WEDNESDAY, JULY 11, 1900.
THE MORNING ASTORIAN, ASTORIA, OREGON.
!: By Way of
ehmeni
Exp
t
By NELIIC CRAVET
CILLMORC J j
I C)jrrlglit,lt4(lyNl!crvi.yOllmr $
GKUALDI.NH came homo from
tliu club woman's luncheon but
nil ciW, "ready for an argu
ment quoted of Billy, who
figured perndveiitiire ni the lady's tint
tor half.. Malnwaring was sitting, or,
rntlitr, sprawling, In one of tho multi
fold lounging chairs that made com
fortable tliu spacious wanda, his
spiked feet raised opulently to the
flowering banlater rati.
Flung over til face an on Impromptu
guard against pertinacious Insects wan
UttS, KAIMWAttlMa MrSRn AT TBB TOt
OK TIH HTklH
(bo latest comic weekly. III bands,
long and brown and sinewy, gave com
bined attestation to tho man's artistic
temperament and a strong athletic u
ceptlblllty. On the floor beside him
were some golf paraphernalia, a pitch
er of ice water and half a down mag
tinea. Mre. Malnwaring paused a aba
rtacbad tbe top of tbo steps and re
garded her sleeping s pound wltb a med
ley of emotion, depleted consecutive
ly, upon her pretty, flushed face. Tlmo
rlpplo of allunt laughter pawed over
it, rendering ber twice aa encbnntlng
a anything elM could have done.
fine tossed her long Ince gloves, fan
and cream cblffon parasol on a bench
and tripped noiselessly up to ber hu
band'a chair. Lifting the paper a frac
tion, alio stole a quick, cnutloua glance
Into the dark, relaxed features, lie
etlrred vaguely. She waited a moment,
then alio looked again, and all at once
It came to her tlmt Moluwarlug woa a
very handsome man, handsomer even
'than ehe bad deemed him before he
placed the wedding ring upon her fin
ger. . Ilia balr, black and fine and absolute
ly devoid of wave or crinkle, grew In
determined line high up, on the
aquare, brouaed forehead. The lashes,
also straight, were aomewbat lighter
In allude, but ao dense aa to completely
obscure that part of tbe check upon
which they fell. Below a ailghtly prom
inent but well ahnped nose hie month
revealed Itself to be easily the beat
feature. It was neither too large nor
too amnll, too thick nor too thin. It
waa not stubborn or even obstinate,
but In a gootl notured, liberal way
uncompromising to the lost degree.
After a few minutes be sut up sud
denly and tried to open his eyea, bat
ten pink tipped flngcra checked their
upward glance, 1
"80 for once I've caught you nap
ping," Geraldluo cunio round to the
front of his chair and stood looking
down at him with laughing accusation.
Malnwurlug squared , himself and
blinked at tho mottle of sunlight on the
sycamores. "I'll swear wasn't
asleep," he protested, with a vigorous
disregard for vcruclty. "I just bad my
eyes shut, that'a all."
Geraldluo nodded Indulgently and
eauk down In an adjacent chair.
"I didn't know till today," she ob
served, drawing half a dozen Imple
ments of .war f roiu her hut, "that I bad
married a diplomat."
'Many thanks for the civility of tbe
term. It Is roost becoming In-m dlph
mat's wife." r " '
"What a nice Ideal"
She bad crossed her bunds at tbe
. back of her bcid In en attitude of deep
reflection and the tyorels came with
absent enthusiasm.
Presently her face lighted and she
broke Into a little amuaed 'laugh.
"Billy," ' she sold, ' "you can't 'feuraw
what Is to be our nejtt topic' for lla- i
cusHioni" -...v.: .
"What's , the answerT
"Don't be horrid, or"
"ril have to give It ,up."
"Just one guess," she Insisted, with
' an uplifted forefinger. ' n
"Is It tbe extermination of the auto
mobile or or Paul Jonqi' obituary T"
He lighted cigar with luxurioua de
liberation. ,
Gurnldlua took up bis words briskly,
"Oh, If you can't-lf you don't want to
bo serious,', she flashed, "I"-
"Welir l9 objected, wllh half
laugh.' "If anything could be more
serious"" .,,..., ..
