The daily Alaskan., 1909-06-25
THE BIRTHMARK.
By eWENpoLIN ADAMS.

By SWENDSIlN HONWo' fcopyright. 1909. by American Press Asso-
 ciation.l
 "My dear" said Sir Huntley Hur!' but soon after his marriage to his American wife, "why is 1t that you, who have very pretty round arms, never show them uncovered"
 "I have two dresses made without sleeves"
 "Yes. but when you wear either of them l 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 husbands and fear in the wife's. He had not only noticed what he had referred to. but that rODlng or disrob- ing his wife had never uncovered her right arm above the elbow. They had been married three months before be had made this discovery.
 Hunt, dear" she said, going to him and endeavorlng to careSs away a cloud resting upon his brow, 'I will confess that I am hiding something from you, a blemish.'
 "A blemish-a blemish on you! Such thing can't be-"
 Nevertheless there Is something ol my arm that l wish to conceal from you"
 "A birthmark"
 She hesitated, glanced out of a win dow and finally answered:
 'YcS."
 She lied, and he knew she lied. A good woman or good man may tell lie. The man will tell 1t with all the appearance of clear conscience. The woman will 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 1t was too late he had discovered that she was hiding some i,f hnt cha hoH lfn1 to him.
 It 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 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 q 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 rcproaches, no hot words. The husband was scrupulouSly dcfercntial, the wife obe- dient 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 secret which he was not permitted to share. Meanwhile his imagination was con- turing all sorts of probabilities. She might have been married before. She might have committed some sin of which this so called birthmark was an uueradlcabl, 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 1t up. It was q clipping from q newspaper He glanced at 1t, then crumpled 1t In his hand. intending to throw 1t away. The door opened. and bis wife met him. with an anxious look on her face. After nasty greeting, such as passed between them since the secret came, she hurried out, and through q 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 rope in the storm that wrecked the Clara Jones submitted to have tattooed upon her arm q memento of her daring exploit. Bill Peters, an expert In such work, did the tattooing, and 1t was ex- hiblted 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.