The Washington herald., 1911-01-29

gift when she was only ". slip Of
girl?~
Poor Charlie!" she murmured with ,
sigh. ARE you not just a little afrai,
Of kicking over the traces?'
He went on talking as II he had no
heard her remark
Mot a soul except yourself knows o
my marriage" he said. Il went ava.
big game shooting. and to follow m
taste for travel and adventure. No on
will ever know have a wife unless sh
consents to come back to me. She ma,
now I am rich.''
Lady Middleton tapped the floor will
her little satin slipper impatiently. ''Wha
selfish. heartless woman this wife mus
be"' she thought She wisely kept hel
thoughts to herself.
But eyes sometimes betray what tn.
tongue refuses to utter. Something II
Lady Middleton's eyes caused her frienc
to defend his wife.
1T was quite natural" he said. will
calm deliberateness. that she-my wife
should want to be a social success; sht
had such extraordinary beauty, such dis
tnction. and she possessed brilliant So
cial qualities. I see 1t all now. / learned
a good deal alone under the stars in thu
wilds Of Africa Her people were poor
They had lavished their all in giving
their daughter every advantage Of educa
ton and Of travel''
Isabel noted that Forbes never 80 much
as mentioned even the Christian name Of
his wife. and she resented 1t a little ir
her secret heart After all. had not She
and Charlie, been the closest Of friends
for years?
She might have married much bet.
ter" he went on. with characteristic
modesty. My income then was com.
paratively small. and there were two
lives between me and a title. don't
think I could properly have made her
understand that For this. and much
more, blame myself now, though II
was she I blamed at the time It Is
astonishing how. when one is in the grir
OF solitude-real solitude-one comes tc
see things in their right proportion"
Lady Middleton smiled enigmatically.
Il thought her selfish. and all the time
1t was 1. I wanted to condemn her. to
wrap up her rare talents in a napkin and
bury them. when surely they were given
her to use. She could have graced a
throne"
Lady Middleton recommended tapping
the floor impatiently with her shoe. while
she bit her lips to keep back indignant
words. She observed. now that she ex.
amined her friend more critically, how
very gray his hair had become.
And you have never corresponded
with your wife, or heard Of her for all
these years." she asked
NO." he made answer
Then. Charlie. you had best write to
her before going to Ireland" she told
him. Your wife may be no longer
there. It is no use going on a wild
goose chase. you know"
"Oh, she will be there with her mother.
Did / tell you that / bought a house for
her that she had set her heart on hav-
ing? or course. she will be there. and I
have my reasons for not wishing to write
before going"
Lady Middleton had her doubts. Tht
opinion she had formed Of this unknown
wife did not lead her to imagine that such
a woman would quietly settle down with
her mother in Ireland. Her husband had
not communicated with her for so lont
that It did not seem impossible that sh,
had considered herself free to remarry
But, even supposing that Forbes fount
her. and that she was willing to live will
him again. now that he was wealthy anl
willing to let her fulfll her craving to b<
a society parsonage, Lady Middleton die
not believe that happiness for Charlie
lay that way. There would be a new ant
cruel disappointment He, with his bo
hemian tastes. would soon find the socia
claims biting into his very soul; nor wa.
his wife likely to give him anything thai
would even partially make up for tn.
sacrifice he was making. All, Charli,
would be much better of big-game hunt
ing. Yet It was impossible for her to ad
wise him. The case was too delicate.
Axt III
without a suspicion Of malice: You spok,
Of your wife's mother. Charlie. is sh,
to come into this wonderful scheme o.
yours?'
And why not?' he asked, innocently
Il have no parents myself: and reall!
when you come to look at II, II would b<
rather rough on the old lady to shun
her of the line after sharing her daugh.
ter's home all these years.
Lady Middleton nodded slowly, as II sht
hesitated. Then she asked: rs the
nice?'
Il have never seen her. Charlie &C.
rather Unexpectedly m,
wife was travelling with friends when
met her: and we married rather suddenly
in Paris. 1t was a quiet. informal affair
But when we agreed to separate my wife
said she would have her mother to live
a very right and proper arrangement l.
of course, increased the allowance, know
ing that her mother was not well on"
You dear darling old Innocent" ex-
claimed Lady Middleton. II should like
to kiss you. except that never kiss other
husbands! Why! How do you
come to be such big brown man. dwarf
ng my little drawing-room, and yet-and
yet be such an infant?'
Forbes flushed under his tan. He had
been accustomed to Lady Middleton's
banter in the old days, but just now it
lid not altogether please him. 1t seemed
,ut Of place.
Her quick instinct detected his thought
Don't be angry, Charlie" she said, with
l tender note in her voice. Il want of
Ill things to see you happy: and some
1ow"-she spoke a little wistfully-'it
loes seem a pity that your wife cannot
zee that happiness cannot be found in a
vearisome martyrdom to social success.
Che has a chance OF an ideal life free
md untrammeled. where she could wear
Holland frock and camp out under the
tars. where she could see many lands,
where she could renew her youth every
lay: and yet-oh, Charlie, why do SO
many Of US spend our substance for
What is not bread?"
1t was Charles turn now. Surely this
rank heresy from the lips Of a society
avorite. Isabel. You would not really
Ike q gypsy life or a Holland frock?''
His eyes wandered over the perfection
Il her white gown. The kindly irony in
lis tones reached her consciousness and
wounded her. She answered with some
warmth.
II would gladly lead such a life,'' she
old him II am tired Of false glitter