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Show I AN ERROR OF JUDGMENT 1 fH CopyrighUd, 1903, by The Authon J'ubKMng Company m Hf " Algernon Barkdalo Smytho wns MK known locally as a snob. Somo llttlo MB sonso was credited to his account, but ft bis debts ran high. A great many 9& things woro unknown to him, but one Sh fact stood out so clearly In his JB fooblo brain that what others ho fflfa chanced to burdened with were qulto B. overshadowed. ,tjBf Thero was a woman In Algernon's B town with whom ho was well ac- jH qualnted. This woman well, eyen her tjB enomles said she was beautiful. Alger- H non loved her with tho unreasoning Hf . lovo that Is tho lovo of fools, and Ht sometimes of strong men. In her par- jE tlcular clrclo she was known as a flirt IH and coquette Men who distrusted jflH their ability, along with having a cer- JHR tain regard for their peace of mind, iBi fought shy of her witching glances. jBff To show and omphaslzo tho lnsin- Wm ccrlty of hor character, and Its unat- H tractlvencss, tho caso of James was B always brought up. Ho was ono of jB thoso men quiet, reserved and in- IR tonso who love not often. Ho had BSS met tho woman, Lofla, somo years bo- mm fore. A sorvlco he did for her ce- j8 mentod an Incipient friendship, which WkKa' noon-bognn -to rlpon into something 'iM moro. James was slow and ' mothort- leal, and ho know somewhat of worn-H worn-H en. With women of Leila's typo ho H ' was, however, not so familiar. Thero-H Thero-H foro it was that ho studied her long B and carefully oro ho committed him- B After persuading himself into tho H bollof that ho know her, ho promptly V asked her to marry him. To his sur- IH prise and her own as well sho ac- H ceptcd him on condition that he wait j so long as sho might sco fit. No lover H could rofuso even such a qualified nc- n ceptanco, so thoy wero engaged. V All went well for a year, so far as R Leila was concorned. James was very H docilo in his obedience to her care- cS fully vollod commands, and was equal- U ly mo ok in allowing her to do as sho K chose. Then, ono day, tho heavens fell, and James was novor tho samo man afterwards. w ' It came about In a very simple man- nor. Leila put, James off ono night, with but tho skeleton of an oxcuso, I nnd went to tho theater with nnothor K- ' man. James took it all In good part, and said nothing. That night, In returning, re-turning, Leila and her escort passed a man nnd a vory shabbily drossed and wnnton-faced woman on tho street. Tho two strove to pass without with-out having their faces seen, but they failed to accomplish this. Ono swift glanco rovealcd It all to Leila. With Algernon Barkdale Smytho was known locally as a snob. .1 i n stnrtlod llttlo cry, sho dragged her 9 escort after hor In frenzlod hasto, and when sho arrived homo sho dismissed him with a curt "Good night!" Tho noxt day James rocolved a vory hot and scornful .noto, which sont him about hln business without hopo of ro-call. ro-call. Ho saw how It was, and made every offort to gain admlttanco to hor presence; but ho was denied. Then Leila left tho city and was gono for months. James continued tho dreary routlno of his life, and stravo' to forget for-get that all tho light and gladness of It was no more. When sho returned James chanced to pass hor on tho street, Sho was with Algernon, and ho spoko to thorn, but thoy cut him dead. A great rago and sorrow filled his heart, so ho passed on without further ado. Meantimo tho gossips of Leila's net had It that sho and Algernon wero to bo married in tho spring. Sho laughod "when it camo to her ears, but Even her enemies said she was beautiful, beau-tiful, her laugh was not to bo understood. Algernon himself attempted to look wiso when a friend told him, but It was a dismal failure. Ho was rich, fair looking, descended of a family content to spell its namo "Smith," and of average character; theroforo, It Is not strango that tho rumor was currently cur-rently credited. It was during a call that Algernon mado on her when tho heavens foil for him. Ho., poor fool, unconsclonsly knocked out tho props himself. That day ho had como upon an explanation ex-planation of James' behavior tho night on tho street. It savored enough