The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1916-04-21
Her Beautiful
Rival
When They Met Again In
After Years
By LUCY MEDFORD

Il guess I have. My hat blew off
just before quitting time, and I
wouldn't come down from the rocks
for it," He leaned back in his chair
contentedly. "Mrs. Holman has
company" he announced.
"Has she? Who?" Nan looked
eager.
"You can't guess" He was teas
ing her.
"No, I can't. I'm not good at
guessing. Tell me, do"
"Well, it's Mrs. Abner Mcclure"
Nan sank back in her chair.
"You mean Molly Stewart" she
asked.
Jim nodded.
"When did she come? Her voice
had changed.
"This morning. She brought a
trunk, 50 | judge she is going to
stay quite a spell"
Nan caught her breath and look
cd at her husband, eating his sup
per and apparently all unconscious
Of the strife which he had suddenly
renewed in her 4eart. Long ago,
very long ago in the days when she
had only loved Jim and never ex-
pected to be his wife, Molly Stew
art had been his sweetheart.
A wave of jealousy surgcd through
Mans whole being, a feeling she
had not experienced since the old
days, when she used to look upon
Jim's sweetheart as some one who
was keeping from her the one mar
she had ever loved.
In those days Molly Stewart was
a rare beauty, n Of those to whom
nature has given and given until it
seems she can add not one thing
more And she had ways. No other
girl could charm as she could, OF
dance or sing or laugh.
Nan had never known what came
between him and Molly. He said
he had not asked Molly to marry
him, and she had limited that he
had and that she would have none
of him.
Nan remembered the first time
he walked home with her from
church and how the people stared.
She was not pretty, like Molly, and
she had not Molly's good clothes or
Molly's way of wearing them. She
was just a sweet, dainty looking
girl, with a heart capable of love
and happiness. Jim had always
been her ideal, her hero. When he
turned from Molly Stewart to her
she could not understand it.
Molly had married Abner Nc
Clurc DON aftcrward and had gone
away with him. She had now been
away seven years, and still people
remembered and spoke Of her young
beauty, which had reached its trans
ccndcnt point on her wedding day.
Now Of a sudden she had come
back. The news oppressed Nan.
She did not know why.
Il didn't tell you, did !, that Alb
ncr McClure's dead?" Jim asked
later in the evening.
"No. Is he?" Nan returned in
what she tried to make a careless
tone. Then she rose and went into
the next room for something.
A little while afterward he said:
"You needn't put up any luncheon
for me tomorrow. I'm going to eat
at Holmans'. There's some timber
there that l promised to look at
long ago, and I guess III do it to-
morrow"
The hot day subdued itself into
a hot night. Jim slept heavily, but
Nan could not. She lay looking out
Of the window at a certain star
which struggled YEARLY to free it.
self from a cobweb of cloud in
which it had become entangled.
Varied and very bitter we're her
thoughts.
Molly had come back a widow.
Nan could see her in her black
things, with her vivid face and cop
perry hair. 1t was said Abner Nc
Clure had money, and Molly always
would dress we'll anyway.
Nan had heard Of what a beauti-
full widow may do, and tomorrow
Jim, her Jim, was going back to
Holmans', straight into the old net
that had enmeshed him. She clinch-
ed her hands in the darkness and
prayed.
Toward morning she fell asleep.
At 6 Jim aroused her. He had
been up an hour.
II let you sleep as long as
could" he said. "Don't fuss ove1
the breakfast. Just make me a cur
&c o@H@1 AL - l.o.c