Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1909-06-02
THE BIRTHMARK.
sy cWENpoLIN ADAMS.


American wife. why is it that you.
who have very pretty round arms.
never show them uncovered"
Il have two dresses made without
Sleeves
Yes. but when you wear either Of
them | have noticed that you wear a
band Of black velvet midway between
shoulder and elbow" l
That's to make me display that an
cient buckle which belonged to your
grandmother"
Their eyes met. There was distrust
in the husbands and fear in the wifes.
He had not only noticed what he had
referred to, but that rObing or disrob-
ing his wife had never uncovered her
right arm above the elbow. They had
been married three months before he
had made this discovery. \
Hunt dear" she said. going to him
and endeavoring to caress away a
cloud resting upon his brow. II will
confess that | am hiding something
from you. Il blemish.'
"A blemish-a blemish on you! Such
a thing can't be-"
my arm that | wish to conceal from
you"
"A birthmark?
She hesitated, glanced out of a win
dow and finally answered.:
YES"
She lied. and he knew she lied. A
good woman or a good man may tell
lie. The man will tell it with all the
appearance Of a clear conscience. The
woman will spoil it by trying to soften
the deception or betray it in her look.
Sir Huntey arose and, without look
ing at his wife. went out to his club
He had met her in England. fallen in
love with her and married her with
out visiting her native land or inquir
ing as to her antecedents. He knew
that she was but fairly educated. fair
- ly refined and had no money. What
had fascinated him was an appear
ance of sterling worth there was about
her. Somehow he had felt that she
was to be relied on under any strain.
And now when it was too late he had
discovered that she was hiding some
thing from him and that she had lied
to him.
1t was early morning when he re-
turned. His wife was sleeping with
troubled look on her face. Her right
arm lay extended. Could he not lift
the sleeve and, without waking her,
get view Of what she was conceal
ing? 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 he hesitated,
then went to his own room and to bed.
A cloud hung over the Hurlbuts.
Neither mentioned the secret. yet both
felt that it was turning their love to
bitterness. There were no reproaches,
no hot words The husband was
scrupulously deferential. the wife ODE
dent to his slightest wish. attentive to
his slightest comfort. Yet there was
an absence of that delightful inter-
change of sympathy which had existed
up to the moment the husband had
discovered that his wife had a secret
which he was not permitted to share.
Meanwhile his imagination was con-
juring all sorts of probabilities. She
might have been married before She
which this so called birthmark was an
uneradicable token. He thought of
crossing the ocean to hunt up her rec
ord. What-hunt record he dreaded
to know! He thought of leaving her,
losing himself in the wilds Of some dis
tant continent. This, too. he flung
away as impracticable. He could not
get on without her till he was assured
there was some crime connected with
her past. and to know of that crime
would drive him mad.
One day while he was about to enter
his house something fitted before him
and fell on the walk He picked it up
1t was clipping from a newspaper
He glanced at it. then crumpled it in
his band. intending to throw it away
The door opened. and his wife met
him, with an anxious look on her face
After a hasty greeting. such as passed
between them since the secret came
she hurried out. and through pane Of
glass 10 saw her looking for some
thing. Then he knew the clipping hai
blown from her window. He went w
TO his room. locked himself in an(
Tedu unuer GATE or ten years past:
Yesterday the brave girl who pulled ou
with q rope in the storm that wrecked thu
Clara Jones submitted to have tattocet
upon her arm a memento Of her darini
exploit. Bill Peters. expert in sucl
work, did the tattooing, and 1t was ex
hibited last night at a reception given tn
wearer at the Sailors Snug Harbor.
Sir Huntley went downstairs an,
met his wife. who was returning from
an unsuccessful hunt. He handed he
the paper.
"Are you that grip he asked.
YES" she said. paling.
"Why have you kept this from me?
Because you are 80 proud Of you
lineage knew It would wound you {
learn that you had married one VIII
had belonged to fisher folks"
You told me you were concealinY