The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1914-01-10

MY husband is coming-down the
hill. What shall l do?" She be-
gan to tremble very violently.
There's but one thing to do,
said he. "Stay here and face it
out!s Tell him the truth. Or at
least let me tell him the truth.
I'm not going to lose you now.
Stay here with me-"
Quite suddenly she dapted aside
to the tall shrubbery which stood
thick there, but the man was as
quick as she, and caught her be-
fore she had gone more than a
step or two.
You'll come back when he's
gomez" he demanded. You'll
come back to me, Break O. Day."
The woman was almost beside
herself with fear.
/ Yes, oh, yes!" she whispered.
let me go, Harry! Oh, for Heav-
ems sake, let me go! Yes. I'll
come back. l promise. Let me
go. Oh, won't you let me go? |
promise. l promise anything"
She broke from him and fled into
the cover of the pine shrubs, and
the man watched her go.
Stanley came down the steps
and nodded pleasantly to the man
who was there.
Stranger here?" he inquired.
Yes" said the other man. "In
a way-yes."
He, for his part, was thinking
very swiftly, and he came to a
bold conclusion.
Some years ago." said he, 81
met a woman-a girl-and she
loved me. She was going to leave
the silly, conventional, marion
ette-show life she'd always lived
and come away with me to-free-
dom. ! knew what real life was,
and she was coming to me to
learn. Then things came between
Illness - circumstances - 1t
doesn't matter what. So l lost
her. Well, I've found her again
and she hasn't forgotten. She's
coming with me now" He paused,
and drew another quick breath.
Its your wife" he said. She's
going away with me-"
Stanley gave a short laugh
which seemed to express pure
amusement and nothing else.
"Oh, is she thought" said he.
Yes" said the other. "she Is.
You might as well know IL. or
course" he explained, Il could
have taken her away in secret
without your knowing anything
about it. That's the usual thing,
! believe. But | don't do things
In the dark. Well" he demand
ed after a moments pause, what
are you going to do about IT."
"I?" said the man on the bench.
"What have you to offer that l
have not?"
81 have life to offerl" cried the
other man passionately.
You're a bit vague" COM
planned Mr.. Stanley, his eyes upon
the thick pine shrubbery. Just
what do you mean by this life
Of yours?"
81 mean" cried the other man,
"a life lived close to the good
earth--a life warmed by the sun
and sweetened by the things that
grow-wet with the rain some-
times (for the rain is good), a
life lived as men were meant to
live 1t, free over the world-free
70 come and go without question
or tie-free of conventional things
and people. That's what real life
Isl You've never known it, but
that's what It is"
Stanley nodded his head and
he was no longer smiling.
s II see," said he. II see what
you mean. You come offering In
place of ties and duties, Romance.
The Great Romance"
And the other man said: Eyes. "
'As'I understand, said the man
on the bench again. "You tempt
shrewdly, my friend, because you
offer-or think you what
we all dream of and, In our vary
ing degrees, long for. Romance.
It's the great Lures Oh, yes, you
come with shrewd plea"
He gave another gentle smile,
looking up from where he sat. his
hands clasped about one up
cooked knee.
"Ahl" said he in a new and ten
der tone--smiling away across the
quiet sea. "Ah, these idyllic love
affairs that have come to nothingl
1xk - -xl~k a.. A. ~--.x-.x n. a