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Show HIS WIFE'S COUSIIMJ Copyright, 1901, ty Dolly Story PtMliMng Company. I "It Is too provoking to miss tho train!" A pretty woman nt her worst, Mrs. Itonnld Douglas looked proltier still with her noso tip-tilted and a deep flush upon her rounded cheeks. Whetnor both camo from heat of tho dainty gas stove or from temper at disappointment, tho result was the snmo; and so thought hor stylish cousin, Madge Mnrcy, who wns an orphan Innmto of her homo. "Too provoking!" tlio young wlfo repented as sho held back her ,rlch Rklrt with ono plump and Jowelod hand, and with tho other turned down tho gns and roplnccd thu lid of tho steaming chnflngdlsh "Ron should havo been hero live minutes ago; nnd by tho noxt train his terrapin will bo ruined; nnd we'll havo tho nightmare night-mare from Into supper. How stupid of him to miss tho trnln!" "I am suro Cousin Hon hnd a good reason," Miss lunrcy began, suddenly sudden-ly catching tho glint of her cousin's ejo nnd finishing: Luckily I did not cut tho wine and Ico for tho Regent's punch boforo ho camo. Ho always llkos It 'live,' as ho says." "Ho llkos nil things 'llvo' ' Mrs. Douglas responded meaningly. "Why, Madge, you affect to understand Hon nB well as his wlfo does." "For which Ills wlfo should bo duly thankful," tho girl retorted not without with-out a blush. "I savo hor so much troublo by doing so. lio recognizes It, nt least." "Quito!" tho young wlfo answered brlolly. "Havo you seen my 'Choir Invisible' nnywncro? Oh, hero it Is. Sho hurled herself In hor book, nnd tho down cushions, under tho pink-shaded pink-shaded stand lamp, while Miss Marcy sat at tho piano and let hor taper hands stroll ovor tho koys. "Pleaso play something Gorman!" Mrs. Douglas cried presently. Her voice was sharp, with n testy ring In It. "I wns only thinking with my fin-, gors, Nell," tho girl ntiswored, whirling whirl-ing round on tho stool. "What was 1 playing?" "That stupid old 'Chnrllo Is my darling!' dar-ling!' and ou vo played It flvo times," tlio other answered Irritably. "I detest Scotch things!" "Cousin lion Is Scotch," Mndgo Mnrcy retorted quietly, "nut dear niol how agrcenblo wo must have boon to each other, Nell. Tho clock sojb twenty past oloven, nnd ho'll bo hero In ton minutes." "Vou aro nothing if not correct, Mndgo!" This was frigid enough to cool the punch, sans Ice. "What Is tho matter with you tonight?" to-night?" The tall, llssomo girl left tho piano ond throw horsolf among tho down cushions; ono long, gleaming arm colled about hor cousin's nock. "Nell Doitglns, If you wero not you and I wero not 1; If Cousin Hon weio not tho 'doting dullard or n husband' thnt ho Is I would icnlly begin to bollovo you wero growing leulous!" "Jealous, indeed!" Tho joung wlfo's irotty chuoks woro nllumo no .v. and e lit "Wliat Is the mattei tho oyos sho glued u u hor book had aught but tondcrnos. In them. "1 am surprised nt such u hint, Nell, ovon from you. Wheu Klcnnor Marcy Mar-cy chnnged her name to Douglas " "Dccauso ho was 'tender and trowo'?" tho girl broko In with a merry laugh. "Hocauso ho wns a gentleman nnd an honost man, tho other wont on, unheeding, "sho sworo to lovo and honor. The woman who so demeans hersoit us to bo Jealous" sho paused, looking full at tno woman boforo her, radiant nnd crownod with bolloshlp "without nny nppareut excuso, deserves de-serves not pity, but contempt! ' "Why, ou nro rcnlly talking seriously, seri-ously, Noll!" tho othor woman cried. "Hovr thoughtless I was to toaso you, whon you wero worried. Ah! that's his enh! I'll run nnd ilvo' tho punch, whllo jou turn tho terrapin. Now, Nell, dear, don't scold tho poor fellow!" fel-low!" Sho qwopt through tho portloro of tho dlnlng-iooin, Juct as the truant's pass-key grated In tho latch. A pur-zled pur-zled look half query, half content-swept content-swept tho faco Mrs. Douglass turned first to her 'nnd then to tho tall mirror, mir-ror, ns sha smoothed tho laces ruffled about her bosom. Next Instant sho "xnn cctrfcitlng herself from a bear-llko bear-llko hug. "You mean old runawnyt To keep Crept Into the hall. two lono women up all night, by carelessness care-lessness