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Show HER MINIATURE f I Itr MK T TAKIIIAN ri)HI I II I I I CoryH,iMnl. nnt. fcy T4 Authort rtltuhtiu, I -,......, The Hoverond Houghton flung down 111" pen anil throw himself hark In his chair, ultcrly weary and despondent "It's nil nf no use." ho said, nloml. "1 cnn decolvo myself no longor; I have neither hcurt nnr Inclination (or tho work." Outside ho could Just roo the girlish figure of hi w ife, tin If hidden In the fulila of a larno hnniiunck In which alio was reclining: then, an If she bad beard him, thi words nf a hymn sho wan singing r- 1 1 In apt reproof iiikid hla cur. Tho awed voice died away, and an expression of sndndtin camo over the bright upinrni'd tare, ho had listened breathlessly while sho sang, for ho loved her with a depth of fooling amounting almost In Idolatry; and yet, although xhi' wan li Ik wife, alio wu aa atrungor to him. 8ho had opposed their nmrrlngc till tho very day on which It had In-. i solemnized, but ho bad not known H until tin ceremony wna over- then, with burning checka and dark, i!. -limit eyes, alio had told him plainly Hint she hated him. Tho revelation made, Cecol had awopl scoihlully rut of the room. Rnd left her huili.uid with his bright dream nf lon and happiness shattered. shat-tered. Kix months had passed, anil during all Hint lime, they had lived together as ne re strangers, treating each oilier with rigid polltonis when tho demands of social lire or church work required them to ho preaont together to-gether nt iimu entertainment or meeting. meet-ing. Aa ho ant lool:lr.g nt her now and nolod tho s-d expression on her faco, ho lunged o co to her. but bo dared not. Then straightening hlmanlf, bo ' t(Mk up bin pen again, nnd resolved , , that for her anno hn would persevere, j lleforo ho iKv.an i.caln be glanced onco ! muro at her, and started to hla feet. lor largo loirs wen- standing In her eyes, mil nlie was trying to look through their l.llndlmr brightness nt a miniature ubleb u!i held In her hand. Ho wondered vnmiely w:ion It wua, and a ai:mm of Je;i!ouiy KtnoleA btm na ho aaw her prei.s It paialonatidy to j or lipa and then place II In her bonnm. llu turned away the pen fell unheeded unheed-ed from lila band, mid hla rc.-mlvo waa completely bn net en. in an aitony of dlnpalr hu threw h I in m ' f on a couch, worn out n he wart, fnnii Iihh of aleep and a loiii; nervuiirt Hrnln. hla cyea gradually clnie.l. pud bin trouble wero drow.ned In oblivion. It waa evenlix when he mnikc. I! tried to recollect bow lit! came to be Hleeplni; thero at auch an hour, when a atipproHcd aob at t!'0 foot of the couch canned him to look In that direction. Thero. crouch, d upon tho flour. vai Cccol. IiiKtunt-ly IiiKtunt-ly tho event of tho morning e;iino crowding to 111" iiilml: but Inxload of acorn or aneer. ho felt only pity for hla wlfo. Ho determined that uniiitv how, In aonio way, alio should bo free; bo dosplxcd thoHO who aomtht divorcee, and nover before had ho 1 n aula to tmnejno any cn.-io whb h miKht bo con-aldored con-aldored pardonable; but It waa different differ-ent In their case; alio wn.i hla lawful wlfo to bo aure, hut n'nro than that aue waa nut, nnd alio mtiHt bo freo ca Utterly weary and deipondent. froe aa before ber uiarrlaKO ho would tell her tell her now hut, O beavo4 what a aacrlflcol "Cecel." , Bho started to her feet with a cry, "O Nell, aio you uwal.o nt l.int?" Her faco was Hushed with crying and toara atood In her cytw und danipom-d her choeka. She had never cnllod him by bl Cbrlsllun name beforo. and aomethlnu like a thrill pmsed throuub biB frame ns ho noted tho chaiiKo then Boniethlnn dropped to tho Door. 11 wu the mlnlamro. He waa alttlnK u.iriKht In on In .1 int. whllo wltb a deep lluah eoverliu I, row nnd neck aho atooped ballly nnd picked It up. Aa alio ralaed lo rn If. her eyea encountered encoun-tered Ida lby were llerio and dolor-mined, dolor-mined, lie had fortroiten hla resolution resolu-tion to free her fi-ri;ottfn everythlnel