The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-02-03

WIUuSnl lllS HuNOC III HIS NET III
London Torlni was quite as much the
fashion as in America. The round Of
receptions, dinners and all kinds of
gayety which caught the young couple
in its whirl seemed to the girl Il dream
of fairyland. They visited the great
European capitals, and in Paris n
daughter was born to them. Marian
was i'll for some months, and when she
recovered sufficiently to care for the
child, she gave it most Of her time.
Very soon she found that her husband,
to whom adulation and demonstrative
appreciation were the breath of his
life, was seeking elsewhere the salts
faction of his temperamental demands.
Foolish women flattered him, and his
wife became a third-rate consideration.
Her life with him grew to be intoler-
able, but they were now living in his
own home in Italy, and she knew If
she left him they would take the
child from her.
At eight years of age the little girl
died, and Marian then determined at
all hazards to leave her husband.
hNTluI nlu SOllt NuluuDtt JtNtiNf
and with n little money she had saved,
she left Italy, and sailed for America.
Her aunt had never answered her let
tiers, and she feared to face her. But
she nerved herself up to make the at
tempt. She discovered her aunt had
gone, and she was unable to trace
her.
1t was nearly two years since she
had returned, and Marian began to
awake to the fact that her small store
of money was nearly exhausted. She
tried to think what she could do to
earn her living. Finally she advertised
for q position as a companion. hin
ing her foreign name might be a draw
back, she called herself Mrs. Tor
renee. The letters she received were
most discouraging, but at last there
was one which seemed promising. She
called at the appointed time on the
lady, Mrs. Cromer, whom she found in
a boarding house in a good part of
the city. Mrs. Cromer, good natured
and middle-aged, impressed her favor
ably.
"You see, it's like this" said the
lady. I'm going to live in a country
town. 1 shall be all alone, and shall
not know anyone in the place. l don't
know of anybody to take with me. It's
going to be lonesome and small pay,
but you said it was mostly a home you
wanted"
YES" broke in Marian, that's 1t. l
think l should like to CO."
"Pollock's Folly" had suddenly taken
on a new lease of life. A force of work
men were going in and out, and the
transformation was the talk of the
town. The owner must be intending
to bring a bride but when the middle
aged Mrs. Cromer, and her companion
moved in, Rackley was again disap-
pointed.
"YOu see," said Mrs. CrOner to Ma
rian, 81 have just the dearest cousin
in the world. When my fortune went
to smash, and he found me in a board
ing house, he said: Now there's that
empty house of mine going to rack
and ruin, and you without a home-it's
selfish. If you'll live there, I'll fix 1t
up Well, 1 jumped at it," And she
told the girl how the he had
loved had left him, and the house he
had meant for her had been for years
too sacred Il place to be ever entered
by anyone. She did not mention his
name, but the story set Marian Won
dering.
Isn't such a love a wonderful
thing?" unused the lady. And to think
that girl wasn't worthy Of it,
mo, she wasn't" answered Marian,
but she was young and foolish"
"Why, there he is now :" cried Mrs.
Cromer, and the next moment Marian
was face to face with Pollock. Both
covered the shock of meeting as quiet
ly as possible with commonplace greet
ings, but Mrs. Cromer saw that some
thing unusual had happened, and soon
made an excuse to leave them alone.
II haven't any right" she said, ito
even think you care to know, but
And she told hin the whole miserable
story of the last ten years.
"Oh, 1 came to know-to realize how
foolish-how mad l had BEEN" she
added brokenly, but it was too late"
"Yes-too late" he said. And with
no more words he went.
1t seemed strange to Marian that she
should be living in the place which
had been so lovingly consecrated to
her, only as an interloper. She found
herself watching and listening for the
sound of his voice; but days and
weeks went by and he did not return.
One morning she saw in the newspaper
which had just come in a notice of
the death of the noted tenor, Marco
Torini. There vas to her no sorrow
in the news, only a feeling of liberia
ton. She went out in a secluded cor
ner of the garden to be alone. Sud
denly a voice broke the silence. Pol
locks voice, speaking to a workman.
She started to go back, when he strobe
up quickly, OBTAINING her.
Marian" he said, 81 have been
thinking 1t may not be too late"
Looking into her eyes he knew that
he was right.