The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-09-26

coming to a close. The paths began to
fill with long lines of hurrying home
seekers. their day in Office or factory
at an end.
Then impulsively she held out her
hand to me.
"You have been more than kind to
me-" she said hurriedly. You have
taken me into your homeland helped
me through these dreadful days-and
will never forget it. Neyer!'
Il am not virtuous.'' | replied. look
ing down at her. Il coIldn't help it,.
You walked into my life when you
came to my office-was II only last
week? The evil days are coming. ]
suppose. hut just now nothing matters
at all, save that you are you, and |
am l."
She dropped her veil quickly. and we
went back to the car. The prosaic
world wrapped US around again. There
was a heavy odor of restaurant coffee
In the air. People bumped and jolted
past US. To me they were only shad-
ows. The real world was a girl in
black and myself, and the girl wore
betrothal ring which was not mine.
Mrs. Butler came down to dinner
that hight. She was more cheerful
than l had yet seen her, and she had
changed her mournful garments to
something trife less depressing
With her masses of fair hair dressed
high and her face slightly animated.
realized what | had not done before.
that she was the wreck of u very beau
tiful woman.
She used a cane when she walked,
and after dinner in the library she was
content TO sit impressive. detached.
propped with cushions. while Margery
read to the boys in their night nursery
and Edith embroidered.
Fred had been fusSing over a play
for some time and lie had gone to read
l. to some manager or other. Edith al
ready was spending the royalties.
I'VE could go little ways out of
town" she was saving, land we could
have an automobile Margery says
theirs will be sold, and certainly it will
be bargain"
Near me Mrs. Butler had languidly
taken up the paper. Suddenly she
dropped it. and when | stopped and
picked it up l noticed she was trem-
bling
SIS 1t true?' she demanded. rs Rob
ert Clarkson dead?"
Yes" aSsented. HE has been dead
since Sunday morning-a suicide"
I'm glad. glad" she said. Then she
grew weak and semi-hysterical, laugh
ing and crying in the same breath.
When she had been helped upstairs
for in her weakened state it had been
more of a shock than we realized
Margery came down, and we tried TO
forget the scene we had just gone
through.
1t was strange to contrast the way
in which the two women took their
similar bereavements. Margery repre-
scented the best type of normal Ameri-
can womanhood, Ellen Butler the neu-
rasthenic; she demanded everything by
her very helplessness and timidity.
She was a constant drain on Edith's
ready sympathy. That night while |
closed the house-Fred had not come
ln-I advised her to let Mrs. Butler go
back to her sanatorium.
At 1870 was still downstairs. Fred
was out. and | waited for him, being
curious to know the verdict on the
play. The bell rang a few minutes be-
fore / and | went to the door. Some
body in the vestibule was tapping the
floor impatiently with his foot. When |
| opened the door | was surprised TO |
find that the late visitor was Wardrop. |
His eyes were sunk deep in his head. |
his Redeemed lids and twitching mouth
-old of little sleep, of nerves ready to |
map.
I'm glad it's you" he said. by way
( greeting >'iI,was afraid you'd have
one to bed
.It's the top of the evening yet"
aplied perfunctorilS~~as | led the way
Ito the library. Once INSIDE. Wardrop
losed the door and looked aN5pd him