The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-01-17

do to help me back to health"
 His shot had gone home. Mary had wished to spare his feelings, but now she preferred to dismiss him de liberately.
 ''He always was stickler fol duty"
 "Yes. Duty and pleasure are one and the same to him."
 Guy had drawn himself further OF to the stoep, and his sjambok was idly stroking her skirt, which trailed upon the floor. His movement was g. caress which she resented, and she drew it sharply out of his reach. He looked up with an ugly grin.
 Look here. Mary" he said. 'don't let's quarrel, it's so confoundedly like married folk. You and I are too old friends for that You must excuse my getting angry. You see I have a right to expect-well, kindly treat ment from you. And after all it's 3 very little thing to ask. Just a ride. "A little thing? Go and explain the case to any woman in the district and ask her opinion. Once and for all I refuse to ride with you; and further, if you visit the farm again you must come to see Ferman. and only when he is here. You force me l to speak plainly"
 ''I like plain speaking, and since you have adopted it, I, too, will dc so," Guy cried, finging discretion to the winds. We were lovers once wo were engaged. I left you be- cause had no option. We meet again cut here, and you are married By every act you encourage me to your side. Gods knows it was easy enough for you. For me, to love you once is to do so always. In spite of your VOWS to your husband you have-out of woman's petty vanity-stirred up the love which have striven to keep under, till it has become greater than I can control. Now, having satisfied yourself with the mischief you have worked. you want to fling me back upon myself, to eat my heart out while you turn back to the man for whom, it is easy enough to see, you don't care a straw. Mary, you cannot do it. l can't believe it. You, who have al- ways been so gentle, so honest, so womanly. Think of all We have been to each other. No,"--as the woman raised a protesting hand ''you must hear me now. You have brought it on yourself. I promised not to speak like this again once when we were out riding, but I am only human, and I love you to dis traction. Why do you want to be rid of me? It is not on account of your husband. What is it then Have I become hateful to you? don't believe it; I won't believe it. That is not your nature. Whatever your reason for wishing to send me away, do not think you have chang ed towards me. Remember the old days when we were all in all to each other. Remember our solemnly given vows. Mary, forget my little nasti- ness to you, and remember only love Some day, and at no distant date, l shall be in a very different position to that which am in now, and then then-then all I have will be yours for the accepting. Molly. do not send me from yoh."
 The mans face was alight with passion. It was the sensual passion of a man who does not know the meaning of the higher love. In an undeflned way Mary read something of what she saw. His words rang sincerely enough; in his own lights he loved her desperately, but there could be no mistaking the light in his eyes. His words stung while they rather overwhelmed. No woman can be wholly unaffected by passion such as his. But his influence died with his words. The sting only re- mained, and the woman was left ev- en more strengthened in her purpose and a feeling stirred her which she had never known before.
 Now the large figure of her hns- band stood out before her mental vision, patient, calm, ever kindly, ev- CT incomprehensible to her, overshad- owing the other. The comparison re- volted her. and she sickened at the thought of her own position, lashed by the baseness of the passion Guy offered her. Fear had first moved her to rid herself of him; now she felt she hated him. There was someteing unclean in the manner in which he approached her. And her husband thought they were lovers She could have cried out at the shame of it. Now she saw how far far she must have fallen in her husbands eyes, and how impossible it was that he could ever take her into his heart again. For a moment her faculties seemed paralysed. ther with a sudden rush came the scorch ing shame and pain, and she knew it before, never understood. She loved her husband. She had not ooIi1ad uhv cha wartad to raCo ir