Spring Males Me Tired
To many people fpring and iu duties
mean an aching head, tired limbs, and
throbbing nerves. Just as the milder
weather comes, the strength begins to
wane and -that tired feeling" la the
complaint of all.
The reason for this condition ii
fouud in the deficient, quality of the
blood. During the winter, owing to
various causes, the blood becomes
loaded with impurities and loses its
richness and vitality. Consequently,
as soon as the bracing effect of cold
air is lost, there is languor and lack of
energy. The cure will be found in
purifying and enriching the blood.
Hood's Sarsaparilla is the greatest
and best spring medicine because it is
the greatest and best blood purifier.
It overcomes that tired feeling because
Hood's Sarsaparilla
Is the Only
True Blood Purifier
' Prominently in the Public Kye Today.
4'uereut tooDmriit.
There are too many defaulting bank
re at liberty. Buffalo Express.
The Chinese should tear down their
great wall and build schoolhouses with
the material. New York Advertiser.
Even in the height of his fame Na
poleon never dreamed that he would
one day be on a level with Trilby.
Brockton Times.
' I nlnss the British Hon changes its
position the work to be attended with
tome difficulty. Chicago Tribute.
KNOWLEDGE
Brings cafart sad Improvement and
tends te, aenoneJ enjoyment when
fMatly wmL The Many wko live bet
er thaa others and enjoy life more, with
lees expenditure, by more promptly
adapting she world's bent products to
the'neeaa of physical being, will attest
the value to health of the purs liquid
Illative principles embraced in the
remedy, Syrup of Figs.
Iu eioeiicnce U due to its presenting
In the form ta.wt acceptable and pleas
ant to the Unte, the refreshing r.nd truly
senefieial properties of a jrt t lax
ative. crTecuially clesncint' tint nyatern,
dispelling onloa, headaches wiJ fevers
and permanently curing constipation.
It hait given Mtiafartinu to miHiiis and
met with tbe approval of the tr: "ileal
i profviwion, becauw- it acB on the Kid
uv, Liver and Bowels without weak
ening them and it u perfectly free from
every objectionable substance.
, Syrup nf r'iirs i for sale by ail drug
gieU in 50c and $1 buttle, bi't it ii man
ufactured by the California Pi;: r-yrup
Co. ouly, whose niiiui! in printed u'l ; very
package, also the name, Sti.ji of Fig,
anil U-iuir well iittorjicd, ' .;i wiil nut
f,cct" ' -'- f
ASKYOUR DRUGGIST FOR
The best
FOR
Dyspeptic,Delicate,Infirm and
AGED PERSONS
JOHN CABLE SONS, New York.
WALTER BAKER & CO.
The Largest Manufacturers of
PURE, HIGH CRAOC
COCOAS AND CHOCOLATES
Oa aale Ceatlaaal, aeea rMdTal
HI6HE8T AWAR08
tnm Ik creel
Industrial and Food
EXPOSITIONS
In Europeand America.
Valleatka butet rm. Alae
ar otiMr ChaMlreU or are
hmi la ar r lelr arvM.trina.
Tlwlf fallelaea
BaCAKf AIT COCO ( ibMluul
u4 carta Urn uaa tm tint a y.
ad uieeM,
SOLO SV OROCIBS IVIRYWHtSI.
WALTEH BAKEH k 00. MRCnESTEH, MASS.
lt Bt. Joseph and Qtaad hind 1. B
SHORTEST and QUKMIT LINK
NORTiR"
WEST 5E? EAST
SOUTH
.ta.srr Union Pacific System
m iii rawwire says f
TeeMife, tofeeeae ell Waatasw Polasa,
for laawssaese rafaraiei reeee. eea., van n
. r. eaisaoa.ja ,
Aft.
I Hitafsavis. Isaesl
. .
it makes pure, rich blood. It gives
strength to nerves and muscles because
it endows the blood with new powers
of nourishment. It creates an appetite,
tones and strengthens the stomach and
digestive organs, and thug builds up
the whole system and prepares it to
meet the change to warmer weather.
Hood's i-arsaparilla is a medicine
upon which you may depend. It is
the only true blood purifier prominent
ly before the public eye today. It bas
a record of cures unequalled In the
his'ory of medicine. It is the medicine
of which so many people write, "Hood'i
Sarsaparilla does all that it is claimed
to do." You can take Hood's Sarsa
parilia with the confident expectation
that it will give you pure blood aud
renewed health. Take it now.
