The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1916-03-03


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ply sorry for me. That's the frs
kind word I've had for years."
well, it's the last you'll have TO-
years" Fanshaw retorted. $50 ev
eryone says I'm cruel to you. B,
God, if I've the name I'll have thu
game. Answer that note. Answer
1t, l say! as his wife shrank bacl
before the look in his face. "Tel
your lover you are wretched and thai
your only happiness is to see him
here every night"
ooh, Dick, cannot" she moaned.
"Iou will do so as | command YOU
Fanshaw replied, his smoulderina
eyes on hers. "How dare you tell me
you cannot?"
Two days after this encounter Fan.
shaw came home looking as genial as
possible for him. He tossed par
eel into his wife's lap as she sat 81.
lent, brooding. "There, take that,
he said, "and fix it up and make your
self as pretty as you can when the
boys are here"
She opened the package and re.
pressed cry of pleasure. The silver
brocade fell out. The sheen and
sparkle of the splendid fabric would
have appealed to any woman. Mrs
Fanshaw was quite touched by her
husbands gifts. She rose to give
him timid caress, but he pushed her
aside, and going to his desk, took d
pack of cards from an inner drawer.
The woman, who was watching
him, grew pale. She had not seen
him bring out that pack for years.
She crossed the room and looked
over his shoulder as he sat there fun
bling and studying them. "Dick,' >
she said, what are you going to do?
"Do?" he growled. "I'm going to
do your friend. | see his finish"
Mrs. Fanshaw turned without a
word and went back to her work.
But new light crept into her soft
deep eyes and resolute lines curled
the corners of her lips.
The next night she stood before her
dressing table and regarded her
beauty with mournful intensity. Of
what avail had it been to her? What
had it brought her but misery?
And tonight prescience of something
terrible lay upon her, gloom she
could not shake off. With a sigh
she patted her beautiful hair and
tried to smooth out the lines that
were beginning to creep round her
red lips--lips formed for love and
kisses, but dropping now in pathetic
curves.
The old silver brocade became her
She had resurrected a
few yards of cobwebby lace, remnant
of former grandeur These she had
draped about her beautiful shoulders.
rising white as marble from the filmy
meshes. She had no ornaments, nor
did her beauty require them.
When Gillette came in that evening
he gave a palpable start as the SUI
perb woman rose to greet him. He
had never dreamed she was so beau
tiful.
"Will you accept these" he asked,
her huge bunch Of Par
ma violets.
Mrs. Fanshaw took them with de-
light. She inhaled their perfume
with ecstasy. Then she pinned them
on her breast.
Fanshaw watched this scene with
lowering broWs, but offered no OBJ
lection to his wife's reception Of the
lowers. As he passed into the den
rom the sitting room his wife man
2ged to whisper to Gillette, "Do not
2lav tonight. The cards are mark
I'd"
Come, Gillette, we are waiting
7anshaw called a few moments later,
when all the men had taken their
]laces at the table.
ooh, yes-er-thanks, old man"
'cpljed Gillette airily. "but I'm afraid
ii have to deny myself the pleasure
;onight. I've got an awfully impor-
ant engagement, and only ran in to
zee how you are. Good night, fell
ows. Good night Mrs. Fanshaw."
He had bowed himself from the
com before Fanshaw realized that
lie was baked of his prey. His face
vas not good to see, as he said cool
Y, ooh, very well, We'll have to do
Without him, them
They were all gone.
Fanshaw turned the key in the door
nd faced his wife.
A devil looked out Of his gloomy
YES. He devoured her with his
rediant, beautiful crea
ure-his-and yet not his-so far
way and so far above him, At that
moment he knew not whether he
owed her or hated her.
Suddenly he extinguished the gas.
he room was now in darkness, save |
yhere the Pickering fire from the
pen crate played upon the rug
yhere his wife stood like a white,
old statute.
He came nearer. Then, as he
TODD before her he fiercely tore the
ioIets from her breast and threw
hem on the floor. She regarded him |
With passive contempt.
"You warned your lover" he said |