TheDoetor's 'Wife
BY AISS M. E- BRADDOM
" CHAPTER XVIII. (Continued.) !
''I told George every almost every
time I met Mr. Lansdell," hIio exclaim
ed; "and Oeorgu known that ho lends
me booksf and ho likes mo to have hooks
nice, In-st-ructlve," mild Mrs. Gilbert,
Milling her sobs ns host she mlKht; "and
I n-ncvcr thought that anybody could
lie no wicked as to fancy there was any
harm In my meeting him. I don't sup
pose any one ovor said anything to Boa
trice rortlnurl, though she was married,
nnd Dante loved her very dearly; and I
only want to see htm now and then, and
to iic.ir him talk; and he has been very,
very kind to me."
"Kind to you!" cried Gwendoline,
scornfully. "Do you know the value of
such klli'diicHs as his? Did you over
hear of any ood coming of It? Are you
besotted enough to think that his now
fancy for you is anything more thrill
the enprico of an idle mnn of the world?"
"Yon do not know him. Ah, if you
could only1" know how good he is, how
noble, how generous! I know that ho
would never try to injuro me by so much
ns a word or a thought. Why should I
not love him; as we love tho stars, that
lire so beautiful and so distant from us?
Ah, you do not understand such love as
mine!" added Isabel, looking nt the gen
oral's daughter with an air of superi
ority that was superb in its simplicity.
"I only understand that you are a very
foolish person," Gwendoline answered
coldly; "and I have been extremely foob
ish to trouble myself about you. I con
sidered It my duty to do what I have
done, and I wash my hands hencefor
ward of you and your affairs. Pray go
your own way, and do not four any
further ln'erforeiico from me."
She hurled tho cruel word at tho doc
tor's wife, and departed with a sound
of silken rustling in a narrrtw passage,
Isabel heard tiio carriage drivo away,
nnd then Hung herself down upon her
knees, to Hob and lament her cruel des
tiny. Those last words had stung her to
tho vpryjienrt, took all tho poetry out
of her life, brought before her, in its
fullest significance, tho senso of her po
oltion.
CHAPTER XIX.
It was 11 q'olook when Isabel woko;
and it,was .12 when she sat down to make
Home pretense of eating tho egg and toast
which Mrs. .lelTsou set before her. Tho
good woman regarded her young mistress
with n grave countonanco, and Mrs. Gil
bort shrank nervously from that honest
gaze.
She was not to meet him until
y
o'clock in tho afternoon, and It was now
only a llttlo after 112; but sho could not
Htay in the house. A terriblo fover and
restlessness had taken possession of her
lately. Ilad not her lifo been altogether
one long fever since Holand Lansdell's
ndveut? She looked back, and romcm
bevod that she had lived once, and had
been decently contented, in utter lgnor
nnee of this splendid being's existence.
hue tooK out nor watcn every now
(mil then, always to be disappointed at
the slow progress of tho time; but nt
last at last just as a sudden gleam
of sunshine lighted tho water fall and
flickered upon tho winding pathway, a
distant church clock struck 'A, and the
master of Mordred Priory pushed open
a little gate ami came in and out among
the i:ns-g;-o ,vn trunks of tho bare elms
In tlte next minute he was on tho bridge
In the next moment, as it seemed, ho was
ecated by Isabel's side nnd had taken her
passive hand in his.
Mrs. Gilbert looked up sadly and
ohrlnkingly nt Holand's face, and saw
that It was Hushed and radiant. Thero
was just tho faintest expression of ner
vous hesitation about his mouth; but his
dark eyes shone with n resolute glance,
nnd seemed more definite in color than
Isabel had ever seen them yet.
"My darling," ho said, "I am very
punctual, am 1 not? I did not think you
would be hero before mo. You can never
guess how much I havo thought of our
meeting to-day, Isabel seriously, sol
emnly even. Izzlo, 1 want you to an
swer a serious question to-day, and all
the hnpplnoss of my futuro lifo depends
upon your answer."
