Middletown transcript., 1910-10-08

his attitude as. q further evidence
of his Indifference. But having
once made of her this request
she could net understand his
quiet acceptance of her utter dis
regard of it. Never before had
she known him quietly to concede
a thing he had once demanded.
During the next few weeks he
met Wharton frequently with
Alice, and his manner to them
both was unfailingly natural and
pleasant. He maintained the
same unwavering courtesy-she
could detect no shade of differ
ence.
And Wharton ? How much
longer could she keep his friend.
ship on the impersonal ground it
now was?
She had the feeling of one
awaiting a daily crisis, a convic-
ton that things could not go on
much longer as they were. In
spite of the seeming naturalness
of il alI-there was a strained ex-
pectancy in the air.
An incident which for the mo-
ment thrilled her with hope, and
then left her more baf4ed than
ever, happened one morning at
breakfast. A large palm which
had been carelessly placed too
near the edge of its stand, sud.
denly toppled over with a crash.
Alice started violently, the hot
coffee she was pouring splashed
out over her hand and arm burn
ing her painfully.
Instantly he was at her side,
covering her arm with his nap.
kin. He called to the maid for
-four, which hevery gently coated
over the burn. Although it was
not deep, for few moments the
pain was intense. And Alice,
whose nerves had for weeks been
unstrung, could not repress a
hysterical sob.
And when a moment later she
glanced up suddenly, she sur
prised in his eyes something she
had not seen there for months -
a look of the old love and tender.
ness that made her heart leap
and drove all pain away.
But instantly came the with.
drawal.
If you will keep that covered,
his voice was perfectly cold, keep
the air out-the pain will be much
less.
Then almost at once he left for
The Office.
For over an hour Alice sat
there in the dining room where
he had left her. What did it |
!? Had she been mistaken ? |
Had her longing to see love in his |
eyes, made her think it was there?
Had it been instead only sym
oathy-the sympathy he had for
every hurt thing? And yet if it
vas only that-why had he sud-
lenly spoken so coldly and hur-
led so abruptly awayP Or had
he only imagined that also? Had
lis attitude been perfectly nat
Iral-and was it her Imagination
hat was no longer normal, that
.istorted and exaggerated every
rival incident? Through her
'rooding, her constant dwelling
n this thing-had she lost all
ense of proportion ? Could she
o longer see anything clearly?
1t was late one afternoon in
he following week that Alice re
eived an urgent message from
lr. Kempton, saying his wife
as very i'll and had asked for
er. If possible could she come
to stay through the
ight?
With a vague sense of gratitude
lat some one needed her. Alice q
ssponded quickly to the appeal.
he dressed hurriedIy, packed a 8
nall satchel and left a note for '
or husband explainig briefly
er absence.
She found the Kempton's house
| a state of suppressed tension.
wo nurses were there, the doc.
n was Just leaving, saying he q
ould be back in . couple of .
ours.
1t seemed to Alice that the bus.
and needed more than the wife. /
. was very pale, his eyes full of
lxiety and fear. Every moment
le nurses would allow, he was
: her bed, holding her hand,
hispering words of love and
And wnen he could not !
} with her, he wandered aim
sssly about the house and c
IL