New-York tribune., 1909-06-06

back into his easy chair. trying hard to look
rebellious and not too relieved
His motto might have been, could not
love thee half so well loved not comfort more
THOUGH he knew ne would miss her, ne
secretly hoped, now he was alone. that ne
would rather enjoy her deSertIOn from thSH
matrimonial island for a few days lie also
compared it IN his mind 20 a nIobie at the IoI-
hidden cake Of freedom 49,.
He made a tour round the house, looking
into every room with mental hngerS on MS
r,t1lsc irving to measure exactly his boy1Sh de
light which he would not wholly admit to exist
He tried several chars IN the living room,
stood with legs apart on the hearth. and blew
smoke rings toward the ceiling He wandered
ND To th, bedrooms. opened dress cupboardS
peerei into them. looked out windows. ana
whistlcd with self conscious gaIety. BY dinner
time he had acknowledged 70 himself that ne
was quite forIorn. and gave up his last pretenSe
of enloving his taste of freedom
Dinner was a gloomy episode lie propped
up a book against the fern dish and tired 20
read while he ate After sticking a tine OF his
fork into his cheek and thereby preclp1tatIng a
shower OF French peas over himself, he gave II
up. and finished the remaining courses TnecI4Ii-
cally and with no enjoyment
He spent the evening huddled IN an easy
chair with his book and pipe. now and again
doing off
He was startled by the maid during one Of
these catnaps, who brought HIM SOM letters
a
ness letters for himself and letter tor GeraI-
dine
He sleepilv glanced over his mail and then sat
looking at the address on the letter to Geraldine
SUDDENLY ne sat upright and looked
~ St.arghrnglv at the letter under the lamp
light That's Bill Brownow s writing, nat
the devil he writing 10 Gerry for He ap-
pearei u be addressing the rug at ms teet
And IN bet this isn't the first letter Bills a
4 Z Z. ~ Iona his has
been going on He has a frightful lot of nerve.
writing To her right under my nose OF course.
that great big scoundrellv giant dIdn imagine
that this would be brought to me probably
a Slip the maids part.-more than likely
he 5 subsidized her
Colby sank back into his char and glared at
the letter which he held at arm IS length tie
sat there torn between the desire 10 open the
letter and his knowledge OF the indeCcnCy OF
the impulse He held II up 10 the light to see
| if by any impossible chance he could make any
| thing out of 1t that way Through his braun
ran recollections of stories Of unscrupulouS per
sons who opened letters by Steaming the en-
| velop
Quarter-hourS rolled by. and he still ciutched
the damnablc thing He got up with an angry
snort and threw the letter the table then
put out the lights and went 70 bed
He couldn sleep He lay for hours thinking
| In one Of the small hours. he didn't know
which he got up put on his dressing gown. and
felt hiS way into the library. once more 70 turn
on the light and take up the letter He thought
ne had determined TO open and read 1t but his
courage failed. and the letter slipped through
his limp fingers and he again mounted the
stairs To bed
He slept late that morning and was wIkened
by the maid with a telegram IL was from
Geraldine saving that her sister was much I'M
proved and that she would be home that even
ing
"Oh. would She The sly little cat" he