The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1911-01-05
THE FARMER: JANUARY 5. 1911

ItE
country that is worrying me- It mus
| worry anybody who really cares fo
it. But there, dons let's talk Of It
YOU wouldn't understand"
| But the girl felt particularly lone.
ly. She wanted something to thinH
| of, som ething to interest her. H;
always kept her in ignorance of his
affairs. of those things which inter.
&stSd him, which kept him from his
home. She felt that he regarded hel
as a child, or at best a brainless doll
! and she yearned for something to &C.
cupy her. There was no food fol-
mind in this still, silent land, where
each day was the same as the one pre-
ceding; where her every want was al
ways anticipated by her husbands
fOrethought, where she was waited on
| at all times by everybody on the farm
| She was a queen ruling over a realm
! that she had no say in the governing
of. No idol could have been treated
with more burdensome solicitude.
Even-yes, even her wifehood was
only nominal. Her husband was car
rying out his promise to her with
positively painful thought for the let
ter Of it.
Now she persisted.
But 1 should understand, Fer
man. Tell me. This is my country
now as we'll as yours. What is the
trouble? Surely, if it's interests are
your care, they are also mine. am
new to it all, but I should like to
help-you.'
The mans face visibly brighten
ed; but it was only for moment.
He shook his head.
"It would take me a month to tell
You all, to make it clear to you.
But
Eyes? But-what?''
you really want to help me?" he
smiled.
Yes. Of course do" she began.
WELL he said thoughtfully, as
though weighing the words he intend
edd to use, there is a man I want to
cultivate" He lit his pipe and took
several pulls at it. "I want to keep
in touch with him. I want him to be
seen about here. In fact, / want to
know him better than as a casual &C
quaintance. I've asked him to come
up to tiffin tomorrow. He's living
down Kunwana way There are
strong reasons why should keep him
in sight mean political reasons.
Would you care to help me?'
Eyes. I should-indeed I should
What Is his name? What is he like %
Elwood rose from the table
II must go and see if they have un-
loaded the wagon. I've brought you
back a brace Of tiger-skins and
pair Of worries. His name? Guy
Chalmer. He'll be up tomorrow. You
will be able to judge for yourself what
he's like
It was fortunate that he passed
out on the stoep as he finished speak
ing, or he must have seen the terri
BILE effect of his announcement. Mary
was too stunned to make a reply.
Guy Chalmer! Guy Chalmer! The
name rang in her ears, in her brain,
it was written in letters of fire before
her eyes wherever she looked. Guy
Chalmer alive! And he was coming
to tiffin tomorrow. She suddenly
laughed, a sharp, harsh laugh. She
felt she wanted to shrek.
She was still at the table when Tan
ia came in to clear away. Instantly
she sprang to her feet and rushed
from the room.
And so the act-drop went up on the
up.
Their meeting was not one to be
forgotten easily by either of them
The shock to Chalmer was almost as
great, though in a different way, as
Elwood's announcement had been to
Mary. But after the first moments
Of astonishment and ichagrin his nat
uRal andacity saw him through the
falseness Of the position. Then, too,
he found IL easier when he realized
that Elwood knew nothing Of their
previous relations.
1t was after tiff1n he got his choice |
to speak to her alone, nor was he slow |
to seize his opportunity. All the old |
passion, so easily cooled, SO easily for
gotten when thousands of miles sep
arated them, was rekindled, blazing
again in the old impetuous fashion,
for the woman was even more beau
tiful than he remembered her He
sought to explain, he sought to justify
his actions. he told her a tale as hun
areds Of other men have told it to
And Mary listened and
smiled, while her heart ached and
spurred her to an angry scorn of her
raithless lover. But none of this did
she show. She even laughed
laughed at the remem brance of their
little episode, as she called it, and
assured him again and again that only
the sight of him had recalled it to
her memory.
She had carried it off as she meant
RI do o. decision she had arrived at |