El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-03-22
By l. G. Moberly.
"H he note. lay on top of the pile,
Mark Denisons eye was caugh.

= nv II at once. when, having shut
tho front door boor behind him, he
! crossed to the hall table to pick up the
letters that had accumulaede ourlhs
| his DAVIS absence in the city.
| The note that lay upon the top Oh
| the pile Immediately arrested MS a.
tention It was in his wires nano"TiI-
ing, and he wondered vaguely why :.
she had written 1T, and whether 1t
was to tell him she had gone to the
theater with this friend, or to a res
! taurant dinner with that-both more
or less frequent occurrences OF late.
! A sigh as he saw the letter -eRdeo
with a smile of tenderness-tne smi.e
which the thought of his little WlIe
unfailingly brought to the nps Oh
| Mark Denison-and flinging the rest
! of his letter upon the table ne openeo
| Maisie's, whistling a gay little air the
while.
! Dear Mark (it ran):-
'I am going away. 1 know IL Is
! horribly wrong of me, when you nave
always been so good to me. but am
dreadfully unhappy, and dull ana zone
". and 1 am not a good enough WlIe
for you 1 can't be as staid as you
wish. I am going with somebody VINO
is young and frivolous, just as am
and you must divorce me. 1 hope some
ask you to forgive me.
your miserable wife.
'Maisie"
Mark laughed. The laugh rang
round the library, and. penetrating to
the hall. startled the parlormald, VINO
had come to see II her master had re-
turned. She waited discreetly- for
moment before opening the library
door. and in her quiet, respectful oe-
meanor there was no outward sign OF
the curiosity stirring within her
Cook wished to know if you would
be dining at home, sir" she said, and
the sight of her masters face momen-
tarily turned her curiosity into pro-
found pity. Mrs. Denison said she
would not be in to dinner
Marks hand closed over the letter
if held; for the fraction of a second.
no more. he paused before answering
the woman who stood in the doorway
Then he said quietly, so quietly that
a dull surprise forced itself into her
mind: Mrs Denison has unexpected
" been obliged to go away. l am not
quite sure what day she will come
hack. I shall dine at home tonight as
usual
Marks hands clenched in sudden
access of fury.
INV little wife" he said aloud. and
great sob shook him; my little
wife"
The junction station was draughty
and very desolate; only a few passen-
gers tramped up and down the wind
swept platform, trying vainly TO put
some warmth into their shivering
frames before the express should ar
rive to bear them away. But the gale
was hard to evade and the fireless
apology for a waiting room was
scarcely less temple of the wind
than the platform itself.
Only one person had taken refuge
there at ala woman who sat hud-
died up in a corner farthest from the
door, towards which, however, her face
was turned with an eXpectant anxious
expression She was very young, and
if was evident she was unaccustomed
TO travelling alone; there was GER
tain nervousness in her glances and
the way in which she shrank further
into the corner when a mans tall form
darkened the doorway.
With a sharp exclamation he crossed
the threshold and. moving quickly
over the dirty floor. came to the side
of the woman crouching in the distant
corner. She had shrunk farther back
out as though to ward off his APP
proach. and she was shivering from
head to foot But his eyes were bent
only on her face. the white face that
was so pitifully lined and drawn. and
into his own hands he gathered the
two small hands that seemed to wish
to put him away.
''Maisie." he said, and his VOICE
shook with tenderness. 'My little
r4I FnT-
you so long 1 have found you at
last"
Into her eyes a great terror had
crept when first he came to her side.
but when he spoke they were filled
with an amazement, that was far
greater than her terror; her hands
trembled in his grasp. but she did not
speak She only looked at him with
wide eyes, in which horror and dis
may were plainly written; she only
tried, and tried in vain, to draw her
hands from his strong hold.
"You"-he hesitated, glanced round
the dreary, ill-1it room, then out on to
the windswept platform-"you are
alone?' he said.
Another shiver shook her, she nod
ded her head, and her lips quivered.
'Will you tell me where you meant
to go if 1 had not come? If I had not
cnance0 TO see you nere9 Indnk OOu
for the thing we call chance" he added
under his breath.
'I am going right away" she spoke
hurriedly and very low. ST am going
where nobody will ever hear OF me
any more, T.
NO" he said quietly, but firmly.
mastering his emotions because of her
pitiful state of nervous excitement,
Perhaps you were going to do these
things, but you are coming home with
me-"
In moment she had wrenched her
hands from his, and was on her. feet
facing him, the color flowing over her
white face in crimson waves
But I can't go home, Mark" she
faltered. How can I go home now?
am not fit to go homes with yon.
And how could I face all that would
have to be faced-the talk, the scan
dal the"
There will be nothing of that sort
to face" he answered, and his gentle
voice seemed to have grown g>ntler.
1.-The world thinks that you have been
staying with your friends. I have let