SHORT STORY OF THE ' DAY , o it err r ''. ! himself, "nerer. sever; 3ehe goK -'. He found his way to his study; sat down, staring blankly before Mm for a while, aad aoaitsrlnr bls'pspers heed-.lesaly heed-.lesaly , on. , the-; floor. Then his bead dropid upon. his hands, and his eyes wars wet.- - t - ' As ;th'adof' CToBed after hl.r Mary trembled. f3o ha had accepted the slfc-nation'.. slfc-nation'.. . ThejV ladaed, he did hot lov her.-. Bis ha4 aapeotad pleading, pro-teataUonsj pro-teataUonsj aha had meant to. forglva hira;r shs had" thought; tndeed, they 'might begffi again,' rK' : , ' f - "lie hever loved tfieVshe said to herself. her-self. "I did hot mean to leave hlro.- 1 -aha4l ca-nawrX -swt It -tortny prlds to ,eon?w..-.. . the craspsd her at era to her room; h --tnust - put- uer- thing ' together; Where she should go she did not know -aad did tt'majttcr? K ahaj-wavnot jWlth hlih shnlid hot rrara where she. . waa. Theii were plenty; hotels,, but h lonely 'Sho-woifld be- She opened her wardrobe and flung dress after dress upon the floor, ghe isrtA- aorafMng w4th herr It Wn't matter tmhn.. Wherever she was kq uld not ba there to See her,. , ' t Tae-llrht-was growing gray otttsldei the room seemedi cold. Bhe wonderej what he -waa doing. He had not gona from the house; he was waltin to sea her t.Oft 3)atiaps-0jidertng wy she was so long. Could she have looked at him then she would have seen him sitting sit-ting with aminlAtureJn his hand, looking look-ing atjth pretty faoa with te&r-dlmmed fcyes-would h.av heard his .words,. "My Uttls te?-aen hi lift it to hiaMp. J She "h&d taken out all the dresses now. Tbera .wa, ttfU tomethlne al ftba t&cTs. Of the wardrobe something soft. She took It down,, draw it ouiad a swift rush of color swept her face. In her hands she held an old velvet smoking coat; but the sight of it brought back a flood of memories. She remembered so well ha had strolled oyer to her father's house" wsarlag It, hje had found her In the conservatory tending the plants; he had tatd her thea that, he lovd- her, had tafcen her for tne first time-in his arms, Xiaaed hery gained her promisa that shs would te hjs Wife. - t : ,- U'- - . ..: ;. ..: . . : '.As she ; atood . wttli the coat to her hand-sle iremtmbered aha. had. been bd hf ppyv ha cul(t: recall each word' he had said eaon klw he had-given;- and his arms; his dear arms, how tenderly, hpw closely, pw fondly they aad held her!. '..,.-..-.- '-,;v.. 1 -. l ' ;She'ahk firto"a''chalr. the coat now close against her breast, A lntl sob rse. In her throat, taars cama Into her eyes, r It was all over U over! .His axms would nevet hold bar again, hi l$e would never kiss her morel ' Outside it grew darker sun. Sha felt sad, lonely, and she nrust go soon. Bhe had'ent the- ground under her feet, burned her boats behind her; he would be wondering why She did not go..- If only he would come to herl . After all, he did love her; she knew that well. They had been foollah prOud. If only he would cornel -.v.; - , - She lifted the coat. Then. While in tha seml-flarkness the color burned In: her face, she threw It around her drew the arms right 1 across her. A faint smell of smoke clung to It yet. She could almost fancy she wa-a In his arms, that their quarrel waa a t dream, tfcat she was not leaving his home and hers forever. He had laughed at her often for keep-, ing the old coat, for loving it almost as though It were something human. She woold take It away with her; he Would aeyer miss 1U , - - ' And then, quietly, she began to cry, her soft eneek pressed to the old velvet, sometimes her- quivering- lips. Jf only he would come to herl How could she gO away ? -:--V.' l - -';.' ' How long she cried, quietly but bitterlybow bit-terlybow soon, utterly exhausted, she dropped; to Sleep the v did not know.: The "opening of the door arouved her; the swttehlBff oaof the electric light And once more husband and wife almost al-most children both looked at one an--pthar.rt.- tv-. ; - : i looked and understood that parting was Impossible, the lowe was still there; looked whUe. as his eyes fell upon the i old velvet aoa' and b nderstooai.,' a i-flasn-awept her face.: Then,- with : One swift stride, wife and coat were all taken ta-ken .lntoav pastniat$ embrace, word of love and forgiveness. stumbled serosa thai ;Ups- and prtlnff waa something ; that would never coma while ltfe should tw i 1 1 j 'mm i i a- .' ; ' ! Stephen-Blrt and Mayr'Ms"wtfV1bad fallen oul.nqtTby aJty,.meah for-he' first tlme. Both'Wfeta tfving.