The Washington herald., 1914-12-27

] did sleep little, early. Then the
same thing happened again. Early in
the morning l smelied the scent of that
unusual perfume. Very distinctly now.
There was no mistake about it. fought
il for while-and got up. The thing
was too much for me. Besides, l want
ed to convince myself-of my suspi-
cions.
My wife lay, IN little huddle, at one
side of her bed. leaned over her. The
scent Of the perfume came from her.
"OhP she said, starting up. How
you frightened mel What IS it?"
Nothing" / said, and went into the
thought. had made an advance that
took my breathl
You see the cage l had run into. She
knew everything, and believed much
more-the worst, the thing that wasn't
so. And | couldn't even speak in ex-
PLANTATION, without an explosion from
her, without a confession-of what
wasn't true. You see The situation
wasn't the worst that might happen,
though. Silence was better than hys-
terics-that was clear. There was moth
ing to do, then, but keep my mouth shut
and. If possible, get some sleep.
Now that ! understood, the physical
suggestion of the scent was less effec-
tive against my nerves. You can get
used to anything, / think. 1 got some
snatches of sleep the next few nights
forced a little by bromideS. That was
gain, but felt then that it was only
temporary. And l did all that | could
do-watched my wife as closely as she
watched me.
She acted very much as usual in the
daytime. That perfume, with which she
must have saturated her night clothing,
was gone. There were some minor
changes in her dress. She no longer
wore her elaborate diamond rings And
this and all the changes that she made
were suggestive of the other woman
her tastes and habits.
There was one other change, though,
still more trying-that peculiar little
smile with which she had come to watch
me. But this mood itself, | noticed,
shifted very soon afterward to another
Her face dropped it, after day or two,
for little scowl Ii seemed to gather
more and more as | managed to gain a
little sleep. Possibly that was my inag-
ination. But she certainly appeared to
be continually brooding. Then her
mood changed once again, and the other
look came back.
About two weeks ago, / should say.
she approached me one morning, and
told me she was getting tired of our
rooms and intended to find new ones. /
made no objection; it was a frequent
result of her varying moods. That
evening she met me downstairs, before
took the elevator.
I've got a surprise for you," she said
We got off at the third floor She
threw open the door. How do you
like it," she asked
II was that roon-rose and gold
exactly as IT was when l left It'll The
lamp-everything but the other woman's
body. Great Godl My lanc caught
the wall to steady me.
Ny wife looked at me with that half
smile-not the slightest turn of infec-
tion or expression.
"You like it, don't you? knew you
would! She walked across the room.
l followed her.
"But wait till you see the bedcham-
Der. That's wonderful. The best OF
sllp
She threw open the door-turned
on the electric light. l looked, as
was directed.
\ She watched me with the same lack
d expression, all but her eyes. never
Sd II such CLINT in human eyes. They |
weA' as hard as jade.
ltSyas beautiful room enough. But
it had, of course, none of the effect on
me of the other. Merely blind anger |
for this last insult-the thing that was
in her eyes. 1t was the same sugges-
tion, | understood now, that she made |
when she used the perfume-never in |
the daytime, never except in the night |
1t is amazing how you are tied up by |
your life, your training If had been |
broken up to life differently, say like a |
day laborer, a mechanic, no doubt |
should have killed her. As it was, all |
my energies went for the one thing |
had to do-keep silence Outcry or |
violence would mean only one thing
confession.
Il see" l said finally, and wiped my
dry tongue over my lips. | hadn't real
lied before how firmly | was caught
had begun only that night to realize |
the possibilities of the thing She play
ed with death with all the pleasure of a
cat. That chair in the center of the
room. for example, could not look at |
it without remembering. without living
il all over again. | tell you, could see
that woman's head fall forward as the
attack came on her And that was the |
only place in the room where | could
read. sat there, finally. | had to do
| had TO read. My flesh
But it was better, after all,
than sitting there watching the thing
empty-and remembering.
And by that time my wife refused
absolutely to go out evenings.
You enjoy it so much more here,
she said, with her catlike smile.
She didn't say much. She was too
wise for that. Merely sat there, shad-
ing her eyes with her hands, OCCASION
ally glancing over at me- The color,
the rest of the splendid room-all that
the other woman was, and she never
could bel And silence; no more verbal
ggestions-merely silence.
But it was the other room. could
see, the chamber, that interested her
most. Her eyes Shone wher she saw
ne pass into it. She lay still and rigid
in her bed-an attitude which, l had
,ome to understand, meant that she was
vide awake and listening. The smell
of the perfume filled the sieeping-room,
Is usual
But she was entirely wrong in her
- faaI,pne |