"Mr. Lansdell 1"
She looked up at him very much
frightened by his manner, but with hor
band still clasping his. Tho link must
bo soon bp broken forever. Only for a
little while longer might sho retnin that
lenr hand In hers. Half an hour more,
nil they would bo parted forever and
tver. Tho pain of that thought was
strangely mingled with the delicious joy
jf being with him, of hearing from his
tins that she was beloved. Whntdld she
nro for Gwendoline now! cruel, jeal
ous Gwendoline, who hnd insulted her
love.
"Isabel." Holnnd snld, very gravely,
bending his head to a level with hers, ns
no spoke1, but looking at tho ground rath
er than at her, "It Is timo that we ended
this fnrco of duty and submission to
tho world. Mino is no light love; If It
wore. I would havo dono my duty, nnd
Rtnvod awnv from you forovor. I havo
thought of your happiness as well ns my
own, darling; and I ask you now to trust
mo. and to loavo this placo lorovcr."
Something liko a cry of despair broko
from Isabel's Hps. "You nsk mo to go
nway with you?" sho exclaimed, looking
nt Holand as if sho could scarcely be
lieve tho testimony of her own oars,
"You .nsk mo to loavo George. Oh,
Gwendoline only upoko tho. truth, then
You don't understand no ouo ' uiider
itands how I lovo you!" ,
t
She had risen as she spoke, and flung
icrself passionately ngalnst tho balus
trade of tho bridge, sobbing bitterly, with
icr faco hidden by her clasped hands.
"Oh, Roland! Holandl I havo loved
you so nnd could you think that I
Oh, you despise mo you must despise
mo very much, nnd think me very wick
ed, or you would never "
She couldn t soy any more, but still
leaned against tho bridge, sobning for
icr lost delusion.
Gwendoline had boon right, after all
this Is what Isabel thought and thero
md been no Plntonlsm, no poot-worshlp
on Holand LansdeH's side; only the vul
gar, cvery-day wish to run away with
another mnn's wife.
"Is this acting, Mrs. Gilbert? Is this
show of surprlso and indignation a llttlo
comedy, which you play when you want
to get rid of your lovers? Am I to ac
cept my dismissal, and bid you good nf
temoon, nnd put up patiently with hav
ing been made the veriest fool that ever
crnsscd this bridge?"
"Oh, Holand!" cried Isabel, lifting her
head nnd looking round nitoously at
him. "I loved you so I loved you so!''
"ion lovo me so, and prove your lovo
by fooling me with tender looks nnd
blushes, till I bollevo that I have mot
the one womnn In all the world who
s to mnko my life happy. Oh, Isabel.
I have loved you because I thought you
unliko other women. Am I to find that
It is only tho old story after all false
hood, and trick, and delusion? It was a
feather in your cap to have Mr. Lans
dell, of tho Priory, .nindly In lovo with
you; and now that he grows troublesome,
you send him about his business. I am
to think this, I suppose. It has all boon
coquetry nnd falsehood from first to
lost."
"Oh, no, no, no!" cried Mrs. Gilbert,
despairingly. "I never thought that you
would nsk me to bo more to you than I
am now; I never thought It was wicked
to come hero and meet you. I have read
of people who, by some fatality, could
never marry, loving each other, and bo
Ing true to each other for years and years
till death sometimes; and I fancied
that you loved mo like that; and the
thought of your lovo mndo me so happy;
and It was such happiness to see you
sometimes, and to think of you . aftcr-
ward, remembering every word you had
said, and seeing your face as plainly as
I see it now. I thought, till yesterday,
that this might go on forever, aiul never,
never believed that you would think mo
liko those wicked women who run away
from their husband.
"And yet you lovo mo?"
"With all my heart."
Holand Lansdell wntched her faco In
silence for somo moments, and faintly
comprehended the exnltation of spirit
which lifted this foolish girl above him
to-day. Hut ho wns a weak, vacillating
young man, who was unfortunate enough
not to beliovo in anything; and ho . was,
In ills own fashion, truly and honestly In
love too much in love to be just or rea
unliable and ho was very angry with
Isabel. The tide of his feelings had
gathered strength day by day, and had
swept relentlessly above every imped!
ment, to bo breasted at last by u rocky
wall; here, whero he thought to meet
only tho free, boundless ocean, ready to
receive and welcome him.
