The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-10-20
REnIHGTON'S kTONEhEH1
BY 0. L. GLOVER.

Remington tossed his cIEar stuo
into the CRATE and lighted a cis2fe''e
Il don't know why am t".Ehe you
all this" he obseryed-"l VA" 'd"dSa
one to contend against co','.asaVes'
And am at a loss to uaGefSlahu
why you haven't told me before con
sidering what good friends we've al
ways BEEN"
| regarded him almost hopelessly'
had never seen fellow change SO.
Up to the time of his marriage, hve
or six years before. he was the loi'
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, ana
as good as she was beautiful They
lived together just three months.
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.
| loved her-and I'm 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 them am married my.
self know what it means to love a
woman as you did that one"
and it is your opinion that | was
entirely blameless in the natter"
Absolutely"
"Mightnt there have been extenu
ating-"
q don't admit anything Of the
sort"
1T was the one transgresson.'
81 don't take much notice Of argu
ments of that kind In all proba bill
ity the action was merely a text to
her whole character
Remington whitcned at this but
said nothing Then, after a pause
She was young very young. I
didn't give her a chance-not even
half chance I don't believe she
was guilty after ALL
Yet you divorced herr"
My entire course vas 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.
Not one; ! burned them all then. :"
AS he spoke, he pulled out his
watch, and started to his feet with a
little gesture Of surprise
You mustn't think Of leaving with
out seeing my wife" objected, lay.
ing a protesting hand on his arm. 81
want you to meet her; | want YOU to
see what adnira BILE taste | have in
selecting a companion. We've been
married just one year"
Remington smiled and passed 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 door
opened and my wife softly entered
the room
She wore dinner gown of pretty
pale yellow stuff that fell about her
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 and
acknowledged my introduction with a
low bow. When he lifted his face il
was the color of ashes, and the man
seemed to have aged ten years in
the Rhostly glare of the fire.
My wife had left the room to give
some order about the dinner and
Remington turned to me with an ali.
rupt excuse for leaving
you will make my apologies to
your wife, old man? am positively
ill-too Ill to keep up much longer
Fact is. I've been feeling knocked ont
all day, and wouldn't give in. When
feel better, shall be glad to dron
In on you both some time again"
Bat we did not see him again Two
days later he wrote me. stating that
his regiment had been ordered awav
Several months after leaving London
Remington wrote the follor,nn -,