The Falls City tribune., 1909-08-06

~ o1huNhAA tAoAA ddi IN q
fierce pang, he felt a wild rush of
longing for the solitude of his prison
cell. At this momeut his wife seemed
less a woman TO him than a disturbing
element in his long-cherished plans.
He flushed darkly. TO wait three years
for this!
He crossed owe and laid one arm
on her bowed shoulders.
Molly" he said huskily. Molly, you
don't know what you're saying-you
don't know what you're doing. There
hasn't been an hour in the day or
night that | haven't been planning for
you and Margie. My Cod You knew
| was innocent-you knew l didn't
take the money. What if all the others
believed me guilty! You knew-you
didn't doubt mel" He stopped e%ntreat-
ingly. His eyes %besought her.
Come, Mol" he said gently, "let us
go home
She looked at the blue vault above,
where the stars were beginning to
tremble. The croak of the crickets
came shrilly to her ears.
L can't" she said somberly-'1
cant. Every stitch that | put into
that hateful coarse sewing seemed to
take me farther away from you. Ohls
she suddenly cried out, let me gol
Let me go!" She twisted her hands
eonyulsively. You don't know-you
can't understand
uI.t. b, ,fF,a -,A Ils,,. III
wounded animal. With a miserable
gesture he raised his torn hat as he
stumbled blindly away.
Barton, approaching from the oppo-
site direction, stared in blank Devil
derment at the %retreating figure.
Good heayens!' he calculated.
where's he going?"
Hes going out of my existence"
replied Molly simply.
Barton whirled round on her. what
do you mean?' he abruptly inquired.
Molly stood at bay. She knew Bar
ton well enough to divine how her at
titude would affect him, and she hest
tated to reveal It. Already, in her
mind, little clouds of doubt were form
ing. In these three years Barton had
been her friend and stay. the sustain.
ing, helpful figure in the foreground of
her existence. At this i%uneture, half
uneonsciously, she looked to him. Her
eyes were imploring, but Barton at
fected not to observe it. She answered
him desperately:
Vel don't think Jim and | are
suited to each other any MORE. she
said miserably
Barton was honestly shocked.
Hes your husband" said Barton
%sternly, hurt that his unaclsnowledged
ideal of w~omanhood could be found
wanting. Il don't know anything
about a woman's love" he said bitter
ly, but I know how a man would feel
he added, his pity for lis friend carry
ing him away.
A look Of aeatest pain swept over
Molly's b'auehed face.
You don't undarstand-you don't
know she saido onyulsiyely. II don't
love him any longer, | wish | did
l wish did," she repeated in agony.
I2Gl DlIA-I1lA 0-0 iIAA1H. nIAl
Barton r~egretfully, the sympathy in
his voice goading her to despair. He
seated himself on an adjacent rock
and began thoughduDy punching holes
in the turf with his stick, He did not
meet her eyes.
Il remember he said reaectiyely.
something jim once said to me that
time you were so in. He was pretty
white. and his eyes had the same hur.
look saw in them today. Barton
he said. If ny Wife~d dies it's all up
with me-and / could hear him say
ing that for a week afterwards; and
when You were out Of danger the
wholesoflce knew it, just by the glorl-
fed look OIL his face"
He cast a quick glance at the mo
t~ionless figure b. the rock, out her
hands were cliuehed, and she did not
answer.
ax5d when Nargia was born" Ear