IWW-WWi' Xfiv.,. j. Wipgff0mP5ftffiUte; w e - i jc jsr ' -M y ' r , . ..., - . . KV EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER PHILADELPHIA, SATURDAY, JULY 1, laza : mftf yVft,!?' (fwr lAt,. tr SB : 1: r V w '" "" 7 .. ' , TpLIOT had been married seven " yenrs and he was bored; net bored with the temporary languor that came ever him of a Sunday afternoon when he wished for enough energy te go and play golf, but actively bored se that every ac tion of his life as far as he could see was ugly and lusterlcss. And Fet he loved his wife and his two feoed little girls. Mary was pretty, geed, devoted, anil though his mind hesitated a little ever the last step Intelligent. Her mind was as alert and vigorous and quick te understand his thoughts as it had been when, the autumn after he left college, he had married her. It was matrimony, he told him self, net Mary, that bored him; but he was aware that the line was a fine one. Nevertheless, he had been careful te draw it, when the evening before Sam Francis and he had been discussing the advantages and dis advantages of the married state. Alice Duer Miller Auther of "Calderon's Pris oner," "Manslaughter." "The Charm Scheel." "Less Than Kin" and many ether fiction successes. The first has recently been arranncd for film production as "Semethina Iliffcrent." "Manslaughter" hai broken all records for popularity and created a tremendous impies impies lien trhrn published aerially as a stienij ticuttsc en tha frequent conflict between love and duty and the inevitable justice of makmi the tich and faveicd sufftr for their felhi just as the peer and fiicndless must. She is perhaps most widely known for a newspaper column tehirh ran some years age, calfed "Are Women 1'eaplef" Her present steiy is one of tha seiirs b'y the best American fiction writirs en the little problems of matiimeny which is attiactnui wide interest en succcssiie Saturdays. Xert tccek's will be "The Lest Columbine," by Julian Street. Sam was a bachelor. He had come ever te dine, and after dinner the two friends had gene te a moving , picture. Mary was busy putting the . children te bed. The picture, as it ! happened, dealt with the life of a young married couple; and, though ail the walls were reu"h Blaster all an me wans weie ieun piaster, a the doorways were arches, and all , the trees eucalyptus, breakfasts and ' babies and bills seemed te be much j the same en one coast as en the ether. I "It's a dull picture," said Sam, the bachelor, lightly. j THIS HEC.INn TIIK TOKY Andrew Tallente, ve ideal trader, hts tnarrlrri er mourn. Ills ,m'" ricri-jitrd him te Jeruard amhltinna te n title, ah has a cold and Hellish (empcrnmrnt and It interested in hU s'eritaru. Antheny Palliser uhe has Juil disappeared. Sh has a sudden mispfc en that her husband is resfenslhU for the dlsuiparanc La&v Jane Partinoten. n beautiful and weal thy aristocrat, interested in labor prob lems, is a neiohber ahe interests An drew ercatlu. Andrew has missed some valuable political papers, and in en argu ment with Val1l'r en the ede of a eliO has struck- him. The jecrctary fell ever, lulrrii- Is kept under ehsenattnn bu Inspector OWinn of the police. Ste phen Vaitre, the clt-arrificina labor partu leader, uith MiVer, a roir?r reir?r araxned radical and .era ln. a ehnrmina and brilliant feminist leader. Offers Tallente thr premiership llei joins theit party, lonnrine inducements of llorleek, the Prrinl'r in office. Ills refusal of a peeraee causes his uife te threaten dierre Xnra 'Hall txWahn (e Aim the philosophy of the neir pai ty and also her dislike for the intrusiin MiUer, which he shares. Tallente, back home ' Gttcr arranyine te run for Parliament, Ptplans the j.eUti til ettualien te I.adj Jane, whose beauty and brains both at tract him, AM) 11KKC IT CONTINUES CHAPTER II LUNCIinON uas n pleasant, even n luxurious meal, for the Woelbanger .... ' , chef had come from the ducnl neue- held, but it was hedged about with re- Btraints which fretted Tallente and rcn- dcrcd conversation mono-, liable. It-was served, tee. in the larger dining room, where the tabic, reduced te its smallest dimensions, still seemed te plnce n , distance between himself and ,., ,, lv,,, s. A man'civnnt steed behind e's chair, nm! the butler was formidable his hostess Lady Jnne WA Mi. takM In constant attendance at the side- tlment of his earlier ilajs. Iln wns beard. Under such circumstances, con-1 raMCl1 ,0, ,iml hew enfe 1"10':0 ln her .. . . . . . presence