Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-09-29

'"c A'oii cuse or command. Her heart
apparently ceased to beat. She tried
10 smile, but she knew that her face
was tear wet. She knew that jack
tyfe had seen and understood, She
dad done no wrong. but a terrible nm.
prehenslon of consequences seized her.
rear that tragedy Of her own making
might stalk grimly In that room.
Sitting beside window, chin In hand.
her lower lip compressed between her
teeth, she saw Fyfe, after the lapse of
ten minutes, leave by tho front en-
trance, stopping to chat minute with
Linda and Charlie Benton, who were
moving slowly toward tho house. Stel.
10 rose to her feet and dabbed ut her
race with powdered channels. She
couldn't let Monohan go like that; her
heart cried out against 1t. Very likely
they would never meet again.
She flew down the hall to the living
room. Monohan stood just within the
front door gazing irrcsolutely over his
shoulder. He took step or two to
meet her. His clean cut face was
| drawn into sullen lines, u deep flush
| mantled his cheek.
} Listen" he said tcnsely, "I've been
! made to feel like-like- Well, I con-
/ trolled myself. I knew It had to be
I that way. 1t was unfortunate. I think
we could have been trusted to do the
| decent thing. You and were bred to
do that. I've got little pride. I can't
como here again. And I want to see
you once more before / leave hero for
good. I'll be going away next week.
That'l be tho end Of 1.-THE bitter fin.
1sh. VIII you slip down to- the first
! point south of Cougar bay about 8 In
, the afternoon tomorrow It'll DO the
last and only time. He'll have you for
, life; can't I talk to you for twenty
minutesY'
mo" she whispered forlornly. IT
can't do that. I--oh, goodby; goodby |"
stella, Stella!" she heard his VI
brant whisper follow after. But she
ran away through dining room and
hall to the bedroom, there to fling her.
self face down, choking back the pas
slonate protest that we1led ND within
her. She lay there, her face buried In
the pillow, until the suffering exhaust
OF the Abbey cruiser growing fainter
and more faint told her they were gone.
She heard her husband walk through
tho house once after that. When din
ner was served he was not there. It
was IL o'clock by the timcpiece on her
mantcl when she heard him come in,
but he did not come to their room. He
went quietly into the guest chamber
across the hall.
She waited through n leaden period.
Then, moved by an impulse shc did not
attempt to Define n mixture Of motives,
pity for him, craving for tho outlet Of
words, n desire to set herself right be-
fore him, she slipped on dressing
robe and crossed the hall. The door
swung open noisclcssly. Fyfe sat
slumped In chair, Init pulled low on
his forehead, hands thrust deep In his
pockets. He did not even look up. His
eyes stared straight ahead, absent, UNI
seeingly fixed on nothing. He seemed !
to be unconscious OF her presence or to I
ignore 1t, she could not tell which.
"Jack," she said. And when he made |
no response she said again tremulous- |
ly, that unyielding silence chilling her,
"Jack v
He stirred q little, but only to take |
Off his hat and lay 1t on n table beside |
him. With one hand pushing back me-
chemically the straight, reddish tinged |
hair from his brow. he looked up at |
her and said briefly in tone barren Of
all emotion:
"Wen?"
She was suddenly dumb. Words fail
ed her utterly. Yet there was much !
to be said, much that was needful to-
say. They could not go OH with cloud |
like that over them, n cloud that had ,
to be dissipatcd in the crucible of
words. Yet she could not begin. Fyfe,
after a prolonged silence, seemed to
grasp her difficulty. Abruptly he be-
gan to speak, cutting straight to tho
heart Of his subject after his fashion.
'Its pity things had to take this
particular turn" said he. "But now !
that you're face to fncc with something |
definite, what do you propose to do
about it?'
Nothing" she answered slowly. IT
can't help the feeling. It's there But |
can thrust 1t into the background and
go OH rs IL 1t didn't exist. There's |
nothing else for me to do that I can
see. I'm sorry, Jack"
$50 nm l." he said grimly. "Stin, it |
was chance we took-or took, rath-
or. seem to have made Il mistake or
two In my estimate Of both you and |
myself. That Is human enough, sup |
pose. You're making bigger mistake |
than I did, though, to let Monohan
sweep you off your feet" \
There was something that she read |
for contempt In his tone. It stung hc:.
"He hasn't swept me off my feet, rs
you put It," she cried. Good heavens. |
do You think I'm that spineless sort Of |
creature? I've never forgotten I'm your |
wife. I've got little self respect left
yet If i was weak enough to grasp ut |
the straw you threw me in the begin |
ming. was honest with you then. I'm