Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-23

and she would probably come to her senses
That any woman could be proof against
such an accumulation Of accusations
and proofs against her faithess lover
seemed incredible; but that she would hold
on to him after he was dead was impossi.
BILE. once this rascal Maxwell was out OF
her mind, Mcbride felt that he would
have a clear field The sooner that
state Of affairs could be brought about. the
better.
He called on her that evening, and APP
preached the explanation as gently as he
could; because he did not want a repetition
OF the scene at the Athletic club He did
not tell her that Maxwell was murdered
That could come later. 1t would be enough
to say that he had fallen into the river
and that his body had only just been
identified.
She did not cry. She listened as II he
were talking about something that had
happened to some one else, with which she
had nothing to do. She arrived at the
source OF his information with very few
sharp questions, and then remarked drylyi
Another story that Mr.. Hartley is mixed
up in" She shook her head and said she
did not believe a word of it.
Mcbride went over all his arguments
again 1t was perfectly useless He hoped
she would ask him how MIR. Maxwell came
TO be in the river and he tried to lead her
to that question by suggesting that his
death was the simple and only explanation
of her not hearing from him. But she did
not seem to care what explanation might
be offered to account for his being drowned
She didn't care if he had run away, she
said, and she did not believe he was dead
She didn't care anything about his change
of name and she didn't believe he was q
forger. She did not care II he did dine
with another woman every night; but she
didn't believe he was married to her. FL
nally she said she didn't care II ne was mar
ried; she didn't care If he was dead. She
said she was going to stick to Hardy Max
we'll until he told her those things him
self even II she had to wait until th'
next world for the explanation.
Mcbride frankly expressed his amaze
ment at such mad infatuation, especially
when wasted on such a worthless object, L
seemed to him to be sin.
mo, it is not a SIM" she said slowly
playing with the tassel on the arm of hel
easy chair, and gazing into the fire. "W,
cannot all be good, Mr.. Mcbride, any more
than we can be great or clever. Our natures
may all possess if we will only cultivate it
We can at least be loyal to our friends
But you surely do not call one a FRIEND
who has grossly deceived you; who ha'
given you false name; who has fllrteC
with another woman; who has shown him
self coward and a cad by running away
without even saying goodby, even IL III
is not a forger and rascal that he seems
to be? Why, I should think you would
loathe the very thought that such a person
had ever held a place in your affections
for a moment"
II don't care what you say against him
Mr.. Mcbride she said quietly but sadly
as the tears rose in her eyes, some womer
go through life without ever meeting th'
man they really love-the one man in the
whole world that has that subtle fascina.
ton for them that no woman can feel more
than once Those that do meet the right
man go one of two ways; to heaven with
him; to the other place without him. II
the first path is not open to me, 1 will
take the second"