that sentiment hnd taken te It- rersatlen became precarious and was M firti ullll llf0i hew different a thing confined chiefly te local topics. AYhcn It wns from these first drtams of her, , they left the room for their coffee, they which had seemed like an echo from the found It served In the hall. TalleiUe, , ."ml "' ''!S l'cr-,,lle J"th. Of : .... . Mall women in the world she seemed te newever, protested wgoreusjy. "Can't we hne it served in your' Bitting room, please?" he begged. "It Is impossible te talk te jeu here. There are people In the background nil the time, and you might have callers." kl She hesitated for a moment but jlcld- d the point. With the deer closed and ift the coffee tray between them, Tallente '.drew a sigh of relief, ' "I hope you derf't think I nm n nuisance," he said blun'lj. "but, after 11, 1 came uewu Irem Londen pur posely te see jeu." I am net SO vnln ns te IipIIpvp that," she answered. "It is nevertheless true and I think that you de bellce it. What have I nene inai jeu siieuni an or n smiilen build n fence around jeursclf?" "That may be,", she replied, smiling, "for my own prorfctien. I can assure Tem ma 1 nm nui useu 10 u'tc-a-tete cIwem witu guests wue insist upon ir own wuy in everyiuing." IW if It Iff ,1 wi,l ,1i1h. .... && 1 iuvi pi 1 ii' - .- - w iuuu 11r "It's a dull subject," said Eliet, the married man, bitterly. This opened the deer te a discus sion one the less frank and intimate because it was carried en in general ities. Eliet began by quoting that terrible sentence from Middlemarch: " 'I never loved any ene well enough te put my head into a noeso for them ' It is a noeso you knew." Sam agreed, but wondered whether every man ns he grew elder (Sam was twenty-six) did net want n home of his own and nt this point nn irresistible desire for self-ex- prcssien came ever Eliet. He re membered hew he had once been fiec free net for evil things, but for adventures that were often noth ing mere than intellectual free te miss a dozen suburban trains, if he wanted te finish a book at the club free te go te the theatre without asking himself whether the money would net hnvc been better spent en the children's shoes free te wander all night en the bridges, thinking of some futile paradoxical philosophy, without owing any one an explana tion of his irregular hours free even te give up his job if it became 1 intolerable te him free te hazard his future in any way he felt in clined. This was the aspect of mat rimony that no ene explained te you. Yeu wcre told about giving up your club or your favorite cigar, and perhaps a geed tailor, but no one made it clear that your privacy and your leisure and your liberty te choeso must go, tee. "And te some people," Eliet said judicially, as if had nothing in com mon with peeple like that, "te some people life becomes an intolerable bere when these things go. Of course, that does net apply te us, because Mary is an exceptional woman." "Oh, very," said Sam smiling te himself in the darkness of the the atre, ever the fact that any one could call Mary exceptional. HPHE conversation made little 1m- prcssien en him, but in Eliet's mind it created a clear mental pic ture of his situation that he could net forget. Never, it seemed te him the next; morning at breakfast, had his two daughters asked why and when se often. Mary, neat and pretty, at the head of the tabic smiled and poured ' out coffee. She generally answered the children with a patience that seemed te Eliet miraculous but mis nlnrnd. She theucht that the young ' 1 ,------ ,.i.1, !, minds were stirred Dy intellectual curiosity. But Eliet could never understand why, if this were true, the cMM never listened te the nnThe? listen te mine, dear," Mary would reply, "because I really try te explain te them. Yeu only try te put them in wrong for asking." "0h- l den l fl"05110"- n7 (Ie.ar. hat are beUer worth iisteninfr t0 th'an i nm Eliet would say, "only " That was the pattern conversation they usually had upon the subject, but this morning Mary did net an-' swer every why and when she seemed net te nnswer any one imme-1 jeu te be se much jour own mls;rcfcs," he- rpflcetpci. "Yeu man judee by results. I al ways lime bcfii at lea-t inr-p I ilc-fldi-il te lend this seu of life." "Why have j en never married?" be nsked her, n little abruptly. "We dlsi'ii-sed that befeie, didn't we? I suppose bccaiie. the right man has never asked me." "Peilmps." he M'Utured, "the right man Isn't able te." "JVrlmps there isn't nny rlcht mnn at all perhaps there nee"r will be." i The minutes ticked away. The room with its mingled perfume-, and pleasant warmth, its manifold a-oclatlens with lirtr u Iwkli.mme nlul erilnrlr llfp. snem- ed te hae laid a seu of spell upon ilm. She. was leaning hark in her cer- I ner of the lounge, her hands hanging 'ever th sides, her ee fixed upon the , burning leg. She herself was se ab stracted that he entured te let bis eyes dwell upon her, te trace the outline of her slim but powerful I'mbs, te admire I her long, delicate feet and hands, the strong wemanlv face, with Its kindly mouth and soft, almost affectionate "X"'- Tal'cnt.'