The central record. (Lancaster, Ky.) 18??-current, 1913-10-31
! nENIAGT0a'S kTOkEMEHT
BY D. L. GLOVER.


And / am at loss to understand
why you haven't told me before, con-
sidering what good friends we've al
ways been"
l regarded him almost hopelessly.
l had never seen a fellow change so.
Up to the time Of his marriage, five
or six years before, he was the jol-
Hest, most open-hearted, ingenious
boy had ever known. The wedding
took place in Ireland, to an Irish girl.
She was reputed to be beautiful, and
as good as she was beautiful They
After the separation Remington was
never the same.
No one ever knew the real cause
of the rupture. Neither vouchsafed
any explanation, and the public was
too wise, for once, to invent one.
When he came back home every
thing he said to me was:
Don't ask me any questions, Tom.
l loved her-and I'm a broken-hearted
man."
Today, for the first time, he had
given me his confidence.
Il think can sympathize with you
better than any one else" / told him.
Il appreciate your temperament thor
oughly, and then-I am married my
self | know what 1t means to love a
woman as you did that one"
And it is your opinion that | was
entirely blameless in the matter?"
absolutely"
'Mightn't there have been eztenu-
ating-"
q don't admit anything of the
sort"
1T was the one transgression."
81 don't take much notice of argu-
ments of that kind. In all probable
ity the action was merely a text to
her whole character"
Remington whitened at this, but
said nothing. Then, after a pause
'She was young-yery young.
didn't give her a chance-not even
half a chance. l don't believe she
was guilty after ALL"
yet you divorced herr"
my entire course was marked out
by impulse--fierce. passionate. Had /
loved her less, things might have
been different"
'Have you a picture of your-of
herr" / asked presently.
mot one; burned them all-then. u
As he spoke, he pulled out his
u-otrh Ct cd fn h:a rr-ffh n
little gesture Of surprise.
You mustn't think of leaving with.
out seeing my wife," 1 objected, lay.
ing a protesting hand on his arm. 81
want you to meet her; want you to
see what admirable taste I have in
selecting a companion. We've been
married just one year"
Remington smiled and passed a re
Elective hand across his forehead.
ITS easy enough to see how the
wind is blowing in your household
he laughed.
We smoked away in silence for sew
eral minutes, and presently the dool
opened and my wife softly entered
| the room.
She wore a dinner gown of pretty
pale yellow stuff that fell about hel
in graceful scallops and made a faint
musical swish as she moved. In the
| semi-darkness her bare shoulders
| cleaned like snow, and the pendant
| of her necklace rose and fell almost
| imperceptibly on her white bosom
with each gently taken breath.
AS she came further into the light
toward us. Remington stood up ant
acknowledged my introduction with e
low bow. When he lifted his face il
was the color of ashes, and the man
seemed to have aged ten years, In
the ghostly glare of the fire.
My wife had left the room to give
some order about the dinner, anG
| Remington turned to me with an alb
rupt excuse for leaving.
you will make my apologies tc
your wife, old man? l am positively
ill-too i'll to keep up much longer
Fact is, I've been feeling knocked out
all day. and wouldn't give in. When
I feel better, shall be glad to drop
in on you both some time again"
But we did not see him again. Two
days later he wrote Inc, stating that
his regiment had been ordered away
Several months after leaving London
Remington wrote the following let
ter:
| Dear Old Tom-I've been intend
| ing to drop you a line ever since my
departure, but first one thing and
then another coming up, I've KEPT
putting it off.
81 do not need to remind you Of the
| conversation we had on that last
/ night at your house. Do you remem
Der all l told you about her? You
| will recall that l was more than hall
inclined to condemn my own action
all the way through. Well, since then
certain facts have come to my knowl
/ edge establishing her complete limo
cence beyond the question of a
doubt
God! how I've suffered! But 1t is
too late now for me to make any
reparation. She is married again
married to one of the finest fellows
I know.
IF you ever should chance to run
across her, 1 want you to remember
that she is innocent. My only atone
ment must consist in proving hel
stainless before the world. Sincere
ly yours,
REMINGTON"
And my wife, with her pretty Irish
brogue says she pities my friend