of tho disreputable to be a delicious morsel for his palato. Besides, ho had a secret fear that tho woman had not yet forgotten James, nnd ho was eager to so poison her mind that her hoart would forever cast out tho llko-noss llko-noss of tho man she had onco loved. So It was that Algernon dug his llttlo pitfall nnd coaxed Lelia to cross it. "Don't you romombor that fellow ah lot mo soo, what was his nnmo? Yo3, I have It Jamos. Don't you romombor ro-mombor him?" Sho flashed a glanco at him that would havo been n warning to a man of average Intelligence, but Smytho did not soo It. "Quito true," sho said; "thoro was such a man. What of him?" "Nothing of interest, nothing at all. I chanced to think of him In connection connec-tion with something I heard to-dny?" "Yes?" with rising Inflection. "Something you heard sot you to thinking of him? Thnt is flattering." "Not at nil." donlod Algernon, Ignoring Ignor-ing tho thrust "But, don't you know, It was something that cast a light on something ho 'did " ho paused expectantly. ex-pectantly. Leila's faco was a mask, and Algernon Alger-non could not read her thoughts. 'Something that he did?" sho commented, com-mented, tentatively. "What can it all moan?" "Don't you know?" ho said desperately. desper-ately. "Of that that woman ho was soon with on tho street " "Oh, yes," Bho mado answer, as if It all was now cloar to her. "Thero was such a woninn," "Sho wasn't exactly er nlco,' you know," ho blundorod on. t "I heard 8o7' ffi,the dlgdalaful fn. terruptlon. ;i "Sho wns once 0fnIrlt bio family," pursue,! Algernon, regaining regain-ing confidence h feU Then she oK''W, ,, hcr eo plo forgot that she had ovt-r lived. Af- I torwards they lift their old homo nnd ' camo to this pince nValtaniInute)ntCrruptfl(1Lcll 'I can finish It for you. Thoy caTno to this placo.rbut she hal precede them. When she knew of tl-fir arrival sho hunted them up, repented of h i past mlsdoeds, was readmitted to tho fold, and now' the; ivo lupi,Iy nnd honorably, It is an old story, nnd qulto comnionplnce." "But this did not turn out so," Al gernon said triumphantly "It la worse than that." "Worse? That Is Irnpovsiblo." "Indeed, no, as you wll) S(ll, Wnpn Jnmos camo. across her it nas by ar cidont. Sho had not repented, but v.w continuing her evil ways. That very night retribution OTcrtot.k her. ami she was stricken win, 0inr Kln1 o malady. James took her to his homo and summondd the best medical aid but It was of no avail In a few weeks sho wasftlead. James was most devoted to her during It nil paid all tho expenses, and had hor Interred In tho family burying ground. Thoy say ho took It very much to heart." Algernon waited with malicious expectancy, ex-pectancy, for ho knew what wns com- Leila was too much absorbed In her thoughts to observe his manner. When ho paused, she asked: "What was sho to him that he should do that, and take It so to hoart, as you say?" "Well," and there was an impressive impress-ive pause, "sho was his wlfo!" "His wlfo!" cried Leila, unablo to check tho cry of astonishment. Algernon Al-gernon nodded In a satisfied manner, and then said: "Yes. sho was bis wife. Ho married mar-ried her when ho was a young fellow. Sho had It In her blood, and went to tho bad. Thon they parted. Later ho heard that sho was dead, and did not know better until he Baw her on tho stroet." Algernon sank back In his chair, satisfied that he had done well. For somo mlnlites Leila was sllont. Tho man flnallk became Impatient, and, to break tlTie-Sspense, aBked: "Woll, what'ido you think of it? Pretty rough pi James, Isn't It?" In roply tl woman arose and opened tho dlr leading to tho hall. Thon sho turilJ her great eyes upon him in dazzlhl scorn. "Therol'V sM snld, pointing to tho door. "You hi better go homo. You aro a mlschlelis llttlo cur, and if I woro-a-.mfin?I-,!i.4vfMi you!" Tho" man sta.,lu dead constornn-tlon, constornn-tlon, not bell(,j his ears. Beforo ho could com! an answer, however, how-ever, ho wasfalono In tho rom, and tho sounl, Leila's light steps camo back to as sho ascended tho stairs leading!- her room. That night jVvroto a very apologetic apolo-getic llttlo nlMo James, begging him to come tn3trher next day. And James came. If , |