"isnooi, no saui, at last, "havo you
ever thought what your lifo is to be, ol
ways, after this parting to-day? You
are likely to llvo tony years, and even
when you hnvo got through them, you
win not no nn oiu woman, nave you
over contemplated these forty years, witli
three lnuidred and sixty-five days In
every one of them, every day to be spent
with a mnn you don't love a man with
wnom you nave not one common
thought? Think of tjint, Isabel; and
then, If you do love mo, think of tlte lifo
I offer you and choose betwen them."
I can only make ono choice," Mrs.
Gilbert nnswered, in n low, sad voice.
"I shall bo very unhnppy, I dare say,
but I will do my duty to my husband,
and think of you."
"So bo it!" exclnltnod Mr. Lansdell,
with a long-drawn sigh. "In thnt ease,
good-by." Ho held out his hand, ami
Isabel was startled by tho coldness of
its touch.
"You aro not angry with mo?" she
nsked, plteously.
"I havo no right to bo nngry with
nny ono but myself. I have nothing to
say to you excopt good-by. For mercy's
sake, go away and leavo me to myself."
Sho hnd no pretonso for remaining
with him nfter this; so sho went away,
very slowly, frightened nnd sorrowful
Hut when sho had gono a few yards
along tho pathway under tho trees sho
felt all at once thnt sho could not leave
him thus. Sho must see his face once
moro; she must know for certain wlieth
er ho was angry with her or not.
Sho. crept slowly back to tho spot
whero sho had left him, and found him
lying nt full length upon tho grass, with
Ills faco hidden on Ids folded arms. With
a sudden Instinct of grief and terror sho
know that ho was crying, and falling
down upon her knees by his side, mur
mured, nmidst hor sons:
"Oh. prny forgivo me! Pray do not
bo angry with mo! I lovo you so dearly
nnd so truly! Only say that you forgive
mo!"
Holand Lansdell lifted his faco nnd
looked at her. Ah, what a reproachful
look it was, and how long it lived In hor
memory nnd disturbed her peacol
"I will forgivo you," bo answered,
sternly,
"when I learn to endure my lifo
Without yon.
He dropped his head again upon his
folded arms, nnd Isabel knelt by his sido
for home minutes watching him silently;
but ho never stirred; nnd sho was too
much frightened nnd surprised by his
anger, nnd remorsefully impressed with
n vnguo sense of tier own wrong doing, to
dnre address him further. So at hist sh
got up and went away. Sho began to
feel that she had been, somehow or other,
very wicked, nnd that her sin had
brought misery upon tho man whom sho
loved.
CHAPTER XX.
"He knows so much, and yet did not
know tMht I was not n trifling woman,"
she thought, in simplo wonder. She did
not understand Holand's skeptical mnn
ner of looking at everything, which could
perceive no palpable distinction between
wrong and right. Sho could not compre
hend that this mnn hnd believed himself
justified in what he had done.
Hut she thought of him incessnntly.
Tho iinnge of his pale reproachful faco
never left her mental vision. The sound
of his volco bidding her lonvo hint wns
perpetually in her ears. Ho had loved
her and had wept because of her. Thero
were times when she wanted to go to
him nnd fall ut his feet, crying out, "Oh,
what am I, that should bo counted
against your sorrow?"
There were times when the thought
of Holand Lnnsdell's sorrow overcnino
every other thought in Isabel Gilbert's
mind. Until tho day when ho hnd thrown
himself upon the ground in a sudden
passion of grief, she hnd never realized
the possibility of his being unhappy be
cause of her.
The weeks went slowly by. To Holnnd
tho days were weary and the nights in
tolerable. IIo went up to the city sev
eral times, always leaving Mordred nlono
and at abnormal hours, and every timo
intending to remain away. Hut he could
not; a sudden fever seized him as tho
distance grow wide. She would repent
of hor stern determination: sho would
write to him, avowing that she could not
live without him. Ah, how long he hnd
expected that letter! She would grow
suddenly unnble to endure her life per
haps, and would be rash and desperato
enough to go to Mordred In the hope of
seeing him.
