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Show i May and October f By JUSTIN WENTWOOD (4, im, WntitB Kawipapar Union.) P VEItYBODY said It would not last, and that a man of fifty had no business marrying a young girl of twenty. twen-ty. There was, however, one fact In mitigation, namely, that Henry Spender Spend-er had known May Ronalds since she bad sat on his knee as a child. He had been a friend of her father's, too, for many years. Then when Ronalds died suddenly, and May, totally unequipped to earn a livelihood, was left alone, what more natural than that Henry should ask her to be his wife? Gratitude ought to have bound her to him ouly marriage cannot be based on gratitude. They found that out They found out many other things in the first months of their married life. For Instance, the old, affectionate feeling that bad existed so long between be-tween them, seemed utterly to vanish. The estrangement which grew more and more pronounced, seemed to have no tangible basis to it. It Just was. Then the other man came upon the scene the inevitable other man. Clownes was a young lawyer who had recently opened an office in the town. He began calling. The couple were attracted to each other at first sight. And then began one Of those desperate desper-ate moral contests between three, In which two must be the victors and one the vanquished. Not a word was said. If Henry Spender was aware that his wife was the subject of town gossip, he made no reference to It. If he was aware that bis wife had been seen In a car with Clownes, he made no reference to that either. What was he to do? His was a ridiculous position and he was fifty. So he waited for the inevitable with a sinking heart. "I think I ought to pay a visit to mother," May said one day and then he knew the worst was at hand for him. He quietly assented. He still preserved friendly relations with Clownes, who, In fart, handled some law business for him. He was In Clowne's office about this time, grave, steady, quiet, as if nothing had happened hap-pened when Clownes turned to him with an agitated look. "Mr. Spender, I can't take any more business of yours," he said. "I am giving giv-ing up my practice here. I am going West." "I'm sorry to hear that," answered Spender quietly; and then he was quite sure. The blow bad already fallen. He went home and said not a word to his wife. She was already packing. She was to leave in two days' time. On the evening before her departure they were sitting together In a constrained fashion, and, glancing up, Henry saw tears in her eyes. It cut him to the heart After all, what right had he to be thinking of himself? She was a girl, and he was fifty. He handed her an envelope. "A little lit-tle extra money for your expenses," he said quietly, and left the room. May opened It. Inside was a check for fifteen thousand dollars. She was running after him. "What does this mean, Henry? It's absurb fifteen thousand!" "Half my possessions, May." "Half your but why? What am I to do with it? Spend It on a month's visit to ray mother?" He looked at her, and suddenly his heart began beating wildly. He controlled con-trolled himself. He put hla bands on her shoulders. "May, my dear, when I married you I knew the time would come when things would be Jeopardized. It was my Idea that, however strong another attraction might become you would realize that a home and a quiet love were preferable. Well I was mistaken. mis-taken. Let there be no misunderstanding misunder-standing between us. I shall not see you again." She was clinging to him. "Henry, answer me now If you never speak to me again. Did you think I was going away with him?" And he looked at her with that glance that always hurt her so. v "Listen I He and I did care for ench other. There was a hard struggle between be-tween love and duty. Duty won. I knew no good man would have asked what he did of me. I grew to hate him. He is leaving for the West and I shall never see him again. Nor do I want to, I know now what I have thrown away. Take me again and trust me I love you, Henry, as I never did before. Trust and forgive me." And In the look In her eyes he saw bia dreams fulfilled. |