Annesley
felt grateful to poor Claude" He was
making things easy-things that she
would somehow have found difficult.
For not only did she not like the look
of Captain lie Marchant, but she was
painfully impressed by the expression
in Mrs. lie Marchant's face. Idreana
was still wonderful to look at, with
her cloud of gold hair and small, deli
cate face-she was still the very ideal
of the Belle Dame sans Merci, but she
was a belle dame who had been mys-
teriously insulted and outraged. A
silent tragedy was written in her large
deep eyes; a hint of it was set in the
proud curve of her upper lip; traces
of it were discernible in one or two
lines about her mouth and forehead.
She was choicely though simply attired.
She listened to Colonel Annesley's con-
versation attentively, and answered his
various questions with that gentleness
and grace which mark perfect breed
ing; and then. tea being finished, she
accompanied Mrs. Annesley to her room,
leaving her husband to smoke with
his host in the veranda. Once alone
together, the two ONE looked each
other steadily in the face. Then Mrs.
Annesley spoke out impulsively:
"Idreana, you are not happy?"
I'm sorry my condition is so evil
dent" said Idreana, with a pale smile,
setting aside her hat and cloak. Ger
tainly, | am not happy. But it doesn't
matter"
Doesn't natter"
mo, Why should it? People are not
meant to be happy in this world" She
sat down, and clasping her hands in
her lap, looked up seriously. Dreams
fade, decisions die-life is never what
it seems to promise. This is every
body's story; it is mine. I do not COM
plain"
"But you married for love. Idreana?"
Certainly l did" h answered.
"You put it exactly-for love. l wanted
~love--I longed for it, as they say the
saints long for God. One hears and
reads so much about love in ones
youth, YOU know, one actually be-
+ lIeVcS III II. 1 DelieNeu III II, 1t WIS
foolish of me to fasten my faith on a
mere rumor. Did you marry for love,
too?"
a faint flush tinted Mrs. Annesleys
we'll preserved skin.
mo, dear" she admitted, frankly.
"I married-well, because II was time
/ married. l was getting what they
call passee. I wanted a sober and re-
spectacle husband. And Colonel An
nesley is that
"Ah!' and Idreana's straight brows
contracted. "Well, Captain lie Mar
chant is not that"
Mrs. Annesley started. The report
she had heard, the friendly report.
was true, then.
MY dear, l am sorry she began
stammeringly.
Don't be sorry said Idreana, ris-
ing and beginning TO arrange her hair
in front of the mirror. And don't let
us talk about it. You know what
fancies | used to have9 Well. they are
dead and lone for. l have buried them
all, and-sometimes-I brood a little
over the grave. But you were always
sensible; you never had any delusions
to bury, and my griefs, such as they
are, have chiefly arisen from my own
wilful ignorance of things. I under
stand life now, and am quite pre-
pared to live it out without undue