about a train." "Heally couldn't help It, darling wlfey!". Dr. Douglas answered cheerily; cheer-ily; pronouncing tho adjective doi lln' "You see tho operation old Sll-ccrly Sll-ccrly wired mo to como for was a capital one. Tho subject was .worn to n thread; and heart complications forbndo nmosthcttcs. So wo used hypnotism." "That silly fad again!" his wlfo answered an-swered with n rout. "Konald Douglas, Doug-las, I do bollovo j ou are becoming a hypnotic crank!" "I will, If in;- crankiness mitigates suffering," ho said gravely. "I am forced to glvo so much of that to 'bo ciuel only to bo kind;' that if a woman llko this ono " "Oh, it was a woman?" "Yes, and n mnrvolously beautiful ono. Sho detained mo, as Sliccrly wisjicd to test her powers t further, and bo I missed my train." "Sno humbuggod ovon jou?" Illogical Illogi-cal Mrs. Douglas retorted. "Hon, for a clear-headed, scientific old dear, you uro tho most easily fooled by a protty woman" "Thero's but ono pretty woman ta mo, dollln' wlfo," was tho genuine response "and she hasn't fooled mo." Tho foretold nlghtmaro to bo foaled by terrapin, seemed to bo n mere myth. Silence ns of Egyptian tombs wrapped tho dark Douglna mansion as tho clock chimed thrco. In tho darkness tlio surgeon lay wide-eyed, but restful, thinking over tho now experience ex-perience of tho day. Suddenly his wlfo spoke; he caught his nnmo her cousin's. Ills hand Intuitively wont out to wako her, as ho muttered: "My fault! Terrapin Terra-pin " but sho spoko again and tho scientist paused to listen, smiling broadly In the inky darkness. Then tho French clock chimed tho qunrlcr. Mis. Douglas sat bolt upright In bed, n senso or norror of Hideous doom upon hor, Sho reached out her arm, tho plump llttlo hand fcollng for her protector's pillow. It was ompty his plnco by her bUIo vacant! She wnlspered his name thon louder nt last in agonized sobs. No nnswer camo. Sho glanced' at tho door. It was njnr, u dim gleam from tho hall lamp reflecting upon his empty placo. Shuddering with cold dread burning burn-ing with shamo at hor own act tho racked wlfo slid stealthily from bed and crept Into thu hall, Roforo hor "moving ghostUUo to his doom," crept her husband; whlto clad and with bnro feet that mado no echo ou tho carpet. Hesitant, slow, with moln of a guilty thing ho passed tho longth of the corridor paused at Mndgo Mnrcy 's door tapped softly. It wns opened as of Itself In tho broad light flooding behind hor with floating masses of fair hair sculptured sculptur-ed throat nnd gloaming bust too lightly light-ly drnpod her cousin stood, with eagor arms extundod. Noxt Instant they wero closo about ths sinning husband's neck; hor soft check pressing press-ing his lu ecstasy tho blonde hair 4 . meshed about him as tho wob of Fato! Frozen ns to stono tho wlfo stood d2cd nnd volcoless; her syes woro riveted upon tho hideous sin before them; her blood frozo In horror, congelation con-gelation heat could not molt. And then soft, long drawn kisses broko tho deadened stillness each ono smiting dull upon her brain and driving driv-ing through it tho hideous truth. And thon Madgo Marcy's oyes, piercing tho gloom beyond, found them fixed by hor cousin's cold staro, as by a Dasillsk's. Hut, bold nnd reckless, tho girl only smiled and whispered: "Ho Is my cousin, Nell. Go back to bed and bo good!" Her olco molted tho frozen charm. Tho wronged wlfo hurled herself toward tho guilty pair a Vengeanco Implacable In tho broad light gleamed gleam-ed tho lorg, sharp dagger sho found somehow In her hnml; Its uplifted blndo directed not nt her rival's but hor husband's heart! Then, ns that blado descended llko n flash, Nell Douglas fell upon tho carpet prone lifeless. And oven thon ono word, crashed down upon her brain potent, commnndful: "Hemembcr!" Simultaneously Simul-taneously Mrs. Honnld Douglas was ilttirg bolt upright In bed; her husband's hus-band's volco asking quietly: "Aro you 111, dollln' wlfo?" "Oh, .Hon, It was dreadful! I had such an awful awful nightmare. I am suro it was tho terrapin." "No, Noll;. I nra suro it was not." "Then, lovo,- what could it havo been?" "Sweetheart, It wns 'that cllly fad again'!" |
