The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-06-13
AS, a Man
StriVeth
(Copyright.)
BY HARRY F. BOWLING

was negative. =
"Poor Adrian he was one of the un
mt. Nothing ever becomes of such
men. They simply cease"
l tilted back my bamboo chair and
smiled indulgently at Isabelle. We
had been celebrating the fifth ami.
versary of our wedding day, we had
dined comfortably, and now, loungine
on the terrace of our Monterey villa
we were enjoying the restful hour OF
twilight.
A delicious somnolence was steal,
Ing over me, tie issue of an easy con.
science and good digestion.
Isabelle reused me from my dream
ings; there was a tenseness in her
voice out Of keeping with her former
apathy.
'Tell me, Marius, is it divine or
only human law, that no one woman
ut one time may make more than one
man happy"
sounds like a. problem in geome-
try or an algebraical equation. Send
1t to the puzzle department" 1 OBJ
served lazily.
She paid no attention to me but con-
tinued in the same strain.
II would never be the cause Of suf-
fering to any man-never willingly. If
Ihave been so, it was through an mex
orable law"
"Oh, as to Adrian Hope" 1 re-
marked airily. tracing her thought to
Its germ cell, ''it was part of his unfit
ness. You couldn't help it,"
"Yet he was in earnest"
'oToo much in earnest for other peo-
pies comfort. He and his fiddle be-
came neighborhood nuisance; he had
no more music in him than a-er-a
bumblebee!"
'Bumblebees are rather melodious,"
she corrected me. "And l think you
hardly do justice to Adrian Hope"
"What! Did you enjoy his musicw
mo, but he tried so hard. / was
sorry for him, and it worries me some
times"
"Worries your" 1 was growing a
little impatient. "What worries your
adrian Hope left California the
very day of our marriage and has
never been heard of since"
''He went to the East Indies. I have
told you so many times-partly for
business, partly for pleasure"
sand wholly for pain. My dear
Marius," she continued quickly. "Can
I help remembering he was desperate
ly in love with me, and could never
reciprocate his feelings, and he went
away broken-hearted, do you call that
going for pleasure, and are you jealous
because / feel sorry for him?"
II am not jealous" I answered quiz
city. "Why should I be? Adrian never
had the ghost Of SHOW"
Isabelle leaned her elbow on the
stone balustrade which separated the
terrace from the garden below, and
rested her chin In her open palm.
"The Goddess Of Reflection'-what
picture! If could put you on canvas,
Just as you look now" murmured.
She shook her head and smiled
sadly.
"YOu abandoned your brush and pal
cite long ago, Marius. I'm afraid you
couldn't do it."
Her last remarks caused me some
pin-prickS of conscience Since, Just
one year after our marriage Isabelle
had inherited comfortable compe-
tence. 1 had entirely neglected my
studio on which had formerly had
to rely for living. My art had not
been art for arts sake.
ooh, well, it's never too late to
mend" l limited. "You see fate some
times seems to point in one direc-
fion and then the unexpected"
But fate and the unexpected are
twin brothers," a deep voice broke in
with the boom Of an ocean breaker.
1 jumped to my feet.
Adrian Hope was standing only
few feet from me. 1 had heard no
sound Of his approach
AS / stepped forward to greet
Adrian she retreated into the shadow
Of the porch.
II have been away n long time,
haven't I?' Adrian began apologetical-
NY lCtulh
startled you. It's hardly conventional,
fear"
Adrian shook my hand heartily, but
seemed utterly oblivious Of my wife's
presence.
"Your present life, Marius," he
asked, presently, 'is it happy, as men
call it?"
Perfectly happy" assented. Elsa
belle will tell you"
"Ah, yes and five years ago l mag
ined myself perfectly unhappy"
Isabelle stepped forward into the
moonlight, and / saw that her cheeks
were crimson. Adrian addressed him
self to me:
"Come, talk TO me Of perfect happi-
ness, as men see it. You used to be
q good tallSer, as talk goes"
He smiled and wrinkled only one
corner Of his mouth. His face In the
moonlight was the color Of dead moss.
paid no heed to his sneering remark.
After a prolonged silence he began
again.
IT thought once that II was my
failure to produce results that nut