Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-02-22

her husband During this time there
was ever before her the mental pic
ture of their quarrel and the parting.
The recollection of his white. con-
temptuous face always stung her to
fresh hatred of him. She could hear
his low spoken acrid reply to her up
braiding. The few words that had
sent her fleeing from the room and
later from his house with all the quick
passion of her southern nature stirred
to it's depths.
She had sought solitude in an OBJ
scure Swiss hamlet. She, who was
without kinsfolk., had cut herself loose
from the only tie that bound her to
her world. She had not seen familiar
face nor heard the sound of well
known voice in all those thirtysiX
months. She had not read a news
paper nor heard any tidings of the old
life. Her private fortune. in negoti-
able securities, afforded her every ma
terial comfort She had music and
books. her favorite dog and bitter
thoughts.
Three years, thirty-six months,
thousand days, and more. ages ago,
since their parting in the library. Never
had she once longed for the sound of
Norman's voice, for the sight of his
| face, for reconciliation. She hated him
for his outburst that night, hated him
| for his cool contempt of her "heroics,"
| as he called it. Always she would re-
member him as she had last seen him.
cold and stern and bitter, with no love
| for her. She fed her soul on these I'M
wholesome reflections.
Then one lovely morning Genet climb
ed up the verdant upland pastures re-
claimed from the rough mountain sides.
! She paused in the shadow of dark
clothed pine tree, inhaling the pure air
and glorying in the panorama Of noun
tain and valley, pine forest and dis
tant glacier, when close beside her
there sprang into view tableau-a
young dairy farmer and his sweetheart.
Genet had often watched the peas
ants, her fair face amusedly con-
temptuous of their crude lovemaking
This man might have been Norman's
twin brother-handsome, clean cut
gray eyed, brown skinned. The girl
| was fresh and sweet and fair. She
was in his arms. and his firmly nodded
chin was pressed against the parting of
her golden hair.
Genet watched them, strange new
feeling leaping to her head, to her heart
"a white flame of jealousy that scared
her wounds-the bitterness. the anger,
against her husband Her pulses throb-
bed. and the blood flew to her cheeks.
She watched the mans face wistfully,
hunErily, as one who looks on be-
loved forgotten picture and revels in
the wonderment of rediscovery.
The face of the man was curiously
like that of Norman-the finely shaped
head with its closely brushed chestnut
hair. the straight nose, the resolute
mouth now softened into tenderness.
The steadfast gray eyes, deep set and
black dashed, were fixed on the girls
face. shyly lifted to his and exquisite
in its virginia. purity of expression.
So Norman must have looked at her
when he had told Genet of his love.
Genet drew back among the pine
boughs and leaned her face against the
rough bark of the tree. She was trem-
bling with long controlled emotion, de-
liciously thrilled at the wild prompt
ings of her hayward heart. Impetu-
Ously she had withdrawn from her hus-
band. too hurt to render him justice.
As passionately would she return to
him and heap the smothered riches of
her love and a lifelong devotion at his
feet to repay for his suffering. his re-
greet his loneliness. for he would have
suffered keenly, he who worshiped the
ground she trod. All the world should
know that she who had left him in an
ger without due reason acknowledged
her mistake and had returned to him.
After awhile she descended to the
village, singing all the way to the tiny
chalet where she lived. The simple
peasants among whom she had spent
her exile looked after her and wonder
ed and smilingly agreed with one an
other that the sad faced lady had found
happiness after all.
All the nightmare of Genet's nurtur-
ed resentment which had robbed her
of three years of life was banished by
her preparations for immediate depar-
wrong she chafed to be Inundated be-
fore her husband in expiation of her sin.
Arrived in New York and settled ID
hotel uGder an assumed name, she
called a cab and motored slowly past
the town house. AS she expected. II
was closed and shattered. She looked
up at the familiar windows with dim
eyes and registered a vow to live more
earnestly. more worthily. IL she was
permitted to go back.
The next day the train carried heI
down to Fairfelds. where she entered
the ancient surrey which served al
transportation purposes for the casua
traveller.
Leaving the sleepy village. the surrey
rolled laZily along the sandy. wooded
roads under tall growing white oak.
and chestnuts.
Genet sat with clinched hands AM
tense lips watching the sand drift II
golden streams over the tires, con
scicus OF the intoxicating summe