. who ter the last ten xears hud looked upon the ether sex (lH I).(.xis.nt crushed into nn un- interesting negation for him owing te his wife s cold and shadowy existence '?.,? """ V?0 U"0" SI' blin-elf ptis in a different way under ti1P greatest spell In life v(jr Minti provoked his curiosity had reawakened a dormant sense of , without attracting It toward her- , self June brought te hint again, from ,,, first memrllt llP m, hccn her, thnt hnlf-wlstful recrudescence of the svn-1 ,.,, new t)l0 ln0!lt ,i(.s,il.1Ji)ip, That she I was unattainable lie was perfect!? "Mine te admit. Kvcn then he had net 111P hllUIIHl" I" HI IIJ .Mill-"'!! UU' IHMIIJI- fill jes of imagination with regaid te her. He reveled in her proximity be cause of the pleasure It gave him, heed less or reckless of consequences. Be tween them, in vastly different degrees, these two women seemed te linve brought back something of his jeuth, The sllence became noticeable, led him at last into a certain measure of alaun. "I.ndy Jnne," lie ventured, "have I said nil) tiling ' "lend jeu?" "Of course net." Bhe nnswnrwl looking at him kindly. "Yeu are verj silent. Are you afraid thnt I am going te attempt te mnkc 1 love te )ou' She wus smitled ln enrncst this time. She sat up nnd looked nt him dlsnp dlsnp preWngly. There wns a touch of the old hauteur in her tone, "Hew can you be se ridiculous!" she exclaimed. "Would It be ridiculous for me?" rt . "I can imagine staying ' stele, or beat me, cannot i diately net even Eliet himself, though It was only atterwara mat. he remembered her silence. When he came home that after neon a note from Mary was lying en the hall table a net unusual occur rence. She had probably gene te the gnrden club. She was punctil ieus about letting him Knew ner plans. It was the afternoon of the children's dancing class. The house rag rlncnrfnH. Eliet's snirits rose. He would actually sit down in his i own sitting room ana reaa or think or de neither, without any one saying, "What have you been dnincr all dav. clear." or. "Did you remember the butter," or, "Why must I, father?" He did it. He clasped his hands behind his head and looked at the ceiling. The little country neighbor hood was silent. It was the first moment of this kind that he had had for months. He thoroughly en joyed it. He began te think about a little parody he was trying te write for a newspaper he had been trying te ene coming te stay - He fished de it at odd moments in the train her letter out of his pocket. He had or in his bath for several weeks. P"t oft reading it for fear it would The occasion that made it apnrepri-, nsh him te de something that would ate had long since passed, but he have interfered with his moment of wanted te finish it if he could. With- solitude. He opened it, with Mar in a few minutes, however, he heard etta sitting en the nrm of his chair, the voices of his daughters return- n"' Deris, aged four, balancing en ing. He wished the class had lasted a little longer. Yet he was net an unnatural father and when they entered the room, flushed with exercise, elegant in their sheer white dresses and blue bows, he felt proud of them and glad te see them. He loved them even Hew a Great Leader, Almest Ruined by n Meney Marriage and a Faithless Wife, Regains Success and Happiness Through an Unusual Weman's Leve Is Fascinatingly Told in This Story of Intrigue, Politics, Mystery and Remance by the Noted Auther of "The Great Impersonation," "The Profiteers," "The Great Prince Shan" and n Score of "Best Sellers" "Dees it occur te you." she asked, "that I am the sort of person te en courage attentions from a man who is net free te offer them?" "I had forgotten that," be admitted, qui te frankl. "If course. I see the point. I have a ife. even though of her own cheesing she docs net ceuut." "She exlhte." "Se