Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-04-16

Is most liable to give her heart. My
wife was always telling me of these
traits, referring to them as something
especially attractive. l declined to be
interested.
/ remember on one occasion at the
breakfast table when my wife was
telling me of one of Stewards esca-
pades l coldly informed her that the
man was weak, foolish, dishonorab BILE.
/ saw a suppressed fash in her eye
and slight color rise to her cheek.
II don't expect you to take an inter
est In people who are natural, frank,
generous. Your kind looks out for his
own interest, is devoid of sympathy,
never gives himself away, but takes
especial pains to listen to all he hears"
do you refer to any particular per-
son2" asked, with some hauteur.
"Certainly-to your particularly pla-
tonic love, Mildred Burke"
We left the breakfast table without
another word, and there was a cool
ness between us for several days, but
It gradually wore away, and neither
again mentioned his or her particular
friend to the other.
One morning it suddenly occurred to
me that my wife was as apt to be
meeting her especial friend as / was
to meet mine. The thought was not
pleasant. But why shouldn't she have
the same privilege as I? The case was
different. Miss Burke was a woman
Of high principle. Stewart was a
scapegrace and not to be trusted. The
bee Of suspicion having got into my
bonnet, 1t buzzed and tickIed and
stung till l was beside myself with
jealousy. Had my wife continued to
tell me about the fellows escapades
should have had confidence In her In
nocence. AS it was l was sure there
were clandestine meetings.
did something of which have ever
since been ashamed. / used a detec-
tive, not directly, to spy upon my wife
Il could not quite come down to that
but upon Courtney Stewart, which
was Just as bad, for 1t was through
him that expected to trap Marjorie.
I directed my sleuth to shadow Stew
art, not letting him know that my
wife was in any way concerned.
At the end of a month he reported
that there was nothing bad about
Stewart. On the contrary, he was
popular and respected. Mention was
made Of several kindly, impulsive acts
to needy people. A list Of women he
had met was furnished me, and my
wife's name was not among them.
The report made me very much
ashamed Of myself, especially as 1t ap-
peared to me that my dear wife. see
ing that her retention Of her friend an
noyed me, had given him up. AS soon
/ as / could recover some Of my self re-
spect / devoted myself to treating her
with every consideration and all my
affection. From that day until her
| death not a cloud came between us.
And now come back to that fat en-.
VeIope / have mentioned. There were
In It In a woman's hand, all in the
same writing, a number Of documents
At first resolved to destroy them
without an examination, but just as
was about to do 50 my eye caught the
name Burke Then I read every one Of
them.
That my wife had employed a shad
over for my especial friend. astonish
ing as It was, was nothing to the re
port abe received on Mildred Burke
Not a shadow OF suspicion attached t.
her relations with me; but. horrible Il
relate. she was keeping up relations
with another married man that were
as criminal as her intimacy with ma
was innocent.
/ sat for a long while completely
stunned. An overburdenIng sense Of
how weak our judgment, how little w
know Of the secret lives Of thos'
about Us, weighed upon me How off
ferent the reports received by me and
by Marjorie and how much in favor oi
her perception and her friend! Wha
wisdom in the words. Judge not, tina
ye be not JudgedE
/ shall never marry again And
why3 ! have no confidence In my esd
mate Of those from among whom
must choose. and have not my deai
wife to choose for me.
BEVERLY wORTHINGT0N.