"That Isn't tho point at ull," she In
terrupted with o little Impatleut ges
ture, "and you know It You are ut
terly aggravating and ridiculous, Bil
ly I" sue dwlarwl, with pink cheeks.
Little pule gold wisps of hair bad been
loosened by the drive borne In the wind
and now blew about ber soft, throb
bing neck In bewitching restlessness.
The fine veins In her temples pulsed
with excitement, and ber eyes, awhile
go gray, hud deepened to black. Her
lips, red ami moist and vaguely tremu
lous, lost nothing by their sudden ac
cess of gravity n she went on:
"Waiving preliminaries, tho subject
Is just this, 'U love-romantic love,
tlmt Ik-u possible thing without jeal
ousy?'" Malnwaring stared at bis wife oddly
for an lusluut before he spoke. "Cer
tainly not," ho delivered authoritative
ly. After a second's silence be leaned
over mid Imprisoned one of ber bands
In both bis.
Mrs. .Mfllnwnrhig pulled away from
btm Impatiently. "I disagree with
yotr," alio remarked, with abrupt cold
ness, j
"Oh, It Is possible, of course, where
no cause exists," be commented, wltb
masculine complacence.
"That point necessitates a definition
of tho word cause.'"
"As a matter of fact, what would be
ample and suttlclent reason wltb one
person might amount to so much wind
with another." .
"Jealousy Is merely an acknowledg
ment of superiority in some one else,"
she submitted iKWltlvely,
"In which event -a tribute to tbe de
linquent one's good Judgment, on es
sential' tribute. I rather think your
point of view Is somewhat quixotic.
There's no accounting for people's
tastes, you know. I have seen them
walk over pearls and take the stones."
"I don't seo"-
"Let mo Illustrate. I once knew a
man whose wife was beautiful and
clever and good. He openly abandoned
ber society for that of another, who
was neither attractive, Interesting nor
In auy way good."
"I'osslbly his wife bored him with
ber very perfections."
. "She did not bore other men." ,
"And was she Jealous r '
"In a proud, silent way I presume
she waa."
"Did she exert herself to bold ber
husband love f
"Most women who love men do, don't
theyr . '
' Geraldlne made no response and for
several minutes afterward was silent
Tretently she suggested, 'Torhaps, aft
er all, If ,she was, aa you say, clever,
she waa not Jealous of ber husband's
attachment.
"(leraldlner
"Year
"Just suppose now, for Instance, that
I-that I wore-to"-
"Don't be absurd, Billy. We are not
trying to get personal, are weT
"That Is the only way to arrive at
correct conclusions."
"I'ersonal applications are biasing,"
remarked Geraldlne, with aaage look.
"They are vital, and they tell."
8he laughed delielously and tossed
her bead Into one of Its ravishing
poises. "Then I am still determined to
disagree with you on the original ques
tion," abe said. "There la nothing
that could make me jealous of you,
Billy."
Malnwaring contemplated her with
shadowed eyea. "Then I am very
much afraid," be returned, in a deject
ed tone, "that you do not care for ma
lu tho right way, tbo real way.'.'
"On the other band, my dear, you
ought to consider this the very highest
compliment I could pay you'-a radl-
"jca? omt otiEsa.' bbs inmbted.
ant smile broke across her face "tbe
Ibicerest evidence of my absolute love
and trust,! she added earnestly.
"But, my ,dr girl," be protested in a
surprised tone, "women like to feel
thnt their hnshnnils ore jealously In
cliued; mon like ,to think that their
wives are 'cause' counted out."
.Geraldlne bridled. "That I consider
a most vulgar statement," she flared,
"and It does not In the leaat alter my
views, to which I mean to.vadhere
tnctif, whatever comftSMr goes;" -Mttlnwarltig
rose, stretched himself
resignedly and stalked to tbe end of
the " veranda. ' When be came back
Geraldlne had fled. He pondered mo
ment, during which bis face underwent
succession of panoramic change
Flnnllv he 'drew from bis rwvkwt a
amall sneuorandaia lwk and lounun
pen. This is wbnt be wrote r
My Deartst Daphne (tlis nam sound!
wall, ha thouht)! am longing naresl)
for a siaht of, your swef fees. Cicus
busts ana drop m a Una by return maJ 1
saying whnn. Evr your own
BILLY HOT.