de I." Jane broke into n little laugh. "New we aie both belnc nburd." she declared, "and I don't unit te be and I don't want ou te be. Of roure, ,ou uiiii i iuuu ni imiiKs us i ' inn belong te it very large weild. Yeu ipend jour life dctrevlng ebitaclei. All uu people, ou knew," hhe went en, "leek upon me ns terribly emancipated. They ' ' i'" socialism ami my re fusal te listen te hucIi a thing ns n chaperon most teiribly improper, but nt heart, jeu knew, I nm still a very conventional person. I have tern down n great many conventions, hut there are seme upon which I cannot bring inj self even te lny my fingers." "Perhaps It wouldn't be jeu if you did." he rellected. "Perhaps net." "And el," he went en, "tell me, nre jeu wholly content here? Your life, In its way, is sphndld. Yeu ll ns much for the henelit of ethers ah for jour L 1 "J" e,'K'" L'" 'IK!'.,1 principle umeng jour yeomen and I jour innners. leu arc setting jour heel upon feudalism jeu, the (laughter ef1 n race who have nlwajn demanded it. I ou J lye among t h"0 7l '' reunuint,s jeu grew into tne mgiiess 01 them nature becomes almost jour friend. It Is one of the most dlgnltied and beautiful lives I ever knew for n woman, und jet nre you wholly con tent?" "I am net," she admitted frnnkly, "And listen," she went en, after a moment's pnuse, "I will show you hew much I trust jeu, hew much 1 really want jeu te unilei stand me. "I am net completely happy because I knew perfectly well that it In uu natural te live as I de. If I met the man 1 could cuie for and who cared for me, I should prefer te be married." She had cummenecd her speech with the faintest tinge of color burning tin- , derneuth the wholesome sunburn of her 1 cheeks. She had spoken boldly enough, I een though toward the end of her sentence her voice had grown very low. When she bad finished, however, it I seemed ns though the memory of her words were haunting her as though she suddenly realized the nakedness of them. She burled her face lit lier hands, mid he saw htr shoulders heave as though she were sobbing. Ilc steed very close nnd for the lirst time lie touched iter. He held the lingers of her nnnii gently in tils. "Dear I.ady Jane," he begged, "don't regret even for a moment that you have spoken naturally. If we ure te be friends, te be anything nt all te one another, It Is wonderful of you te tell me se sweetly what women Ukt such, absurd pains te conceal. i was unfaithful staying with when the following interchange took place. t "Hulla, father. De you like my new shoes? What is jazz?" "Well, Marietta, it's a kind of music where the beat is irregular." "Why is it?" "Because peeple like it that way the time changes." "What is time, fnther?" Remembering Mary's assertion that he didn't try te answer them, no paused a moment te consider, but Marietta went en : "I was called out in front of the class te make a courtesy, father. Where's mother? Why did she go away?" "She hasn't gene away," said Eliet, disengaging his mind with difficulty, from the problem of time. "She took a bag with her. Why did she, father?" "We'll see," said Eliet, thinking te himself that she had probably taken the wash te the laundry, as it was Saturday, and sometimes, if they were short a sheet, and some his crossed feet. The letter said: Dear Eliet Something strange has happened that makes it im possible that you and I should ever live together again. I want te be alone for a few days and think ever hew I can arrange my whom I bored. Geed-by!" " ,WM "Dear Lady Jane," he begged, "don't retrct even for a moment that you liae spoken naturally" When you leek up, let us start our friendship a'l ever ngaln, only before jeu de, listen te my confession. If liftien j cars could be 1 oiled off my buck nnd I were fiec, it isn't political ambition I should leek te for my guid ing star, I should have one far greater, far mere wonderful desire." The fingers he held were gently with drawn. Slie diew herself up. Her feiehend wus wrinkled uuestlensly. She forced a smile. "Yeu would be very foolish," she said, "If jeu tried te part with epu of these fifteen jears. livery ene has brought jeu experience. Kvcry one has he'ped te innke you what jeu nre." "And yet " he began. He broke off abruptly In his speech. The linll seemed suddenly full of eiccs. Jane lese te her feet nt the leiuul of approaching footsteps, She made the slightest possible grimace, but Tallente was epprcssul with n suspicion that the liitcritiptieu wns net altogether