Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-08-11


Possibly under the pleasing influence
of an engagement Steven might have
admitted that there was hope for a
patching of his broken heart; but, con-
sidering all that had passed between
him and Margaret, there was nothing
to be said. He had been commended
for his constancy; it would not do for
him TO become at once inconstant. So
on the face of it the two began life
| together under the supposition that the
! husband loved another woman, and his
wife accepted the position of friend
and companion.
Mrs. Redmond, having secured a sec
Ondary position with the man she want
ed for a husband. began to consider
how she might drive out the party Of
the first part and occupy first place
Perhaps she acted on the principle Of
the bride who as soon as married pro-
ceeds to break up her husbands con-
nections with the members of his fam
lily and his intimate friends that she
may have no rivals. Another illustra-
ton is the usurper who decapitates the
princes of the blood who may stand in
his way. At any rate, Margaret did
bands heart should be long occupied
by any one but herself. What did she
do? What many women would con-
slider walking right into the den OF the
lioness.
Dear" she said to her husband one
day, Il see no reason why you should
not derive comfort from Lulu Beck
with Had ! married a widower l
would not have been jealous Of his
first wife, and have no jealousy of
one who has preceded me in your af-
fections. SO long as she occupies first
place there's no reason why she should
not come here occasionally to help me
be comfort to you. I've decided to
invite her to make us visit"
Now, Redmond was enjoying the
comforts of a home, had got used to
working in double harness and was de-
voted to his profession. But we are
all contrary at times, and instead of
replying as he felt, "Oh, let that alone
I'm all over it," he said, Don't you
think, dear, it would be unwise to
throw temptation in my way?"
Mrs. Redmond did not see anything
unwise in it at ALL The status was
the same as it had been. Miss Beck
withs parents were still looking for a
husband for her of sufficient eminence
to match her perfections, and there
was no reason why she should not en-
joy Stevens society occasionally and
he hers.
There was something so decided in
the wife's manner as we'll as her
words that the husband made no other
reply than a scowl. To tell the truth,
he thought his wife was trying to dis
cover whether or no he had recovered
from his affair with the lady in ques-
tion. What was his astonishment
when few days later Margaret show
ed him a note from Miss Beckwith ac-
cepting an invitation for a visit. But
what was there to do? Only to let her
come.
The guest arrived just before din
| ner 1t was six years since Steven
Redmond had seen her. She was then
eighteen. She was now twenty-four.
There was no great change in her ap-
pearance. She was still a beauty,
though she was very thin. While
what there was bloomed like a pale
pink rose, there was not much of it to
bloom. Somehow its delicacy was not
as effective with Redmond as it had
been. There was evidence in it of an
early decay. No intellectual change
appeared in the lady, but there had
been no intellectual development. A
certain childlikeness that had been de-
liciousness six years ago was now in.
sipid.
Mrs. Redmond watched her husband
out Of the corner Of her eye as he sur
veyed his old love and saw at once
that the image he had set up in his
heart had tumbled off its pedestal and
been broken In pieces. From the mo-
ment she knew the place her rival had
occupied was vacant and she had but
to step inside she became especially
genial
There Is a status occupied by each
person that cannot be assumed or got
rid Of Mrs. Redmond was herself, and
Miss Beckwlth was herself, and there
was wide gap between their person
alities. Redmond WINGED under the
shallow remarks of the girl whom,
when he proposed to his wife, he had
said was his first and would be his
only true love. When the coffee was
brought on he said, You and Lulu 90
into the library and make yourselves
comfortable; I'm going to smoke here"
"You don't mind smoke. do you, Miss
Beckwith?" asked Mrs. Redmond. "I
don't"
Miss Beckwith said she didn't mind
1t at all. Since Mr.. Redmond would
not be permitted to smoke alone he
went with them to the library.
The man who could never love but
one woman held out for three days,
showing by his actions that his 'love''
had become bore to him, but he was
unwilling to go back on himself and