but tho pnln wbleli n arly atlflcd him and mnde I1I111 furi.ni ly nnirry at her now. "(JIvc that to me!" tie commanded. com-manded. Inatnntly ahe lr.ih:htened. her dark eyea lordied coldly mid calmly Into hla, 'Nevei!" ahe Bti'w'Ted. hrledy, and with lielKhtencd c hu. hut no other mm -- pm "You shall not le ve thli room until you fllve me tnat picture.1 Hfrvupllllu hi mi or aiiutlon, sh re-plurcd re-plurcd tho mliilutiiti In lnr Ikjhoii., and turtit'U to ltavo i he room. Ho Htoppod to tlio door ni.il In: tA tier way. "You Mhntl iu I iivo thin room until you Rivo ni thrtt pl. T'irn." "Thvn I .!a!l n.-vor Uuivo lt,H wa tlio rrptv. "I uilitht tnl:o It from you, bo IhrwiUMirU. "You run Lo ft pf..v,inl If you wish. Ht.r wuriU hIui : him to tho quick; a dark llunh miium l to IiIh brow aa ho Mood m hit. "I Ij" -; 11itr parclru, (,'ocol; I am Hurry tl.at I su i.ir inr;ol mynolf an to Hpt-alc to i in Hitch a m mi nor. I Impo that vim , ill ul h ast try to forKivo im' but) Hlisv. ft fi I : ' L n word, but with hniul crrrt wuil.l i :'-t litin and Irlt tho room. A n '.nut later tho dinner-bell dinner-bell rani? .:,'f ;.n-i'. -illy ho nuulu a haMy loth't mul c:il. r-'d tho dining room to eut It is rm- il In milltuUo, fur IVeol wan not tin r'. I.miKry aa ho was, hu woo a t'lii-hr I the lonely repast, nnd foutut tiut It u.is iuita Into. Ho know that ho mtut "i t a long, fltnop-k'HH fltnop-k'HH nU;ht ; II w iuM bo wrotrhod enoiiKh nt bi-Mt; bur (h uncertainty niUHt bo over, an-1 hn must have an unihTHtandh.R with bin wlfn that very evrnlDK. A-ccn llr ; tho Htnlra. he tapped at tho door of her droHKlng-room. droHKlng-room. "Cnmo in," rn.v.c 1'nlntly from tie otht-r atdo. Hi iM.t 'icil. "Won't yot Hit down?" shi' ii ! ' I li.Mitly. A little Hurpn-ci nt t ho tono, bo look the chair kIim ntm.n "d to. "I suppur-u you wonder why I havo Intruded uiy-Bcii uiy-Bcii upon you," he l.ecnn, "but, bo-lU'vo bo-lU'vo nif, I ihi not w,h tn pain you; all 1 have to say ml .-di to do la for your htippt'K'FH. Yiiu tunuot deny that you aro unhappy Imre that ynti love another mun, and that you but mo and, Creel, I ha.o lovid you bo Ioi.r and fto truly that all I dealra la to make you h.ippy, no mattor at what coHt to 111 y Heli I will keep you prisoner no lunger--wo nuiat have a dl voice." "O no; I n-ver, tn-ver meant It. I did not know O Noll!" nhe sobbed. Incoherently. In-coherently. 'Yoii mean that you do not hate me?" ho asked tnrii.n:; a pair of In-crodulouH In-crodulouH ryes touanl her; "you intnn that you do not whdi lor a divorce?" "No, no; unless ou want to uend me away. 1 was never happy till I came hero." j: von then, ulthuih It brought a kind of ladncMH to lim heart, ber mean in-; did not dawn uikiu him. 11 in rtko fell uiic.onscii, u-ly ii)on a lurwo pictuto leanlnt; r.-in-t hnr drogslnn tabl?. Gradually iit lit;uamo awuro of a lanilllarity in lai outline,, and looked at it nioro ci(,..Wy It waa bis claim picture; how d.d It como thoro? ho wondered. Cto.inK the room he picked It up; a pronjiiuiit hole la the teft bnud corner sl:oweil whore the head of ono of tho MudcnU had boon cut outand, lo! It was his own! He turned Inquiring v to his wlfo; her ; 1 r liead was thro-.in bai-U nnmna; ibe eiHhlnns of the chair, and ber haiidt eie closi .ed a!ie It. She was watch- IllK him Willi llnlie,l ihe.1,1 nlld Mn- Inn eyi H; tl,e ahnwl bad Inllen aay from her ahoitldera. and miioiiis the anowy laeea at ber breal aomellilni; Bleamed l.rluht nnd yellow. In an In-atant In-atant he a. by her aide nnd had taken tak-en It ceiitly from lix hiding place. The cole? in h race deepened and her ee danced ml-:i-bievonily. but "be nf-fn nf-fn d no reslMianee. One ptlnnce at the nilnlntnie oilllced; the next moment ho waa on hla l.neea by her aide, with one arm thrown about ber waiat, whllo the oihor drew the brlubt head down till their ll met. "Forgive no-, dnrllnc." he whlapered. lint ahu only wound her whllo arme around hla neck, and layln hla head main her shoulder, let lier cyca meot hu. |