unwel come 10 her, "Seme of my cousins nnd their frlciiijs from Mlneheiid," she said. "I am sorry. I expec'L they have lest the hunt and come here for tea." The loom wns almost instantly In vaded by a company of light -hearted, noisy young people, flushed with exer cise and calling aloud for tea, inti mates all of them, calling one another ,or 'JiiUI'lfl .llMAfi man Ijm m 14 H!u" life. I wm ceme te the offlce Monday, and talk it all ever with you. I am sorry this is Nera's Sunday out, but you can probably manage somehow with the chil dren. They are se geed. Yours, MARY. H E BECAME aware that Marletta had been saying for a long time: "What does mother say, father?" "What does mother say, father?" He put the letter back in his pocket. "Oh, nothing, dear," he an swered. "She had te go away for Sunday." "Why did she?" There was a question he couldn't nnswer. He had no idea no ex planation no possible theory oc curred te him. What could have happened? Had he done something? Or rather, for his conscience was absolutely clear, did she imagine he had done something te hurt her? Had she fallen under the spell of some sudden romance. One read of such things happening, but Mary! Ne. Had she gene mad? He re membered new that she had seemed silent at breakfast, but net porten tously silent. He questioned the children as te the events of the day. Had any messages come? Had any visitors been there? Ne, nothing. It was almost incredible that you should live with a woman seven years and be unable te form even a hypothesis as te why she had left you. Net that he admitted she had left him it was just some misun derstanding. by their Christian names, speaking a jargon which sounded te Tnllcnte UUe another language. IIe stayed for a quarter of an hour and then took his Jeae. Of the newcomers, no one seemed te have an lden who he wns, no one seemed te caie in the least whether he remained or went. He wns only nble te snntch a word of farewell with Jane nt the deer. She hIiueIc her bend ut his whipcied request. "I nm ufiald net," she nnswered. "Hew could I? Hesides, there is no telling when this crowd will go. Yeu are sure jeu won't let me send you home?" Tnllcnte shook his licnd. "The wnlk will de me geed," he snld. "I get lay In town. Hut you aie sure " The butler wnn holding open the deer. Twe of the girls had suddenly taken possession of June. She shook her head slightly. "(Jeed-by," she called out. "Come and see 1110 next time jeu nre down." Tiil'cnte was suddenly his old self, grnve nnd sewie. He flowed stiffly in response te the little chorus of fare wells and followed the butler down the hall. The latter, who was something of a politician, did his best te indi cate by his manner bis appreciation of Tallente's position. "Xou are sure you won't allow mt By Alice Duer Millei ...... j Te his first shock a feeling of anger succeeded. Hew could any ene treat another fellow creature like that let alone a husband. And te lenve him in suspense for days, And the children suppose anything happened te the children? They came te ask him te sit with them while they had supper and read aloud. They had asked him this almost every evening, since they had been able te speak, and he often refused. But this evening he con sented. It was like a reproof te Mary. He chese Thackeray's "Rese and the Ring" te read te them. He hadn't read it for years. It was a magnificent piece of narrative. He read it well, tee. At that place where the haughty Count Hoggi Heggi nnrme stepped into the arena, and the liens rushed out saying, "Wurra, wurra, wur-rra " he looked up te see two level spoons arrested in front of two opened mouths, while four eyes dilated with excitement. After the children had gene te bed he had a long uninterrupted evening one of these evenings in which he could have finished a dozen parodies except that his whole be ing was taken up with anger and speculation. He walked up and down the sitting room all evening, and men went te bed but net te sleep. Hew could Mary hav6 behaved se? He began te imagine their interview en Monday his side of it at least. About 4 o'clock he found he was going te use the phrase "My little motherless girls." By morning, however, he had dis carded it as sentimental. The feel ing behind the words wns there, e order a car. sir?" he said, with his hnnd upon the deer. "I knew her ladyship would be only tee plcnscd. It s a long step te the manor, nnd if you 11 forgive my saying se, sir, yeu've n geed deal en your shoulders