The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1923-05-29
lie couldn't make her out az an.

fhis h. q little secret p1ge, int.
mgtcly concerning man and a
Woman whose names you would
know n told you them. 80 | shant
give them any names. not even ucu.
iious ones. for fear you might guess.
| shall simply call the two lie" and
she"
lie was not married. and She
well. where The state OK marriage
was concerned she was rather like
the oolfin of Mohammed the Prophet.
which. ct course. you know an about.
That Is. she lived apart from her
husband. In his house. but was nclth.
or separated nor divorced one OF
the things which He tthc only ~He"
who matters in this fragment OF Sc
erot history pinned. burned and
ycarned 70 nnd out was did she want
10 be divorccde Was she willing TO
do some daring thing which might
got her talked about. and give her
prig of hushand-her rcmorscless.
diVoreeless husband IA rcd-hloodcd
wish 70 pluck her from his family
tree
Al l need TO tell you about the
husband himself Is this; He was
professor or something anyhow: he
wrote books as dry as last years bis.
cults. which nobody l ever knew
would be bribcd 10 read, and he had
10 live Ia the country TO do H. Not
beautiful country. where human be-
ings would love to live. but nasty
fiat. treclcss country. where fore
bears had built a house as dull as
themselves. and the water was so
chalky that as soon as you were old
enough 20 be professor Il upset
Your liver and made you cross. Sull
III hope I'm not telling you too
muchl the creature had title. Quite
good one; and he WAS rich. He
doled out money 10 his wife about as
impetuously as a stalactite drips
drops: but somehow or other She
dressed like n dream. and was al
lowed 10 wear tho family Jewels.
pearls among other things. for which
many women would think few sacrl-
fees too great.
The question was. what did She
Think
The husband never came 10 Lon.
don unless for some appalling con-
vention or conference, or whatever It
vas. once a year or so: but she man
aged TO run up 10 town for part OF a
day. or sometimes day and a night.
every few weeks: and when She was
planning (almost plotting. YOU might
say one OF these flying visits lie
would find al his club purple sealed
envelope. the very sight OF which
made his heart give an extra beat.
She would begin with my dear
Friend (often she UNDERSIGNED ono
OF these three words. and whichever
one IL was always seemed moro
thrilling. more Intimate. more subtle
In meaning than the otherl. and she
would 10 on 10 explain that II He
Gould be bothered" with her on such
and such a day. She would find time
between dressmakcrs and miliiners
and mere ''fricndines"-her name for
acquaintance who didn't matter
compared to him--for a luncheon. a
concert. or dinner.
This was delicious, as far as Il
went. But there were several things
that worried him. She always want
ed him 20 take her 10 some quiet. out.
of-the-way place where no one she
knew was likely to sec them together.
She sailor IL she didn't exactly say.
she limited and intimated that she
cared for him terribly. Yet she
wouldn't be brave about IL. She
wouldn't. for instance. let him take
her to a popular theater when she
ran up to town for a night. She
wouldn't dine with him al fashion
able restaurant where the Eyerybod-
les went
She defended herself from his re-.
proaches by saying Bold is the
word for what you want me to be.
dear, not brave And I'm not the
kind OF woman who can do bold
things. l Just can't our-friend-
ship Is too sweet, too beautiful TO
spoil. It's like lovely music. We
mustn't bring in a false note--a
crash!s
He always looked forward with
passionate eagerness to their stolen
meetings. and he was happy when
with her-tho not as happy az he
wanted to be. But when they parted.
there came always that question:
rs She playing?r And then like
stab, another: Am ! the only one?
Or does She come 20 town oftcner
than she let's me know? Do other
men get those notes with the purple
seals at their clubs-the beasts?
And does She call them MY dear
Friend ?''--or perhaps something far
better and moro like what be wanted
from her for himself?
As time went on his doubts became
almost unbearable: because his real
object was to tear her from the pro-
fesaor person. and after few social
and legal worries, get her for his
wife. He felt that he must learn
what was really in her heart for him,
and whether. as her eyes sometimes
said. she was willing, indeed longing,
TO fling away title and pearls in Or
der 10 become plain Mrs. -.
Ncver-Mind-who
There came at last summer even
ing made for poets and lovers. She
was In town. She had been busy
with futile things and people all the
afternoon, but she was to dine with
him.
II shall be tired" she'd written.
and 1t will be heavenly rest to be
with you in O quiet little place with
no prying eyes, where we can talk. or
not talk. as our mood bids-and just
smile at each other. II viii be won
dcrful But you must bring me back
carly TO my hotel, 30 7 can have d
good long sleep-and dream Of you"
by God, III find out one way or
other tonight, whether she does care
or whether she thinks I'm her useful
tame dogl" he vowed.
She met him at the quiet little
place" where lie was waiting for her
at the door. She looked even more
ethereal, more-somchow- dlaphan-
ms fHnn ffufnf In trrov rbtFfn, .r1