The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-12-07

"strieE<Iand's s~fuEIy fond Of his wife"
ssto speak with him quietly and smote
him there under the fifth rib, that he
died"
The smile passed unnoticed of Mrs
Trask and Glover, and the secretary
asked:
.eWhat did he sayg
eHe wouldn't hear of it, Wants to
begin with a clean slate, he. says
s. The usually quiet secretary permitted
himself for once to approach the Dor
der of enthusiasm A
sgThat's like Strickland, straight
clean through he exclaimed. s'He's a
fine chap. Too bad. he couldn't make
things CO.
The business man. came uppermost
in the mind of Trask. He shrugged
his shoulders as he answered:
."'Well, that's business. Somebody's
got to &C, to the WALL
Strickland takes it pretty hard. On
account of his wife. guess. He's aw-
fully fond OF her
While business was being discussed
Mrs. Trask had sat Silent. Now the
mention of another woman aroused
her-perhaps it was the thought of a
>
MED TO her by the fates, the full and
undivided affection of husband-and
she asked:
els she nice woman ?''
; Was it the firing rounds of golf,
s5the WEAKNESS induced by hours of
travel or something else which made
Trask yawn before he replied to his
wife2 Certain it was that the mention
of another woman in itself would not
tire him, the man who combined keen
acumen in financial affairs with pur-
suit OF pleasure that would have done
credit or discredit to a Roman of the
days Of imperial decadence.
"Couldn't say. Never met her." he
answered Then he turned to Glover,
saying:
you better put that $4,000 in the
safe, Clover
"Why the cash?'' asked the young
man.
Again the smile appeared on the lips
of Trask
'Well, he said it had been so darn
ed hard for him to get it that he
wanted the pleasure of handing it to
me In ten 81 600 bills. Be sure to de-
post it in the morning
Glover took the money and went to
the safe. Mrs. Trask sat quietly, no.
t1cing nothing, distracted by thoughts
of s4the other woman Trask sat at
the desk, stretching his limbs and
yawning. Neither saw that the money
was deposited securely in the inner
compartment of the safe. Glover turn
ed his head to ask, shall I lock it,
sir?"
eyes, said Trask, and Glover rose,
with the words Anything eIse?'
Il don't think so. Oh, yes! Better
remind me to get that card from Strick-
land in the TeorHing.''
"AII right said Glover. 'I'l go to
my room now He picked up Mrs.
Trask's account. books from the table
and said to her, ''I'l1 have these ready
for you In the morning, Mrs. 1rask.''
She thanked him, and there were
three ''Good nights as he left the
room. When he had gone there was
brief silence, broken only by pro
digious and discourteous yawn from
Trask. It was plainly to be seen thar
between Gerald and Joan Trask there
was nothing of the sweet confidence
and intimacy of married life which
make happy wedlock the nearest earth
" approach to heaven. Long befoss
she had begun to bore him. Years D,
fore he had forfeited by infideIity ar :
Indifference the love she Lad once e
for hiE1. But it not was dead
needed but the spark of renewed a
fection, respect and trustworthiness c
his part 10 bring it into full blaz
Joan TrasIz was a good woman, a wi
of whom any man might have bee