The daily morning oasis., 1918-02-17

your VlSlt.
"And after Mr.. Beauchamp's?"
"The result is the same"
"Then she is keeping something from
us both. What, God only knows.
Can it be a sudden distaste for the
marriage she is pledged TOT"
"The interest she shows in her lover
does not look like it," l ventured,
seeing that he expected some reply. II
have detected her more than once
weeping over his picture, and last
evening l saw her bestow a passionate
kiss upon the flowers he left at her
bedside. Oh, she does not recoil from
this marriage. On the contrary. But"
"But what? Why do you hesitate?"
"Will you pardon me if l venture
question? Why does she stare so long,
so earnestly and, l might even say, so
pitifully, at the little scar on her left
arm?"
"The little SCARF"
His face fell, yet grew strangely soft
at the same time.
"Does she look at that?"
"Often, sir, and always with an
expression l should be glad to picture
to you if l could"
He started up, and took turn in the
room, in a vain attempt to hide his
emotion.
''She is thinking of her mother when
she does that" he fin lily declared, with
subdued tenderness. "Poor child! if
her mother had but lived we would not
be standing here helpless, in the presence
of mystery we can neither reach nor
understand. Then, marking my dis
tressed face, he went on to say: "That
little scar is very dear to me- for it was
the means by which l came in possession
of this precious child" l looked my
amazement. What did he, what could
he mean?
"You have not heard the story" he
exclaimed. "Well, that is not strange.
Folks cannot talk forever about old
tragedies. Still l thought everybody
in Sudbury-but no matter. You
shall hear from my own lips the ro-
mantle history of my little Coralie, if
only to give you an even greater interest
in her than you now have. Mr..
Melville, who is now my guest and
whom you have probably met about the
house, married his wife on the same
day that l married mine. The two
girls-beautiful, assure you, but quite
unlike each other in style and appear
ance-were twins and had never before
been separated. Melville, who was a
dashing beau in those days-Pm not
sure that he is not dashing one yet
had little patience with the grief
displayed by his bride when the hour of
parting came between the two, but
was Of softer mould, and seeing the
almost inconsolable sorrow that dark
ened my wife's eyes as her sister threw
herself weeping into her arms, prom
ised them both then and there, and
before they ever left their fathers
roof, that 1, for one, would not stand
between them, if the day ever came
when their need of each others COM
panionship rose to the point of suffering.
"And this was why, at the end Of
another year, the width of the continent
separated me from my wife when the
time of trial came to her, and why, tied
down to my Office by heavy business
cares, was not able to hasten to her,
or, indeed, look forward to sight of my
child till the condition of both warranted
their long journey home from the
Pacific coast. Melville's wife had given
birth to daughter, also, and Helena
that is, my wife-being thus relieved
from special care, was very happy
happier than her unfortunate sister who
Qet me be frank with you, for l am