just new." Tnllente cnught n glimpse of the bleak moorland nnd of the distant hills, wrap ped in miBt. The idea of vigorous ex ercise, however, appealed te him. He shook his head. "I'd rather wnlk, thanks," he said. "It's 11 matter of five miles, sir." Tnl cute smiled. There wns some thing in the fresh, cold air wonder fully alluring alter the atmosphere of the room lie liad nuitted. He turned his coat cellar up and strode down the avenue. CHAPTER III Tnllente reached the manor about nn hour and n hulf later, inuil-splashcd, wet and weary. Kehert followed him into the study nnd mixed him a whisky niul sedu. "You've walked all the way bnck, sir?" he reiuniked, with a nete of pretest in his lone, "They offered me n enr," Tnllcnte ndmitted. "I didn't wnnt it. I came down for fresh air and exercise." "Twe cry geed things ln their way, sir, but easily overdone," wns the mild rejoinder. "These- hills nre terrible unless jeu're nt them all the time." Tnllcnte drank bis whisky almost greedily and felt the benefit of it, nl nl theugh he wns still weary. He hnd walked for five miles in the company of xghests nnd their faces bad been prnv. Pprhnns. Inn If un, Mm nnuu. ling of bis south which brought this 1 tiredness te ills limbs. "Itebert," be confessed abruptly, "I was n feel te come down here nt nil." I "It's dreary at this tlme of the 1 yenr unless jeu've tlme te sheet or , hunt, sir. Why net meter te Hath 1 tomorrow? I could wlre for rooms, and I could drive j en up te Londen the next day. Metering's a geed way of I getting the air, sir, and you won't ovcrtire yeurseir. "I'll think of it In the morning," his master piemUcd, "My wife lias found the silver, sir," Rebert nnneuiued, as he turned te leave the room, "nnd I managed te get a llttln Huh. That, with uimn ...,. w .. . - ...... --... ,.,,.,,j ,-Wl. f pheasant, nnd a fruit tart, we thought "I shnll be nlene, Rebert," Tnllente Interrupted. "Them is no ene coming for dinner " The man's disappointment was barely concealed. lit? sighed as he took up the tiay. "Veiy IMtnil . Kit Vtli ninth... all out. I'll turn en the het water In the bathroom." Tallente threw off his rain nnd mud soaked clothes, bathed, changed, and descended te the dining room just ns the gong Bounded. Rebert was in the act of mevlnj the additional place from By Ee Phillips Opp however. It was Sunday, he wculd take them te church. He had never taken them te church before. He went and brushed his high hat. He looked very tall walking down the little lane te the paved avenue en which the church steed. The children, small and fluffy, held each a hand. His little motherless girls. Marietta chatted as they went. "Yeu never went te church with us before, did you, father? You're al ways se tired en Sunday when mother's home. The first time Deris went te church she thought the min ister was Ged all children de. I did myself. Why de clergymen dress like that, father? Why de they?" If Mary had been there he would have answered, "Why de you wear ruffles en your skirt because it's the custom," and Marietta would have replied: "Why is it?" and then the conversation would have been taken up by him and Mary as te whether Marietta was seeking in formation or simply trying te thrust herself into the foreground. But new Mary was net there, he felt obliged te try te answer his moth erless little girl, and she- actually appeared te try te understand him, be that they were talking rather earnestly by the time they reached the church deer. AND se It went en. It wasn't "" that Eliet had never before found his children's pocket handker chiefs, or even blown their noses or put their hats en the right side be fore, but always he had done these things ns a favor te Mary. But new he did them because there was no one else te de them, which made it somehow all very different. In the afternoon he did net play golf, partly because he did net want te answer questions ns te Mary's whereabouts, but partly because he became involved in a hymn Marietta had been most incompetently com mitting te memory for ijix months. He was tired in the evening he looked back en the day as a hard one, yes, and net a pleasant one, either, but he had net been bored. He went eagerly te the office the next day, and waited nervously through the early hours of the morn ing. About twelve Mary came. One glance at her told him that she was neither crazy nor playing a joke en him. Her fnce was the face of a woman who had been through two days of suffering. They