Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1914-05-15

would Antoinette have appeared IL
she had had her way.
On the contrary she was small and
piunant lochingJim called her .
blacked-eyed chickadee most OF the
time. Now, she wondered what he
called that other woman--the one
who confidently signed herself Your
/ own,'
Jim was stirring restlessly In his
chair. Antoinette could see the back
of his head with its heavy crop OF
brown hair. She could close her eyes
and see his regular features, hazel
eyes, straight black brows and finely
chiseled lips A little sob broke from
her, at the recollection that Jim was
not all hers-never had been,
| Jim turned quickly--one might have
suggested that he had been listening
for some sound from the little form
In the willow chair.
What is the matter. Antoinette7"
he asked quietly
Antoinette lifted tragieal dark eyes
to his and placed on the table be-
tween them the blurred little note she
mad found in his pocket.
| This is the matter" she said UNI.
evenly. Il found 1t In your pocket
when l was mending your brown coat
don't look so disguzted. really
read tim glad | did. For 1t has
opened my eyes to your deception"
Deception" echoed Jim. jumping
mp and towering over his small wife.
What harm Is there"
Harm" interrupted Antoinette
angrily. "Harm-what harm would
there be II you discovered was car
| rying a love letter from some other
man next 10 my heartiv
From some other mani What
would do7 Why. Why, | suppose I'd
punch his head" he said dazedly But
what has that got TO with IT. For the
love Of Mike. Chiekis. tell mo how
you could raise rumpus over that
harmless little note. eh7 Notice. I'm
not saying anything about your rum
maging through my poeketss"
Harmless little note. indeed"
fiared back Antoinette. she called
yon her 'dearest'-she said the days
were sixty hours long'-and she
signed herself Your Own Tell, me.
James Dewey. who Is this woman
Jim's lips tremhled In . nmile. stiff.
fened sternly. and his eyes were
quite hard when he asked. Don't
you really know who wrote that note.
Antoinette7"
How should | know she retorted.
Z am sure 1t cannot be one OF my
friends-any way. II IL such com
mon looking. grubby note: n I'm go
Ing TO have rival" she broke
down and scbbed brokeniy.
A great tenderness came into Jim's
eyes. He had never known Antoinette
TO be jealous before and he was
touched by her grief
He held the note before her eyes.
Antoinette dabbsd her handkerchief
on her tearwet face and IL came back
streaked with black and red and white
like the Kaiser's war flag.
All In fash Jim congratulated
the reason for the rouged cheeks
and lips and the dark pencil An
toinette had been crying all day over
this note,
-chirkie. what do you want me to
do7" he asked finally.
Destroy that nete and promise mo
never 70 see her again." was An
toinette's quick reply.
Il can't do that. DEAR he said
gently. In the first place the girl
who wrote that note was my first
sweetheart and she win Be my last
one: carry II around In my pocket
because like 20 look AZ II occasion
ally and remember that she loves me
as much today as she did when that
was written"
Antoinetto was as coidiy composed
now as she could have wished, only II
was funny that her heart should feel
50 dead!
Very WELL" she said lisflessly. Il
can go away"
"Chickie.' said Jim again. do you
really mean to say that you don't rec
ognixe that notey"
Il only read It once"
well. read II again. word for word.
read the address at the top. II Is al
most obliterated now-but read II.
The envelope is locked up In my
desk"
Antoinetto held the ragged note
close to the lamp and re-read the
penciled words. A puzzled look came
into her face.
Il can't remember anything about
twas she some one knew she
asked Mt last.
Dear. you wrote 1t YOURSELF" sried
Jim excitedly. Don't you remember
that time when you were stopping AZ
Sea Sands with your mofhers We
had just became engaged and We quar-
relied over necktie ! was wearing?
went back to town and you wrote
me this darling note and rye kept It
ever sincet"
And then, Antoinette vaguely re-