Day after day he haunted the bridgo
under Thurston's oak; day after day ho
waited in tho faint hone that the doc
tor's wife might wander thither. Oh,
how cruel sho wns; how cruel! If sha
hud ever loved him, sho too would havo
haunted that spot. She would have como
to the place associated with ins memory.
Sho would have come, as he came, in tho
hope of another meeting.
He sat by the water listening to tho
church bells as they rang out upon tho
tranquil atmosphere. The people were
coming to church. Holand's heart throb
bed heavily in his -breast. Was sho
among themV At last all was quiet, nnd
the only bell to be hoard in tho summer
stillness was the distant tinkle of a
sheep bell far away in tho sunlit mea
(lows. Mr. Lansdell got up ns the clock
struck U and walked nt a leisurely paco
to the church.
She was there; yes, she was there.
Sho was alone, in n pew near the pulpit,
on nor knees, with her liands clasped
and her eyes looking upward. The high,
old-fashioned pew shut her in from tho
congregation about her, but Mr. Lans
dell could look down upon her from hi
post of observation in the gallery. Her
face was pale and worn, and her eyes
looked larger and nrightor than when hu
had seen her last. Was she in a con
sumption? Ah, no; it was only tho eager,
yearning soul which was always consum
ing itself; it was no physical illness, but
tho sharp pains of u purely mental strug
gle that had left those traces on hor face.
Holand was seized with a sudden de
sire that Isabel should see him. IIo
wnutec to seo tho recognition of him in
her face. Might ho not learn tho depth
of her love, the strength of her regret,
by that one look of recognition?
A green serc curtain hung before him.
IIo pushed tho folds aside; and tho
brazen rings made a llttlo clanging nolsa
ns they slipped nlong the rod. Tho
sound was loud enough to startle tho
woman whom Mr. Lansdell was watch
ing so Intently. Sho looked up and rec
ognized him. lie saw a white change flit
across her faco; he saw her slight mus
lin garments fluttered by n faint shiver;
nun then in too next moment she wni
looking demurely downward at the book
on her lap, something as sho had looked
on that morning when ho first met her
under Thurston's oak.
All through tho service Holand Lans
dell sat watching her. Ho made no pre
tense of joining in tho devotions of tha
congregation; but ho disturbed no ona.
IIo only sat, grim and somber-looking,
staring down at that ouo palo face io
tho pew near tho pulpit. A thousand
warring thoughts nnd emotions surged
in his breast.
Finally tho service came to n close.
Little by little the congregation melted
out of tho aisle. Tho charity boys from
the neighborhood of tho organ loft cann
clumping down tho stairs. Still M
Lansdell stood watching and waiting th
doctor's wife in the pew below. StlU
Isabel Gilbert kept her place, rigid an:'
inflexible, until tho church wns quite
empty.
Then Mr. Lansdell looked at her only
ono look but with n world of emotion
coiieentrnted in its dark fury. IIo looked
nt her, slowly folding his nrms nnd
drawing himself to his full height. Ho
shrugged his shoulders with ono brief,
contemptuous movement, as if ho flung
somo burden off him by tho gesture, nnd
then turned and loft tho pew. Mrs. Gil
bort heard his firm trend upon tho stnirs
and she rose from hor seat In time to seo
him pass out of the porch.
(To ho continued.)
No mnn living can give tho details
of a wedding ceremony, but every
womnn present enn tell what every,
other woinnu had on.
TOPICS OF THE TIMES.
A CHOICE SELECTION OF INTER-
E8TING ITEM8.
Comments nnd CrltlclHnis 1'nncd Upon
the Happen Inga of the Hny lHntorl
cal ami News Notes.
There Is u loud domnnd down East
for cbenper hides. And nlso for cheap
er Uydcs.
Somo day Insurance policy holders
rriny get together mid Insist on tho
right to have tlielr votes counted.
Ench of the Russian Grand Duko3
receives a unlary of $1,000,000 a year.