-liDt tem-pered, tem-pered, high" spirited And'' prons to Jeal-; ousy. , Today matters had ooxne to acUmax. The twd young' p0ph,, white, angry, with blaxing ejresi stood jfaclng; one another;- It diaot tnaki ' 'matters J any" better ..tbAt.lhcyiipke aJo-ftly and da-1; liborately; t -. " -"'.-r rttr- tfred - of -the-rBceiiMmry"1 aal4,4 Valck. to-death, of. tbuovJ-caa't 'go out, I can't talk to an, old friend, nj what you accuse me of flirting. I cah'l I spend a day .with a,, girl chum buwh.at. ' you say t nefekct you, X han't T v f riXtn never apend a dayjwitn irie"; yb j Jaanen't giverime a whbla day since; f retuirwarbjrt1 our htmeyrnood.'! fnlghf'-be fnlghf'-be the greatest stranger instead of yout husband of six months for all the notice no-tice you tak(f f ine., YoU're jtoUJ" aa-; an icicle, and Indifferent as a-", ;? ' "Tou arel I shape my course enth-e-lV i accordance with yours. - If we'do go out together i you are never byf ny i do from: the time we enter afcouss to the tune m leave it. You ca. la-dh and talk'Wlth" other women; you have a Joke to tell me, or a smile fot me. We never ought to have married: I-nv Ttefry ieartfly sorryj-waei'arrdl." ;: J lis .,haods.rBstbng .-on j0iajbclt:,ol a chair, rippe4 It., tightly. t , ,., T5tt manVUxal?-he ?aaia. i -one rhanginjr, hls-i xpresslcm1irdeTrlng Her clasped hands gripped one another. an-other. . ., . i-So-tnuch so tlikt I meaa? to do what t'can to rectify oar thlstaki We ean't lfve iti peace' td'gether. " I have' tried; I dare say I do you that much-Justice you have.-JsLed; 4t aeema Unponlbla That baftg?o" her yplr s j level; hard, Ihough her heart was Mating in loud thumps, "the best thing we can do is to part.wi Fortunately, I have rajtawa incoraai'l 4nly hi a to jeaya'ifcU houaa and ' make a home for myself elsewhere." else-where." . .' r Her-W0rd5;'-tartled, staggered htm. He:; snada -A latda torwardvOaaght:.haa ' hands. "You mean that?" he askad agalny TYou are sertois?'; ; ' - .r , i: . -X I-neve was more serious la my life." "You would laave me?" r . !Thls' Is your- bouse, T Since Jt:isbs( - shoold part,-! mneM leave yoar. 4-' "Did you never love me?" She tried to draw her hands from Wq. but failed; he held" thera clasped,' -aitJHt foi. hfif answer.1' " ' '' " " u "Perhaps we were both too young to ; understand what love should be." she answered. . ' Perhaps we took mutual admtratlow for a deeper feeling. Any way"-h felt k fear- tightening, round her heart as she spoke "It Is quite clear the love has wanedl Anything 1 better than being together, - with oon- stant scenes. It will be wiser to tart-w : He tried -ttt draw herrto Wm; she bold away., - "I will not let you go!" he said-; "yon are' mine my wife L lov yon.-;.-Jf ; I have seemed Indifferent, it it has been only this a man expects hi wife to know ha loves 4ier, not to need telling; day after day; that is a lovers business. busi-ness. - Mary, if we have made mlstak,' surely we can put them rlghti If we have disappointed one another and . you, I must confess, have disappointed ttie-cant we begin, all over again, wlpa out the last six months 7" - -. ,: . . , - Her face softened for a minute; how once : mora It . hardened. So ahe -had disappointed him she who had done everything shs could: to make him hap py while he . ifl Jiave ao-vrtsh to begin again," she sjiswetedj . 1'W bavei tried, to.bfhap. , py, I suppose; we have been miserable. fv;ytt say.-have -disappointed your yon have .disappointed me.: I would rather, not talk anymore.' I will tell the ser-' vants I am going on a Journey. I don't want to make things disagreeable for. yon:- And I shall go today."- - ' He dropped her hands; he looked at heT for ' a mamentr at lier-whlteset fhce,;: brer-eye that-did-not'-softeTT '1n the least as his glance met hers. Then a, proud.'Iboyish raps entered .his hear It she coujd go,; if she .could leave him, then. Indeed, she did; nVever ad,' Iovd klm t t W in 4i ?.irraa arill pieasaaurseU, jtf ooJrse," he answered, "but whether you remain with me or leave me. you are still my. -wfeWtt"aT sfin bound td Jtj.'beigdqd' ehontghinot to forget that." i i t i f 'Ife 'scarcely saw 'his 'way as Tie-crossed Tie-crossed the room and left her left her -wHb, great anger In bia- heart against h,er.'''::':''v- -' '!'.. -4" ' ' ''', ' ' ';' J ""She -never ' loved' ""me,"" he said to ' ' ' ' ' '