Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-05-22
THE BIRTHMARK.
~ oWENDoLln AnAma

n
Ilcopyright. 1903. by American pr... -.
eiation
Ny dear" said Sir HuntIev u,~,
put soon after his marriage ~ ~
American wife, why is 1t that Won
who have very pretty round arms
never show them uncoyeredr
| have two dresses made without
sleeves"
les, but when you wear either az
them have noticed that YOU wear !
Dand OF black velvet midway between
shoulder and elbow"
That's to make me display that an.
Gent buckle which belonged to your
grandmother.
1her eyes met. There was distrust
u the husbands and fear in the wIfe,s
he had not only noticed what he had
IeIefred TO- but that robing or disrob-
ing his wife had never uncovered her
right arm above the elbow. They had
Deen married three months before he
had made this discovery.
Hunt, dear" she said, going to him
ana endeayorins to caress away
cloud resting upon his brow. II win
confess that | am hiding something
from you, blemish."
"A blemish-a blemish on YOU! Such
thing can't be-"
Nevertheless there is something on
my arm that | wish to conceal from
you"
"A birthmarkY'
She hesitated, glanced out OF a win
dow and finally answered:
Eyes"
one lied, and he knew she lied. A
good woman or good man may tell a
lie. The man will tell. it with all the
appearance of clear conscience. The
woman VIII spoil 1t by trying to soften
the deception or betray 1t In her look.
Sir Huntley 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 a
troubled look on her face. Her right
arm lay extended. Could he not lift
the sleeve and, without waking her,
get a 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 HurIbuts
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
might have committed some sin of
which this so called birthmafk was an
uneradicable token. He thought Of
crossing the ocean to hunt mp her rec
ord. What-hunt a record he dreaded
to knowi He thought of leaving her,
losing himself in the wilds of some dis
tant continent. This. too. he flung
away as impraeticable. 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 1t mp.
1t was a clipping from a newspaper.
He glanced at it. then crumpled 1t In
his hand, intending to throw 1t away.
The door opened, and his wife met
him, with an anxious look on her face.
After hasty greeting. such as passed
between them since 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
to his room. locked himself In and
read under a date Of ten years past:
Yesterday the brave girl who pulled out
with a rope In the storm that wrecked the
Clara Jones submitted TO have tattOoed
upon her arm a memento OF her daring
exploit Bill Peters. an expert in sueh
work, did tho tattooing, and II was ex-
hibited last night at a reception given the
wearer at the Sailors Snug Harbor.
Sir Huntley went downstairs and
met his wife. who was returning from
an unsuccessful hunt He handed her
the paper.
"Are you that girl?'' he asked
sYes," she said, paling.
swhy have you kept this from mef
Because you are SO proud Of your
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