The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1908-04-18
THE WIFE WOMAN
Copyright. by Daily Story Pub. Co,
By TIM THRIFT


I gaiety-everything. There could be
| nothing you might desire in woman
that would not be-to bring you hap
piness.
What has she-this wife-woman-
| ever done to hold you? Has she
changed her life to fit yours has she
ever devoted herself to pleasing you!
Has she ever given you a moment Of
| pleasure at the cost of an hour OF
her own selfish desires? Why should
she come before me? Because she 10
what the world calls good woman
because she has never loved so much
that nothing Understanding at all
not even the voice Of the world"
She stopped with half-sob.
The man laughed uneasily. He knew
she spoke the truth. The other WON
an-wife woman she had called her in
contemplated never tried to please
him. But she had been faithful to
his name. and her's-that was much
On the other hand what did this
woman mean to him? She had been
good company-they had even had IA
nous times together-but that was
past now. She caught the impersonal
look in his eyes and interpreted II
| Alright.
She remembered the little table in
| the corner. a secluded retreat, where
he had taken her the first time they
had come there. Her eyes sought II
NV in a pitiful attempt to conjure
up that other hour.
Another woman was sitting Just
where she had sat. and even as she
looked she heard her low laugh trill
out. She had laughed like that. too
then. AS she continued to gaze in
F, retrospection, the other woman moved
| closer to her companion and the light
fell across her face for an instant.
The watcher gave little gasp and
fell back in her chair with soft
Obi"
She was relieved-when she dared
glance at the man-to see that ap-
parently he had not noticed her mo-
mentary confusion.
Goodbye" she said softly, meeting
his eyes with an inscrutable look
When you come back-for you will
come back-you will not find me.
Thank you for many things-and re-
member l shall pity you always-for
the things You could not see and never
will understand"
AS he drove homeward his mind an.
ticipated pleasurably the other won.
an. He had been neglect:ul Of her
and now he would make 1t up. After
all, she was good sort, and wife
| any man might be proud of. He even
mentally cancelled club engagement
or two In his new spirit OF reformation
and resolved that he would stay home
on those nights and keep her com.
pany. Poor girl. perhaps she was lone
ly at times, with only the servants In
the house.
He bounded up the steps and even
fumed because he was slow in finding
his latch key. He sought his room
and removed his evening clothes. The
feel of his house coat was comfortable
after the chill of the cab, and his slip
pers were grateful to his feet. A
pleasant glow OF anticipation warmed
him as he passed into his wife's apart
ments.
uc EOOm Wab udIk anu HS luiuui6u
an instant before he found the button
for the light.
In its soft radiance he noticed that
the bed was untouched, and 1t &C.
Cured to him suddenly that there
seemed to be strange quietness
about the room. He moved toward
the little table where the light stood.
A note pinned to the shade caught his
eye.
He tore 1t open irritably. His glow
OF anticipation died to a chill Of APP
prehension as the words made their
meaning clear:
Goodbye. Two can play ut ganes.
and I'm tired OF this waiting, always
waiting for you. when there are e
many pleasant things for me. too
dinner tonight at Flnley's with the
man who loves me. for instanca'