Wo believe tlielr places could be well
filled by cheaper men.
A cantankerous busbund In Norfolk,
Va., has been sentenced by a judge to
kiss his wife twice a day. Look out
for a biting story later on.
Tho girl who twisted her neck out of
Joint In a nightmare probably dreamed
that she was examining the latest fash
ions during a street promenade.
Judging from tho thousands of de
sertions each year, the army and navy
must not bo living up to tho colored
pictures In tho recruiting stations.
Trlnco Louis of Buttenburg snys
New York would bo ensy of enpturo by
a hostile navy. We would ndvlce Lou
to be somewhat enreful, however.
An old snllor objects to the term
"Jackles." lie snys Jackles are mon
keys. Tho point Is well taken. It Is
wrong to rrjnko monkeys of our snllors.
E. Bcnjnmin Andrews snys football
breeds kindness and restraint. Yet E.
Benjamin probably wonders why the
public often declines to tnke him se
riously. A Chicago woman burned $15,000 In
bills to spito her husband, who, she
suspected, married her for her money.
She must be one of those people who
refer to It as "pelf."
A great deal of Inventive talent Is
wasted on flying machines thnt might
bo useful to mankind If turned In the
direction of making the frog In the rail
way switch track less deadly.
When the appointments to consul
ships are given to men on account of
their ability, and not ns a reward for
politicians out of a job. the service will
bo vastly Improved without any new
system.
A Clevelnnd Justice of the peace has
been sent to the workhouse for collect-
ng Illegal fees. This country will
never be able to nchleve renl greatness
until It does awny entirely with its
ustlccs of the pence.
Secretary Bonnpnrte proposes to stop
prize fighting nt Annnpolls. A endot
wns killed In a prize light at Auniipo-
Is not long ngo, which shows that prize
lighting Is sometimes ns dnngerous ns
football. Tho secretary's decision Is,
therefore, to be commended.
Youth Is nn Invitation to n mnsked
ball, which wo nil accept. We mingle
with the dancers until our fancy fixes
upon n domino nnd a pnlr of tripping
feet with which to tread a incisure.
We become, weary of the dance and go
out Into the moonlight to "sit" it out.
Then wo unmask, and, presto! the bull
Is over nnd youth Is (lend.
How Hhould you like to go fishing
with a net nnd catch a submarine mon
ster thnt towed your boat nnd threat
ened to submerge It unless you cut the
ropes? This Is what tho commnndcr of
n five-ton fishing vessel recently did
off the British const. Ho first thought
that he had caught u monstrous whale,
and wns not undeceived when Its dnrk,
shiny back became visible through tho
water. But when the hatches of a
submarine vessel rose out of the sea
ho discovered that ho had caught a
warship which hud been maneuvering
In his neighborhood.
The prestige caused by our military
successes In the war with Spain nas
been enunled If, not exceeded by the
rcsjjoct gained from the no less re
nowned victory of peace through the
intervention ' nnd persistent attention
of President Roosevelt. While the feel
lug of the world toward America bus
been deepened In respect nnd Intensi
fied In cordiality, the attachment of
our own citizens to our flag, universal
ly recognized now as one of pence as
well as of war, has been strengthened,
nnd It Is felt by Republicans and Dem
ocrats, by tho East and tho West, that
vhat Theodore Roosevelt as tho chief
nagistrato has dono has drawn our
wn peoplo as well as those of Japan
and Russia moro closely together.
Tho lovers of birds who denounco
tho wanton slaughter of these among
tho most beautiful of God's creatures
too . frequently confine themselves to
tho sentimental aspect of the caso,
The sentiment, Indeed, which they In
voko is powerful and wholesome
enough, but It by no means constitute
the whole of the argument on behalt
of our feathered friends. Sclenco comes
forward to supplement that argument
It furnishes striking proof of tho enor
mous debt that wo owe to the birds.
One Investigator goes so far ns to do
t'lnrc In a recent article on the damngo
Hint is committed by Insect pests thaj
If tho destructive insects of tho world
wcro to Increase tenfold In a. year tha
human race would be deprived of ex
istence. Among the most effective ah
lies of man In his battle with these mi
nute enemies are the birds.