went into his private office without greetings of any kind and shut the deer. Mary was direct. "I sat just in front of you the ether night at the pictures," she said. "I could net help hearing." There was a pause. Eliet's mind rushed back te the conversation with Sam, and his heart felt like a fall ing elevator. He recalled things he had said with a relish and bitterness hidden from Sam, but obvious te Mary. He looked at his wife. Her eyes were blazing. "And yet," he said, "I leve you, Mary." "I thank you for such a love," she answered, "the dull little woman at home no, you didn't say that quite. Suppose you had overheard me telling Virginia or Careline that you bored me te death that I'd the little round dining table which be had drawn up closer te the weed fire, but his master stepped him. "Yeu can let these things be," he directed. "Take away Ihe champagne, though. I"blian't want that." Rebert bowed in silent appreciation of his master's humor nnd began la- .Itlur. nut l.i, ... ,1m l Mnlmn ..1 W.,1- ...... ..ii. runji in tin- iiiwiuuuill. Xill- Unte's lips were curled a little, partlv ,ii M'li-rimii'iiipi, wnn peruups jusi a dash of self-pity. It had ceme te (his, then, that he must dlne with fan cies lather than nlene, that this taidily developed sticak of sentimentality mii't be ministered te or would drag him into the depths of licjeitlen. He began te understand lhe psjchole'v of its lute appearance. Stella's nitilicinl compan ionship had kept his thoughts iinprln iinprln ened, fettered with the meshes of nn .Instlnctive lldellty nnd had driven him sedulously te the selaca of work and books. New that It was removed und he was te nil practical put poses n free mnn, they took their own course. His life hnd suddenly become n natural one, and nil that wns human in him ro re ro spended te the possibilities of bis soil tilde. Hu hnd hnd ns-jet no time te experience the relief, te appreciate his liberty, before be wns face te face with this new loneliness. Tonight, he thought, ns he looked at the empty place nnd remembered bis wistful, nl nl mest diffident invitation, the solitude was nlmest unendurable. If she hnd only tiiidciMned 'hew much it mennt, suiely she would hne made semp effort, would net hnve been content with that Iiiilf-cmbarrassed, half-doubtful shake of the head! i the darkened room, wilh the jhieb of the sea mid the crack ling of the legs in his ears, nnd enlv Rebert h silent form for cempaiiv, be felt n sudden craving for the things of his jeuth, for another side of life the lestiiiirnnts. the bright ejes of women, the whispered words of plensant sentl- '""". inn iii'iiuiuc siini.en into the at mosphere they created, the low music in the background. "I beg our pardon, sir." Rebert snld in his ear, "jour soup. (Jer trudc bus taken such pnlus with the dinner, sir," he added diffidently. "If J might take the llbeity'ef suggesting It. " """""l b!' ,ls wt'11 lf 5u could cnt something." Tullente took up his spoon. Then they both stuttcd the) beih mrncd te the window. A llsht had flashed into tl.e room a low, pairing sound ciinie from outside. "A car, sir!" Rebert cxelnimed. his face full of pleasurable niiilclnntlen "If jeull cxcusp me, I'll nMvcr deer. Might it be the Indy, after all, IIe hurried nut. Tnllcnte rose slowly te Ills feet. He was listening intently. Hie thins wasn't possible, he told blui. self. It wnsn't possible! Then lie heard n voice in the hall Rebert threw the deer epe", nnd an uuunccd in a tone of triumph - "Lady Jane Partington, sir." She came toward him, smiling , self. stepped reading because you talked of anything but heusei ing details " y "That's most unjust," tmfr! Eliet, "i said matrimenii nnt . "Oh, let's be honest," ans .. . - . . . . - --- j Mary, shaking her head, as lfj were shaking out salt water fp wave that had passed ever her. "Yi marriage is me, and mine's yen it's duller for me than it is for I don't even get te town every i and see a let of people, and yet i net bored I knew what you're thli ing you think I'm net bored cause I'm net as clever as but " "I wasn't thinking anything oft kind," said Eliet, and he imac that he was telling the truth. "Of course, you were, but isn't the reason. The reason is I no one can get mere out of life I Lhe puts into, it or out of marrii cither. You're net bored with business and heaven knows it'i dull one every one agrees te that duller if possible than your home but it doesn't bore you. net? Because you put a let of self into