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Show H " "the joy "of returning. BBV "full In the oars, Hose, nnd let us drift down the stream a bit." T obesed BBV willingly, for It waa a warm das, and I icullzed, after an hour's steady rowing, BBV that the charms of tho riverside could bo better appreciated when tho h mds HBVJ j weie Idle. Lcnnlug back In my cushions, I listened to the drono of the becfl and BBV I the musical lapping of tho water against tho sldea of I lie boat, watching, mean- BBV while, the vtirslng ixpresslous which llltltd over my rompaniun'a face BBV 'How swict and icuceful It all In here," sho h ilf mused "Just a day for HBV ' cotfldrtcos Tell nu ltnso, luia 1 cir kept . i secret from ou?" BBV Tvot to my knowledge, I rcturnid HBV 1 "Well, theio la one big secret whUh I have alwa)s krept lockrd In my own HBV J hvart, tho unl one 1 think, that 1 ctr refrained from confiding to you I am BBW going lo tell ou It now. How long Is 11 since I llrst rime, to live with jnuT ' BBH j "two j cart." I unswercd somewhat nnxiousl), "ind the Happiest two yeirs issaaB ot my life Dun t My ou nrc thinking of lcuing me et awhile ' , ' Pill It oicr strike- uu na lelng a rlrauge thing for me lo leie my hoina and friends and come out nnd bur msclf In tho country like tilts'" BpfMi ' I thuukht perhups," I began, blunderingly, that sou mlhht lime had some HBH disappointment Unit Is' HBV 1 bioko off In some confusion, and my friend looked at me Intently from tin. HBV der hor long, fringed ccllds HBW "ou were nulto right," she snld, the smllo dying away from her mouth nnd BBV a shade passing ocr her fare, "lou thought there was a man In tho case. HBW Well, trere was HBW ller tolco sank aa she nnde thta confession, nnd her c)ea strayed nwny oer HBV the wnlei with the tar-uwni expression wIiIlIi had beemo so familiar 1 looked BBW at her silently, desperately curious, as onl) a nomuii iun be, and yet not caring Bw to put any question HBV 1 ' Yes, ' she said, soft!) "Ho was tho cause of my going nwa). I loved him HBr too to atn ' BBV 'Hut wh) ' I leg-in Imiitluously. not quite understanding this kind of nf. BBV (ectlon 'Dldnt he rare for ou?' BBV "Yes," she said 'That was the reason why I went " HBV 'Vnswns he married'' ' I nsked nervnusU BMW "Yri " she snld, bltterl ' He was man led and to a vain, selfish, worthless BBW woman, n worn in who cand for nothing hut tho Indulgouco of her own Innrtil- HHi unto vunltj Whit ho suffered through her ue one knows lctti r than mjaelf. HkV In six months sho ran thiough all his uionc), lncurrcxl debts which were Im- HkW losslblo to pa, and ultogetlur made his life ;i perfect misery. Hose' Itosel HBVi there never was a gi enter curse to man than a bid wife.' IBs 'That must have been hard for ou lo bear," I murmured sympathetlcall). HBlj ' Hut not nearl) so haid as for lilm " I BBW 'And do )ou think he loved jou? I HBb 'I am sure of II she returned P. ou think my life these two J ears ! would ha e been possible if 1 hud not Known? It wis thit that gave me tho HBlj courugo to go awa and to keep owaj all thiough those terrible, long months" BBHi 'And now ' I began, iiiixlnusl, stalng the oars In their motion In the H water V ' hhn dabbled her hands In water before spenklrg ' HBli ' And now, ' sho sal I, I am going to see hlin ag Un " HBV i Mie saw tho look of pained surprise vi hlch eamo upon my (ace, but did not j ' heed It. and went on talking us If to hi rself. HBlj' 'I am going to meet him In the cltj tomorrow. He will be at the station i when m train comes In. 1 haven t seen him foi two whole jenrs for two vvholo scars 'Then his wife Is dead ' I inndo remark , ' No she Is not Women of that sort do not die cuBtls." "Hut 'I remonstrated HBV I There nie no huts about It ' she cried almost nngrlly "We have suffered IBV ennurli, he and I and wo are going lo pietend that the other woman Ij daad BBS We iu a going to forget all the misers of the past Ho Is going to take me Hkl abr Til am we aie going to start life wver again It Is the thought o( this which BB j has pt me alive these- scars ' Hkl 'V ru arc u vers foolish girl ' I snld with some emotion ' Do sou thing hap. HH pln'rs will come ut siuh a cosf 'lhlnk uvtr It all again or sou will repent it HH !, bltterls, "on have hud ouiuge enough to keep uway so long, don't spoil It all HB f now 1 am pltadlnu; now (or his suke and suuis" BHJ e Bhu shook her head obstlnatels and her eje shone with a light which wis BHJ trills madden ng In me Knowing her as I did, this weakening change In her HHJ chniattcr surprised me more than I darad to own 1 looked ut her silently and BH met her giant e of odd dedauee with a aoriowful thought of what she had been BBJ j to mo for the lust two seara '1 hen I found ms voice BBJ 1 Hut she did not heed entreaties nnd sat half-smiling to herself as she plised BBJ with th steeling ropes I BBJ j 'We nie willing to risk ever) thing" she said ' When two people love each BBJ other ni he and 1 do nothing else counts nothing tlse In the world" BBS ' 1 ut thin othtr iv oman. ' I cried she whom he promised to love and honor BBJ at the altar" BBJ I bh leaned (orward and caught my hands In hera nnd burst Into a light and BBJ I hapis I iugh BBI 'lOUttuplcl ' she Haid ' I am that other woman I am his wife Oh Itose, BBJ to so him onco more and to heal hhn forgive the folly of tln i ast after this llfe- HjK t tlm o( separation' ' Commeiclal Tilbune. |