The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1909-04-22

forehead but he For diUhtlc Nina
n,odo M com. SCing there In
ment.
"NIr. Neergard is a guest. too" she
observed.
WHAT exclaimed selwyn in dis
gust.
Yes; he came ashore with the
Faues."
Selwyn flushed little, but went on
cutting the pages of the magazine
When he had finished he fattened the
pages between both covers and said.
without raising HIS eyes:
I'm sorry that crowd is TO be in evi
dence."
"They always are and always will
be-" smiled his sister
He looked MP at her "Do you mean
that anybody else is guest at Brook.
minstcrT'
"Yes. Thil."
"AlixeT
YES"
He looked down at the book on his
knees and began TO furrow the pages
absently
Phil" she said. have you heard
anything this summer-lately-about
the RuthvensY
mo"
Nothing at all?"
Not word"
"You knew they were at Newport as
usual?"
81 took 1t for granted
"And you have heard no rumors-
no gossip concerning them-nothing
about a yacht"
Where was TO hear It? What gos.
sip? What yacht
His sister said very seriously, "Allxe
has been very careless"
Everybody Is. What Of it?"
at is understood that she and JacL
Ruthven have separated"
He looked up quickly. "Who told
you that?"
"A woman wrote me from Newport.
And Alike is here and Jack Ruthven is
in New York. Several people have-l
have heard about II from several
sources. I'm afraid it's true. Phil"
They looked into each others trou-
bled eyes, and he said: IF she has
done this. it Is the worse of two evils
she has chosen. To live with him was
bad enough. but this is the limit"
'T know it. She cannot afford to do
such thing again. Phil, what is the
matter with her? She simply cannot
be sane and do such a thing-can sheT
II don't know" he said
"Well do. She Is not sane. She has
made herself horribly conspicuous
among conspicuous people. She has
been indiscreet to the outer edge OF eff.
frontery. Even that set won't stand II
always-especially as their men folk
are quite crazy about her, and she leads
a train Of them about wherever she
goes-the little fool!
And now, II It's true that there's 60
Ing to be a separation, what on earth
will become Of her? ask you. Phil, for
don't know. But men know what be-
comes eventually OF women who slap
the world across the face with over.
ringed fingers.
Tiff there's any talk about 1t--if
there's newspaper talk-if there's a di.
vorce, who will ask her to their houses?
Who will condone this thing? Who will
tolerate 1t or her? Men, and men only.
the Odious sort that fawn on her now
and follow her about half sneeringly
They'll tolerate 1t, but their wives
won't, and the kind OF women who will
receive and tolerate her are not includ-
ed in my personal experience What a
fool she has been! Good heavens, what
foolw
A triie paler than usual, he said:
"There is no real harm in her. know
there is not"
"You are very generous. Phil"
"No, / am trying to be truthful. And
l say there is no harm In her. have
made up my mind on that score" He
leaned nearer his sister and laid one
hand on hers where 1t lay across the
hammock's edge.
nina, no woman could have done
what she has done and continue to do
what she does and be mentally sound
This, at last, is my conclusion"
"It has long been my conclusion" she
said under her breath
He stared at the floor out OF gray
eyes grown dull and hopeless.
phil" whispered his sister, sup.
-suppose-what happened to her
father
II know"
She said again: ''It was slow at first,
a brilliant eccentricity that gradually
became something less pleasant. oh,
Phil, Philp
ut was softening OF the BRAIN" he
said, "was II notr
"Yes; he entertained a delusion OF
conspiracy against him, also a compla-
cent conviction OF the mental insta-
bility OF others. Yet at intervals he
remained clever and witty and charm
ing"