The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1909-06-15
THE BIRTHMARK.
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American wife. why Is 1t that you,
who have very pretty round arms,
never show them uncoveredT
7 have two dresses made without
sleeves"
Yes, but when you wear either OF
them ] have noticed that You wear
band Of black velvet midway between
shoulder and elbow"
THAT'S to make me display that an
cient buckle which belonged to your
grandmother"
Their eyes met There was distrust
IN the husbahd's and fear ia tho wife's.
he had net only noticed what be had
referred 20. but that robing or disrob.
ing his wife had never uncovered her
right arm above the elbow. They had
been married three months before ha
had made this discovery.
Hunt. dear" she said. golng to him
and endenvoring to caress away
cloud resting upon his brow. Il will
confess that ! am hiding something
from you. blemish."
"A bIensish-a blemish on youl Such
q thing can't be-"
Nevertheless there is something on
my arm that l wish to conceal from
you."
"A birfhmarkr'
she hssitated, glanced cut Of win
dow and Hnally answered:
YES
She lied. and he knew she lied. A
good woman o. 4 good man may tell
Ne. The man VIII tell it with all the
appearance 81 a clear conscience. The
woman VIII spoil 1t by trying to soften
the deception or betray It IN her look.
Sir Huntley arose and. without look
ing at bis wife. went cut to bis club.
he had met her in England, fallen in
love vita her and married her with
out visiting her native land or inquir-
ing as 10 her antecedents He knew
that she was bat fairly educated, fair
~ refined and had no money. What
had fascinated him was an appear
anee OF sterling worth there was about
her. Somehow he had felt that she
was to be relied on under any strain
And now when IL was too late he he'd
discovered that she was hiding some
thing from him and that she had lied
10 him.
II was early morning when he re-
turned. His wife was sleeping With q
troubled leok on her face. Her right |
arm hay extended. Gould he not lift
the sleeve and, without waking her
get a view Of what she was conceal /
ing7 He advanced to do so and shrank \
back. He was above possessing him /
self Of what she would not willingly /
give him. For a moment be hesitated, I
then went 70 his ewn room and to bed. <
A eloud hung over the Hurlbuts.
Neither mentioned the secret, yet both 4
felt that Il was turning their love to
bitterness. There were no reproaches,
no hot words. The husband was
scrupuleusly deferential. the wife ODE
dent to his slightest wish. attentive to
his slightest comfort Yet there was
an abseaoe OF that delightful inter-
ehange OF sympathy which had existed
ny to the moment the husband had
discovered that his wife had a secret
which be was not permitted to share.
Meanwhile his imagination was con-
jurtng all serts Of probabilities. She
might have been married before She
might have committed some sin OF
which this 30 called birthmark was an
uneradicable token He thought Of
crossing the ocean to hunt up her REC
ord. What-hunt a record he dreaded
to knewl He thought Of leaving her.
losing himself IN the wiids OF some dis
tant continent. This, too, he flung
away az inpracticable. He could not
get on without her till he was assured
there was some crime connected with
Der past, and 20 know OF that crime
would drive him mad.
One dag while he was about TO enter
his house something fitted before him
and fell on the walk. He picked 1t up.
1t was a clipping from newspaper.
He glanced at It. then crumpled It Ia
his hand, intending to throw It away.
The door opened, and bis wife met
him, with an anxious look on her face.
After hasty greeting such as passed !
between them STAGE the secret came.
she hurried out, and through pane of
glass he saw her looking for some
thing. Then he knew the clipping had
blown from her window. He went up
10 his rcom, locked himself In and
read under date OF ten years past:
Yesterday the brave girl who pulled oat
with rope In the storm that wrecked the
Clara Jones submitted 10 have tattooed
upon her arm a nnemsnto OF her daring
expIdit Bill Peters an expert in such
work did the tattoOing. and Il was ex- {
hibIted last night at q reception given the
wearsx At the Sailors SNUG Harbor.
sir Huntiey went downstairs and I
met his wife, who was returning from i
an unsuccessful hunt. He handed her
the paper.
Are You that grip he asked
eyes" she said. paling.
'Why have you kept this from me?'
Because you are so proud of your
lineage knew it would wound you to
learn that you had married one who /
had belonged to fisher folks /
'sYcu told me you were concealing . {
birthmarIk."
she hung her head.
aPun up your sleeve"
she raised the sleeve and displayed
an anchor tattooed in blue Ink. Across
she anchor was the letter Fl.
what does the Fl meanw
There was no reply for a time, then
: faint 81 don't know" Z
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