He. reread tlie lines with an Inspire j
expression, then turned the leaf ovet
and scribbled something across tin
back of It. ' Afterward be took a care
f ul Inventory of surroundings and
stooping, placed the paper,, fuce up, 01
the floor." , -;. ' :
Ten minutes later, when Mrs. Main
waring returned to the porch, ber bus
bund bud re-ensconced himself In bit
reclining chair and was snoring lustily
"Upon my word," site began, with I
touch of Indication, when her glanc
fell upon tho paper at her feet. Kb
picked It op with some curiosity, tb
pupils of ber ryes darkening and dilat
ing till they extended almost to the
rims of the gray Irises as she caught a
gllnqise of the address fu her husband's
unmistakable handwriting.
Kho rend tbe lines through three
times, flrst with nnked Incredulity,
then with rising resentment and finally
with deadly deliberation. Khe paled,
flushed and paled again till her Hps
even looked white.
. For severs! seconds she ncltlier took
breath nor moved. Bomothlng cold and
bard and terrible seemed closing about
ber throat, choking the very life out of
ber. ' -
At this Juncture Malowarlug came to
life suddenly. . .
"Good gracious!" be cried, Jerking
himself to a sitting- pasture, "One
would think you bad seen a ghost,
Geraldlne." . '
"I have seen worse thun a ghost," abe
returned, her voice tense, but con
trolled. "Worse than"- Ills lips twitched as
bo struggled frantically for poise. ,
"I have seen thlsf she broke out
with sudden pnsslon, one band, In
which lay a crushed bit of paper, ex
tended tragically.
Malnwaring shot up out othls chair
and came quickly to her aide. "Let
"I HAVl BUUI THIir SHI BBOX1 OCT.
me aee It," he said, with quiet Insis
tence, looseulng ber fingers with sud
denly cold, unsteady hands. . Smooth
ing out (he paper, he scanned tbe words
wltb blood burned cheeks.
"Welir
They looked at each other for one un
utterable minute, and silence seemed
to suffocate them both till the woman
broke It aharpbr.
"Now tell me everything," ahe aaid
lu a .concentrated tone of voice that
fought hard to eliminate all trace 'of
weakness. v ,
And then, to the consternation of
Geraldlne, Malnwaring did a moat re
markable thing, no lnughctf till he
had to hold his side, after which he
turned and took her fiercely In his
arms. "Billy, how how dare you!" ,
Malnwaring relaxed his embrace, his
Hps still smiling. Ills eyes bore an
oddly triumphant look. "Turn the pa
per over," ho commanded, "and see
what Is written on the other side."
' She obeyed meekly. All power of re
sistance seemed vanished. She read:
Dearest Geraldlne This is simply by
way of experiment an a means ot prov
ing to you that you ar no different from
other people. ' BILLY..
Geraldlne turned to him indignantly,
compelling bis eyes by the rising chal
lenge in her own. "I would not have
dreamed," she commenced frigidly,
"that that" Iler voice weakened
helplessly, her eyes filled with Irresist
ible tears, and she collapsed limply in
bis arms. " . ' ' ,': 1
"Oh, Billy r she sobbed. '
Arabian Snuff.
Snuff In Arabia is not used as It hi
with us, although one occasionally sees
a snuffer, but the snuff Is ordinarily
made Into a pill of about the size ot a
robin's egg and Is placed between the
lower front lip and the teeth. This
manner of using" snuff Is common
among the iaboriug class, and almost
very cooly that Is mef la the street
has his lower Up puffed out by a ball
of snuff behind it Arabian snuff la
prepared out of the ordinary powdered
tobacco, unrefined sugar and jotash.
i
40Q Pages
1 , 111 I 1 HIIM Ul mifcUl ILI.IH1 1 I ....
!i i.TintwirritimuH wiorqT-iT.ij,fw.ir"r- w..r 3m..s..j.iiriw,vw.w
j H E 0 M PLETETORY
OFTH&t?
a.. ; "4 a 1 !
lAXV'H I I'll
hmm. lip B
Thoroughly Illustrated
By 265 Actual Photbg'rapKo
taken at the time of the Awful
Catastrophe
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