The Ilcv. Myron Reed used to say
thnt human life up to about forty
years ago was not worth living that I
only tho inventions and institutions 'of
the last half century have made Hf
bearable. President Eliot of Harvard
hns Just Issued n reprint of a little
book In which he argues that human
happiness Is neither harder nor easier
to find to-day than at any other period.
So the question Is still an open one.
Unfortunately, thero is no way to
gauge tho degree of happiness of any,
period, or oven to define definitely
what happiness Is. All we can know
for certain Is that the happiness of our
own times Is the best that is attainable
to us, and lucky Is ho who gets his
share of It. Happiness, like health, 13
known to us only through its opposlto
hcnlth through disease and pain, and
happiness through disappointment nnd
misery. Man never knew he had such
an orgnn ns a stomach until Indiges
tion developed, and he never would
realize happiness If there wore not oth
ers worse off thnn himself. Tho mass
es of mankind, until this century al
most dumb, now mnke heard their suf
ferings and dissatisfaction. The woes
of centuries aro finding utterance inj
the free speech or our day. The wan
may cause tho unthinking to suppose;
thnt the sun of human happiness is
suddenly obscured. But, to the con
trary, the remedies following the bet
tor understanding of wrong conditions
steudlly Improve the conditions under
which hnpplnoss may become moro
general. The more we hear of wrongs
the less wrongs we havo. Philosoph
ers may wrangle about It until dooms-
day and no doubt they will but tho
ago which knows tho least earthly
misery and woe Is tho one that has
been longest dead, nnd the generntlon
that really knows what happiness Is
and can realize Its possession Is a long
time off.
More and more our institutions of
learning strive to find nnd maintain
practical relations to the life of the
nation and its citizens. They nre not
content to foster special thinking on
special subjects, but try to cultivate
and encourage good thinking on all
subjects that concern men. This fact
Is made evident by tho opening ad
dresses of several college presidents,
which wore sermons on practical mor-
nllty. President Butler, of Columbia,
discussed tho morals of business, and
pleaded for conscience in the conduct
of business ns ngnlnst mere "law-hon
esty," which consists In dodging or
bnrely obeying the statutes. President
Schurman, of Cornell, preached to his
young men the doctrine, ns old ns tho
Bible, thnt a man's life consists not
in the iittnlnniont of material property,
but In the iittiilnmentof character. Tho
recent criticisms of men eminent in
the flnnnclnl world avIH do no good,
snys President Schurman, unless tho
criticism reacts on ourselves, nnd gives
us saner views ns to the chief good
of life nnd tho way to walk to attain
It. President Iladlcy, of Yule, nnd
President Eliot, of Harvard, directed
their preachings to the personal moral
ity of young men. Snld President
llndley: "Nino-tenths of tho tempta
tions of college life would bo nvoldedL
If wo called things by their right
names. Wo should never call things
fun here that aro rowdyism at home.
Compliance with customs, cheating
and having a good time would be des
lgnntcd by big names that wo should
ho ashamed oven to think of at home."
The gist of President Eliot's address
on tho man of honor Is In ono sen
tence, which young men everywhere
might consider soberly: "It Is a very
safe protective rule to live to-day as
If you wore going to marry a puro
womnn within u month." Prenchlng
usunlly sets higher standards than all
the listeners can or will reach. But
If tho wisdom of these college presi
dents strikes Into n few young hearts,
American universities will bocomo cen
ters of more Intense light
Gobble! Gobble! Gobble!
"At the more mention of his nnmo
I'm nhvays reminded of a turkey
cock."
"Nonsense! no's as modest and un
assuming "
"Personally, yes; but his name is:
'W. W. Doubledny.' "Catholic Stand
ard and Times.
Not it Stickler.
Willie In what month were you;
born, Miss Runnnbouto?
Miss Runnnbouto-It makes no dlf-;
ference, dear boy tho appropriate'
stone is the diamond. Puck.
Not one mnn In a hundred can quit
while his reputation is good.