The citizen. (Honesdale, Pa.) 1908-1914, 1913-03-25
Her Return
1t Was Long
Delayed
By CLARISSA MACKIE

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For three long years Genet Saville
had nursed a bitter resentment against
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 its 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 a well
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, a
thousand days, and more, ages ago,
since their parting in the library. Never
had she once longed for the sound of
Normans 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 un-
wholesome reflections.
Then one lovely morning Genet climb
ed up the Eerdant 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, a 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
hungrily, as one who looks on be
loved forgotten picture and revels IL
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 ant
black lashed, were fixed on the girls
in its virginia. purity of expression.
So Norman must have looked at hel
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
blfno with lon0 oontroIlad anOtinn do
liciously thrilled at the wild prompt
ings of her wayward heart. Impetu
ously she had withdrawn from her hus
band, too hurt to render him justice
AS passionately would she return t.
him and heap the smothered riches o
her love and lifelong devotion at hi
feet to repay for his suffering, his re
gret, his loneliness, for he would hav,
suffered keenly, he who worshiped tn,
ground she trod. All the world shoult
know that she who had left him in an
ger without due reason acknowledge
her mistake and had returned to him.
After awhile she descended to thu
village, singing all the way to the tin!
chalet where she lived. The simpl,
peasants among whom she had spen
her exile looked after her and wonder
ed and smilingly agreed with one an
other that the sad faced lady had fount
happiness after all.
All the nightmare Of Genet's nurtur
ed resentment which had robbed he
of three years of life was banished b.
her preparations for immediate depar
ture. Now that she saw herself in tn
wrong she chafed to be humiliated be
fore her husband in expiation of her sir
Arrived in New York and settled II
a hotel under an assumed name, sh
called a cab and motored slowly pas
the town house. AS she expected,
was closed and shuttered. She locke,
up at the familiar windows with din
eyes and registered a vow to live NOR
earnestly, more worthily, If she wa
permitted to go back.
The next day the train carried he
Town to Fairflelds, where she entere