it." TJERETOFORE a- sense of x had confused Eliet, but no saw light. "Isn't my work here Just wert put into the home?" he asked. "After office hours, what de put into it?" said Mary. "Yeu home like a king expecting era thing te be arranged for you or guest, who mustn't be interrupted the children your own chili mind you " "The men in the outer office hear you, if you speak se loud." "I hone they will." said M, "They are probably kings and hoi guests, tee. They nrebablv Mil they have an inalienable right te bored by tneir women and child: tee "Well, after all," said Eliet, Jft net a crime te be bored." "Isn't it," she returned. listen te me. Eliet. I can im staying with a man who was faithful, or stele or beat me, but cannot imagine under any circ stances staying with a man w I bored. Why should I? Geed-by. "iieia en, mary. wnere ara- going?" He would like te h spoken with .the tongue of men angels, but he was distracted by peculiar mental state. He felt was impossible that he should have been bored with this vi! violent, irritating, handsome ci ture, and yet he knew quite that he had been. "Oh." Mary replied airily. going te my mother's or en a tri; I really haven't decided." "And are you ever coming back' Eliet asked with a sarcasm that wu meant te bite Mary took a step toward him away from the deer which she hid almost reached. "Yes," she said, "I'm coming back, and I'll tell yei when I'm coming back. When yeuVal run the house se long that you lew uncomfortable if the feed isn't geed, when veu feel guilty when the chil dren interrupt me, when, in ethra words, I'm the heuse guest thin when I'm cemine back." And she went out of the office and slammed the deer. enfrneim nessesspd. but n little Interrogative. Hi hnd n Ilchtiiliiir-like imnrcsslen of h( bountiful shoulders rising from bit plnln black gown, her dellghtfnly Ml walk, the slimncss nnd comeliness IM statclincss of her. "I knew thnt I eueht ta he nshamtl of myself for coming after I had told jeu I couldn't," she, said. "It will, serve me right if yeu've eaten all thf ll.illivi, IIUI I UU JlOpt? yUU IllllCUk. "I had enlv lust snt down." hi told her, as he and Rebert held htrB chair, "and I think that this is tbD kindest uetien jeu ever performed It )our me. Rebert, his fnce glowing with 6Stii faction, had become iihinultniiu. Sbi had scarcely subsided into her cbali before he was offering her a cecktr en a slhcr trny. serving Tnllente witl his forgotten glnss, nt the bidebeif ladling out soup, out of the room nd In ngaln, bringing back the rejected ueme ei cnninpiigne. ou will never believe thnt I 1 a suue person again," bhe laughnlJ "After j en had gene, and nil IheM foolish children hml ilxnn,.,...! T Mt U was quite impossible te sit down ni dine nlene. I wanted se much te ceme nnd I renlied hew rldlculeui It wns ei me net te have accepted at one. At the last moment I couldn't tf' It any longer, se I rushed into the hrst gown I could find, eidered out Bf little coupe and here I am." 'TllO lllnst wnlnnmn mine, wlirt eftf ciune te a lonely man," be assured her. "A moment age Rebert wnscemi plaining because 1 was sending Bf Mitip awny. New I shall show bio wiuu uevtm air can de." The champagne wns excellent, the dinner ever which (icrtrude hw taken se much enre wns, after au, thoroughly appreciated. Tnllente, u; denly nnd unpxni'itvllv lieht.hnnrtea, felt 11 l.'nitn .l.iut.n ..n.(iln Mi welcome guest, nnd remembered N'R former successes ns n raconteur. Tneyy pusneii politics nnd nil personal raH teis fur away. He dug up reminis cences of his dnjs in foreign cailtli When he hnd first nnlnrnl llin illDle nintic service, betrayed his Intlmit knewledge of the Florence which tner both leu'd; of Pnrls, where she nuiiiieii mm which no nnii seen u", se many nsnects Pnrls. the. hem w benuty and fashion before the w'l tern with anguish and horror dunj its earlier stages; grim, steadfast J"8 bomber In the days of Verdun; wlMtfi madly exultant when wreathed M decorated with victory. There were ninny things te talk about for two pw ple of aglln brnliiB ceme together J in lire. They had moved into the i' i -.,.. ..... .-. , i.ic Avar. nun ,uujr .111110 wns sealed in iw "' III ite easy chnlr, sipping her coffee some wonderful green chnrtreuse, wi fore a single personal note had cr'f into tue hew or tueir cenver"" Te be continued MebNT Cepurtght.itaiB. JJII 8vUcft: rt. II . 0 "M'r n A' .' I-. iitui . i 'V. i,W !..'
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers