Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-15


was more handwriting and congratu.
lations, and it was not until he
looked at his wife at dinner thai
Fleming really saw her face; its bag.
gard pallor struck him dumb In this
midst of some gay story to the pretty
neighbor on his right. "Tm afraid
my wife is not WE'LL" he said, anx-
iously.
"Oh, it's the reaction, Mr.. Fleming
Amy has been perfectly splendid; but
now, naturally, she feels the reac-
ton"
Somehow or other, with its gayety
and good fellowship, that dreadful
| evening passed. When the friendly
folk streamed out into the starry
winter night there was some anxious
comment
How badly she looked"
MY dear, can you wonder? Think
what she's been through"
But one woman, on her husbands
| arm, murmured, You don't suppose
he COULD have done-anything?"
Twelve good men and true have
said he didn't; your remark is out of
order"
When Fleming closed the door upon
anxiously to his wife. Amy,
haven't had chance to speak to
| you. You are worn out. Bates, look
at her-she's worn outi"
Bates, lounging in the library door
way, agreed. Indeed she is. Mrs.
Fleming, you ought not to have at
tempted dinner party. l believe It's
all my fault because 1 suggested it."
TITS your fault, because you got
me off" Fleming sad, loosely. The
dullness of the first part of the eve
ming had quite Disappeared; he was
rather flushed and inclined to laugh
buoyantly at everything; but his face
was anxious when he looked at his
wife Amy, you must go right
straight to bed!"
81 am going now" she said Good
night. Mr.. Bates. will copy that
poem for you-sometime" she ended
family.
Her husband put his arm about her
to help her upstairs, but she drew
away. mo: stay down and smoke
with Mr.. Bates Then. as he in
sisted on coming up with her, she
pushed his arm away, sharply.
nPlease-Don't! My head aches.
upon the stairs moment, then went
81 never knew Amy SO upset" he
said. stupidity.
TITS been a hard week for her."
Bates explained, easily. But Flem-
'ng smoked morosely; he was plainly
relieved when his guest said he
thought he would go to bed.
"We'n take the eight-fifteen in the
morning, Bates" he said. and Bates,
yawning. agreed.
Fleming went softly into his own
room, and was half disappointed, half
relieved, to find his wife lying mo-
tionless, with closed eyes. "A good
nights sleep will set her up" he
thought, tenderly. (Fleming himself
had good nights sleep That Amy's
eyes opened painfully to the dark,
when the house had sunk into silence,
no did not know. She seemed to be
sleeping soundly when he awoke the
| neXt morning; and again he crept
about. not even daring to kiss her,
lest she might be disturbed. Just be-
fore he and Bates made a dash for
the eight-flfteen she told Jane to ask
Mrs. Fleming to call him up on the
telephone when she came downstairs,
so he might know how she was.
AS for Amy, when she heard the
front door close behind the two
hurrying men, she got UP YEARLY
"Now, I've got time to think" she
said. There was a certain relief in
the consciousness of silence and of
time She could think all day; she
could think until half-past six; how
many hours? Ten! Ten hours-in
which to take up a new life Ten
hours in which to become acquainted
with her husband.
II have never known him." she
said feebly to herself. Well, now she
must think
She had some coffee and went down
to the library. She told Jane that
she would not see anyone, all day.
II have a headache" she explained.
And when Jane left her, she drew
her little chair up to the hearth; NOW,
I'll think" she said. The SO 600 had
heen borrowed" from one trust to
pay another. Borrowing from Peter
to pay Paul. Well. restitution, first
OF ALL on Tuesday. They would sell
n bond and take some money out of
the bank. But after restitution they
must 20 on living. but don't know
him." came the dreadful refrain.
checked by the instant determine
ton: ooh l must Think"
When Fleming came hurriedly up
the garden path to his own door, he
had to pull out his latchSey to let
himself into the house. He caught
sight of her in the | brary, standing
motionless, her back to the door, one
hand resting on the mantle piece, the
other droooping at her side, the fin
gers between the pages of book. He
came in quickly, with a gaily deri-
sive laugh.
you didn't hear met Then, as
she did not turn, he sobered. Amy,
anything the matter? Is anything
wrong?"
Yves. There is something--wrong."
| AMY" he said, thoroughly
alarmed, what is the matter? Tell
met"
Il will tell you Sit down. There;
at the library table. | will-show
you"
He sat down. blankly, his lower lip
sighed. then came around the table,
stood behind him and laid the book
down beside him. She pressed it
open, and In silence ran her finger
down the page.
The fire sputtered little; then
everything was still. She had left
him, and had gone back to the hearth
rug, and stood as before, one hand
lon the mantelpiece, the other list
LESS at her side. The silence was
horrible.
Then. suddenly, Thomas Fleming
ripped and tore the pages out of the
hook and threw them on the logs; the
louick leap of the flames alone on his
white face and his furious eyes. A
minute afterward he spoke. Under
that storm of outrageous words she
lbent and shrunk a little. silently.
l0nce she looked at him with sort
,of curiosity. So this was her hus-
band? Then she looked at the fire.
when, choking with anger, he
paused, she said, briefly, that she had
been hunting for her Commonplace
Book. down on the lower shelf, and
had found-this.