El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-24
THE CONFESSION
BY ]. Norton Lewis

IN THE half light softened by the
green shade. two old men were sit
I ting. staring silently before them.
One of them, the master of the house,
was an old army officer. with stiff
narrow necktie, his bristling mustache
and the military air of his face.
The other man, seated near him on
a sofa, was tall, angular, with narrow
shoulders and a large head, with tbs
forehead of thinker. He was calmly
smoking a long pipe. Both were silent.
Not a sound was heard in the room
but the faint cracking of the burning
oil and boiling Of the tobacco in the
long pipe. A clock in the background
of the room struck II.
This is the hour when she used to
begin brewing the punch" said the
man with the thinkers forehead.
His voice was soft and trembled a
little
yes, this is The hour" the other
repeated.
His tone was hoarse, like the echo
of former comma ndS-
Il would never have thought that
life would hare been so sad w,t lout
her" said the first
The master Of the house noddrii and
his jaws continued their incessant
mastication.
''She made our New Years punch A
times" said the first
Yes. it Is just 40 years since I came
to Berlin and you have been coming
here as a friend during all these
years." said the old soldier.
Last year at this time" the first
went on, eve were still happy together.
She was sitting in the armchair over
there knitting stockings for Paufs
oldest boy. She was hurrying, for she
said she must finish them before mid
night, and she did finish. Then we
drank our punch. and spoke very calm
" Of death. and two months later she
left us. You know 1 have written a
big book on the Immortality of the
Idea" You have never been able to
get through 1t. Well. 1 have learned
to hate 1t, too. since your wife died.
The ideas Of the whole world are no
longer worth the price OF a pipe of to-
bacco to me-"
Yes. she was a good woman" said
her husband. She always took care
Of me. and when service called me
away from home at in the morning.
she always got up first to see that my
coffee was good. She had her faults.
too. however. as. for instance, when
she began to talk philosophy with
YOU
You have never understood her."
said the other, and his narrow lips
showed a sudden flush of'anger. which
-
eyes rested for a long while sadly on
his friend, as II his conscience re-
preached him for something. Then he
said:
Franz. I must tell you something
which has long tormented me and the
secret of which cannot carry with
me to my grave"
We'll, don't make so much fuss
about it." said the master of the, house,
taking his long pipe which was stand
ing against the arm of the rolling
chair in which he was sitting.
Something once passed between
your wife and me
The soldier dropped. his pipe and
stared at his friend with wide open
eyes.
NO jokes, doctor, If you please" he
said at last
Unfortunately, I am very much in
earnest, Franz" the other replied. 81
have borne this secret for more than
40 years and now the time has come
when I must tell YOU"
DO you mean to say that my wife
was unfaithful TO me?" the officer
roared angrily
Are you not ashamed OF yourself
Franz" said his friend, with his SAD
and gentle smile.
The old soldier growled some unin-
te1ligible words and lit his pipe
NO. she was as pure as an angel"
the other went on. Tt is I who am the
guilty. Listenl 1t is just As years
ago. You had been made a captain at
a Berlin regiment and 1 was professor
at the university. You know you were
quite a sport at that time"
"Oh." exclaimed the other, raising
his trembling hand to twirl his mus
tache.
Just then it was a beautiful actress
with black eyes and little white teeth
Do you remember
'Tf I remember her name was Bian-
ca" A pale smile fitted across the
old mans face.
You were unfaithful to your wife,
and she felt it, but she said nothing,
and kept her pain to herself You
saw nothing. but I did She was the
first woman / had ever really known
since my mother died. She came into
my life like a brilliant star and l
looked up to her with veneration. I