The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-03


confused clerk and a blushing stenographer. red.
faced. nervous-fngered.
tongue; but something. he knew not what. held ii
for instant and in that instant the clerk eubar.
raised hestating. stammered:
"Tm-eh-very sorry. sir-eh-but-eh-thai
is-Miss Warren and I-eh-are engagei-eh-'
sir-that is, sir-going to be marred. you know
The confused clerk stopped and he and tn,
bushng stenographer stood, amazed ~ eechless;
for their dreaded employer had turred L his heel
without a word. and going back Into he private
Office hau closed the door behind hir.
Once there, he seated himself at is Lesk, head
between hands, eyes gazing steady II through the
broad windows to where the dark q Y melted into
the yet darker earth.
1t but little incident-a r1ra nothing; yet
one of those nothings that everything. for IL
had opened up a OF memory that had been
shut to his eyes for years than he Ssrsd to
think; and yet he was still young man.
AS his cab turned the corner OF the block ON
which his residence, he saw his wife's hrough
at the door. And, he started TO as
ccend the steps she appeared before him gowned
for the street
Where are are you going" he asked.
You! she exclaimed You're very late.
s9~n aga in was sSing over to see Jane
some kind and wants my advice
I've been doing lot of thinking this after
noon" he said slowly. May drive around to the
Madisons with you and tell you what I've been
thinking?
l er-weIL wouldn't afford but very short
time so perhaps YOU drather--"
nothing. Only I've had headache all
day and fear shall be very stupid; and l know
thing that waltz
He shook his head. 1T can't wait" he said
She inclined her head slowly. AS you wish"
she acquiesced Perhaps we'd better not go to
the Madisons; I'll see Jane tomorrow instead of
tonight. Shall drive in the park instead?"
That would be much BETTER he said, he
sisted her into the brougham. Thank you
Giving curt order to the driver. he took his
seat beside her in the carriage and silently they
rolled over the smooth asphalt toward the park
entrance.
'well?" she asked lightly. what is it you wish
to tell me?'
"A man came to to-day, he said slowly. Ito
ask me how he Nigh get another mans wife"
There long pause, broken only by the
sound of horses hoofs and the rumble of wheels
What did you adviser she asked in a strained
voice.
He had already made her fond of him by Civ
ing her all that he might of what her husband did
not give her. aand she had look to him for
she could get from her husband. l told
him to go to her and carry her by storm, to domi-
nate her by sheer strength and decision to compel
rather than ask, to force rather than plead"
1T very good advice" she said hurredly.
1T was very good advice" She laughed a little.
1T very good advice" she repeated again.
That is one reason why tell you of it, he said
And the other reasons-for I presume that
there other reasons?"
Many. But the greatest is that I want you to
know that realize the depths of my shame
and degradation-that l know the wrong l have
done in the list for dollars have forgotten many
things that should have remembered. ignored
many things that should have considered. 1
want you to know these things; and then want
you to help me try to right the wrong that may
have done; for ! too, fear that my advice was
good
What do you mean"
II do not know the woman. You may"
What is her name?'
That is what l don't know. But you are much
in society. If tell you the it may disclose
to you the identity of the woman"
Possibly" she assented, And the man is-?"
rio nvd
Her fan dropped to the carriage floor. He
stopped and picking it up handed it to her.
You know him." he asked
And now do you know the woman"
There long pause There came to them
from afar, the thousand noises of the city.
"Well?" he said, at length, tentatively.
She did not answer.
He waited. Still she did not answer.
At length she turned little toward him. head
tilted backward, shoulders against the carriage
side
Il am the woman she said; and again. Il am
the woman
He gazed at her, his staring eyes expressive Of
Your advice was better than you knew: sh.
said, with bitter little laugh. You came homo
too SOON
You mean" he cried.
Look" she cried.
He bent forward and gazed through the win
dow, his eyes following the direction of her fan.
The sickIy halo of a lamp-post revealed the figure
of a man, seated a bench. He was smoking q
cigarette and tracing impatient arabesques with
his cane in the gravel at his feet
1t Grierson, the junior partners client OF
the afternoon.
She was speaking again: 81 was to meet him
there. Now you know all. l don't know why I
tell you. but-you had better let co. You did
not need me-you did not want There
no place in your life for me. nor in mine for you
And 1 had starved long s it in starve-
Let me go, You now! Let
co."
1t was all in a breath quivering tense; and now
she had buried her face in her hands and her
1.-the body shook with the painful racking of her
sobbing He sat gazing out into the tree-studded
darkness of the park, his set, his breath lab
ored
Through the jim-Iit darkness they rode In ST.
lence that utter for the broken choking OF
her sobs, the clatter of hoofs, his breathing and
the rumble of wheels
Suddeny he leaned forward and signalIed to the
driver.
Home, Dawes he said
Her hands fell from her pale, drawn face. She