-Nat ure a M omiera
Harrier reef is a coral reef extending
along the northwest coast of Australia
for nearly 1,300 mile.
'Hie Siena Nevada range of maoun
tains in California la iiu.irly 500 mi lei
long, 70 wide and lioin, 7,bO0 to nearly
ld.tXU feel, high.
Th-re in a gigantic "rocking stone"
or bai.nued bowlder on tha pinnacle of
Tandil niourilain, Buenos Ayres. It if
24 feet in height, ift feet lung and will
weifh 25 tons.
Hot hrlng, Kutith Dakota,
a meetinir (iftv nromlnem
At
Illinois physicians, held during theli
recent trip of investigation to Hot
Springs, South Dakota, it ws resolved
tnat a committee of rive be appointed
to draft suitable resolutions, voicing
the sentiment of the meeting cenctrn
ing the Dakota Hot .springs, as viewed!
frtm the jihysicians' standpoint. The'
following Is the report:
'I hi mrmbrt. ot tile vUltlnr delecatlon of
IlllnoU f.hyilcin, twembled In the town hall
at Hot .ritiK, 8 D , diiire to ripreM their
henrty appreeiiilon (,t tho oprtrtiiBlty tliui
alfi.rrtacl them to become pi actlcailv acqiialnted
will) I oc dvtjlai(eii of lhi place ana
hultti rort. I he ihe, tared lor atlon of thff
fiprlngs um the foutharu nlope of the Blaclt
H 1 1 la. In a valley ttaat U protevted from tliu
biaili of w.uLtr and from lorua of lumiuerj
the dryneu and lalubri'y uf lha utino phera
ud loa moderate eleratlou above aea level'
(37(10 feat) combined with eaey ai ceni from all
d reelloi , render Ilia piaoa )eeuliariy attract
ive to all who Hud their advaulugi; iu auemape
fiom aatrotuea u( heat, cold, dn nip aud atmor
j.herlc preanura. The purity of the ateri, and
their (lei Ided inedlctua! uuallty alau commend'
the fiprli;( to tne inudlcal profelon and to all
ln allua who mlfer with cutaneoua arlhrlllo
dlataaea aud with luch dlaordera of 'he dlgosl
Ive and i llmlnativa oruarn aa need foriheir
relief a continued gentle stimulation of llm
liver arid kldueya. tor the ra.lef of the diner
em forma of ehroulc rheuuatlwin the inai
nlluent pluiise balh. iu wnleh active elimina
tion, loaether with lurtliient lien. la.- of th?
mleeted Joint and mustlen, re happily com
blued, cannot be too highly pralaed.
''inkini! into cunttderatluu the eae of acce'l
the ample aud comfortable accoiniuodotloui
that Kin provided at mwlerale cunt, and lha
healing piop-Tliea of the mineral watem, it ti
evident that ih Hot Sprlnga of bun b Ijatola
Milord opportuuiiiea for rrat, recreati n aud
ree-iv ery of health that are not aurpnAed by
any Muno.r resort in tt, country. To tha
meinberx ot the medical profrHhlnu who a:e
w eking Kir their patients a loea'.ioa luiU ahall
i-oiiioliie ihe aovauiagea of northern mid
Hiullu ni climate., ea.lern and wrateru leveli
oi elevation, ntunc,iie iu'euery and the eom
lortu of i lviilatlou, aao.iated with noclai
siinpllelty of hie thin place cau be most colt
ll lenily reei inmended."
Himby M. Lyman, Chicago,
fc. V. Ciki, Men. una.
J W. 1'owill, Peoria
Willlam A. KliiIh, Uloomlngton,
E. htillmaM-IIaILIV, CBlragu.
CoiumlUee.
Tor a beautifully illustrated folder
descriptive of this famous health anoj
pleasure resort, aud also for Informal
tiou about the Burlington Route's
rates and train service to Hot bprlngsi
write to J. Francis, O. P. & T. A.J
Omaha, Neb.
The American turf congress has
ruled that a jock 9 can weigh In witty
any amount of overweight, but under
weight is limited to two pounds.
Ton Don't Hare te Swear Off,
ays the At Louie Jouraal of agrleajlrura In
an editorial ancm so 10 nit, tne ramoue to.
bacco nablt cure. "W know or many caaae
cored by No-To-Bac, one, prominent Ht.
Leula architect, emokad and chewed for.
twenty years; two boiea cured klm ao that
even the anieil of tobacco mekra him ale.",
N'o-To Mac eold: aad gaaraateed by Drufnete
every wnare. 19 care no pay. uooa tree.
Starling Remedy Co., New York or Chicago.
Current Comment.
It Is becoming more apparent every
day that the successful bank robber II
the one who draws a salary from tbt
institution. Chicago Poet.
The polling of tbe legislature on pres
idential candidates baa begun. Ittlok
let the vanity of tbe legislators, but il
doesn't settle the qnestlon.
If aldermanic votes are really market
able, lent It abent time to Inaugurate 1
system of advertising for bids, bo thai
all can bave a fair chancer
IV ma rt.IaSaW WORK eaally eanred Uraaat
M I as.aaflg aTlee!aa far tf- r Ageee? la aall tkl
MM C$EftU sMUTOsU
to raeaaoM aaa afaya. uaa eiyi
hut number ef lea franal. aaal
f&mm aaa. ItaaanrhIM, wrlle laf
a-ava Bees Free, KiVis M
aaa Oaa airla araa aha N
mber el aaa Jhanal. Aaeaher will aooa M
aaa ItaaawkiM, wHU l aaSaeaaa Ulaa
w.yaa Bewk Pre, fivis rimiim buisi. asi
laiCdTUU auMaVaataven. a W. Uka Si. Ckloaga
TJIIKTY THOUSAND!
A HOST WILL ATTEND THE DEN
VER CONVENTION.
Thirty Fourth Anaual MmIIdi of the Ra
tional Kdnratlonal inorbtlon, July
S-H Many Imminent Ktiucatora on thn
Program Kara Opportunity ror Boat
and apart Among- tba Koealee Cheap
KalM to Danger.
In 1805 tlie educator of America
take up tbe cry. "Westward Ho!" and
the National Educational Association
has fixed upon Denver, July 5 to 12, as
the place and time of Us thirty-fourth
annual meeting. The association
cornea so far West this year for the
second time In Its history. In 1S8 the
Bt-s.tfi was held in San Francisco,
but the President of the association
for '88 was Aaron Gove, then and
now Superintendent of the Denver
schools- Tho San Francisco meeting
was the largest the association has
ever held, before or since that time,
ana auen enmusinsm as was manifest
ea in lsxis lias not been known until
1895, when the fame of Denver bas
called forth, four months before the
time set for the July meeting, an en
thuslasm on the part of educators
throughout the country, which assure
an attendance of between 20,0J0 and
80,000 people. The Sau Francisco at
tendance was 12.000.
The National Educational Association
was established In 1857 In Philadel
phia; its object, as stated In the pre-
aniDio 10 tne constitution, Is "To ele
vate the character and advance the In
terests of the profession of teaching,
and to promote the cause of popular
education In tbe United States."
Dr. Nicholas .Murray Butler, of Co
lumbia College, Professor of Philoso
phy and education, and State Univer
sity Examiner for New York, Is Presi
dent of the association. Dr. lSutler Is
oue of the young men who have of
late years coma to the front In educa
tional llm-s. He Is thlrty-threo years
of age and Is recognized as one of the
most advanced thinkers, and among
the most progressive educators In the
world.
Superintendent A. O. Lane, of Chica
go schools, Is Vice President ; Irwin
Shepard, Slate Siiierl!itenderit, of Min
nesota, Is Secretary; KuiHTlntendent J.
Al. (ireenwisid, of tho Kansas City
senools. is treasurer, and Sui;rlutend
ent N. A. Calkins, o the New York
senools, is (lialruian of the Hoard of
Jrustevw, the governing body of the
association. The membership Is com
posed of men and women eminent In
educational lines In tho United States
and Canada, aud numbered last yeai-
over 0,1 mh 1.
THE CONVENTION PROGRAMME.
The National Educational Association
has eleven departments, each of which
has a meeting place and holds sessions
or Its own, In addition to those of tha
general convention. Tbe departments
are: Kindergarten, Elementary, Sec
ondary, Higher, Normal, Manual Train
lug, Art, Music, Business Education,
Child Study; and a National Council of
Education. Among the iioted educa
tors who will read papers and take
part In the discussions of tho conven
tion and lis departments are: Presi
dent Do (iarmo, of S wart h more; Com
missioner Han-Is, of the United States
Bureau of Education; Hon. Hoke
Smith. Secretary of the Interior; Prof.
Jackman, of the Cook County Normal
School, Illinois; Chancellor W. II.
Payne, of Nashville University; George
II. Martin, Suiiervlsor of Boston
Schools; Prof. William Carey Jones,
of the University of California; James
L. Hughes, Inspector of Schools, To
ronto; Dr. J. M. Rice, of New York;
Mrs. Mary Hunt, of Boston; Prof. Rich
ard T. Ely, of the University of Wis
consin; N. C. Shaeffer, Pennsylvania
State Superintendent; Halsey C. Ives,
Chief of the Art Department of the
World's Columbian Exposition.
THE CONVENTION CITY.
Not only haa Denver become famous
a a city of conventions, some sixty
organlnatlons having mot here In con
volition last year, but no city of the
age and trtze of Denver la so well
known throughout the country for the
superior excellence of Its school sys
tem and for tbe educational advan
rages It affords. The excellent condi
tion of Denver schoola Is due. In the
greatest degree, to the work of Superin
tendent Gove, who has given twenty
years of hla life to perfect the school
system, aa It now exists.
A (iron (Jof$,
Ever since the Knight Templar Con
clave, of August 1H1I2, when 100,000
guest were so royally entertained In
Denver, tbat city has always been con
j ill
Dr. Butler, Pra. JV. K. A.
Jfr.
sidered In chooelng a place for large
conventions. Several other cities, east
and west, fought hard for the '15 con
vention of The National Educational
Association, but the stroug fascination
of Denver prevailed.
SUMMER SCHOOLS IN COLORADO
The summer school at Colorado
Springs, the world famous health re
sort, will appeal to many teachers.
The corps of teachers aud lecturer in
cludes such men as Richard T. El v.
of Wisconsin University; Woodrow
Wilson; E. Benjamin Andrews, Presi
dent of Brown University; and Wil
liam J. Kolfe, of Harvard Uni
versity. The Rocky Mountain Cha
tamjua at Gleu Park, Is making prep
arations for a season of unusual Inter
est, many noted educators who will at
tend the edu"atioual convention having
ix.-en secured to appear upon the Cha-
tauq.ua platform. Among other supe
rior opitortuultles for summer studv
will be the summer terms at the State
University at Boulder, a summer school
at the State Normal School In Greeley,
and another at Fred Dick's Normal
School In Denver.
OUTING IN THE MOUNTAINS.
No State In tbe Union offers so unl
form a climate and outing and health
resorts ao well adapted to building
up the body and mind, wearied
by years of work, as does Colo
rado, wun its perpetual summer
sunshine and Its pure mountain
air. Scores of springs, both hot and
cold, famous for their medicinal prop
ertles, are easy of access In various
parts of the State. Colorado Springs
Is 10 miles from Denver; Alaultou
five miles from Colorado Springs, "the
Saratoga of the West," at the foot of
Pike's Peak, and at the Gateway of
the Garden of the Gods; Glenwood
Springs, in the ellvan valley of the
Grand River, Is replete with the at
tractions of a year round resort.
FAMOUS MOUNTAIN SCENES.
Peaks and passes, canons and catar
acts, greet the eye of the Colorado
tourist UKn every line of railroad In
the northern, western or southern part
of the State; Spanish and Collegiate
peaks, whose grandeur la excelled only
by "Sovereign Blanc" Itself; Sierra
Blanca, Marshall Pass, the Grand Can
ons of the Colorado and Arkansas,
their walls rising 2,000 feet above the
rushing waters; Sangre de Chrlsto,
Gray's and Long's Peak, which tower
over 14,0i0 feet above the sea. Then
there Idaho Springs, on the Union
Pacific, Denver & Gulf line, thirty-
seven miles from Denver, at the exit
from Clear Creek Canon, one of the
grandest In the Slate, wiili Its famous
Hanging Rock and Dome Rock.
No feature of Colorado seeiuery will
be more highly appreciated by teachers
than the excursion of the ltlo Grande
road "Around the Circle" to Montezuma
county, In the land of the Cliff Dwell
ers. Here will be seen upon their na
tive heath, or rather among their na
tive mountains, the strange home of
this prehistoric race, models of whose
dwellings formed a famous feature of
the Columbian Exposition.
THE SPORTSMAN'S PARADISE.
The primeval mountain, forest and
plain of Colorado still afford the sjwrts-
man a happy hunting ground. Trap
pers Lake, Grand Lake, Twin Lakes
and .Trout Lake, are a few of the
liquid gems set In the mountains and
surrounded by cushions of forest green.
Their waters and those of the numer
ous streams, contain an abundance of
mountain trout which may be taken
with hook and line from June 1st to
December 1st. The hunting grounds of
Colorado, occupied almost undisturbed
by wild animals, ore larger In area
than tho State of Now York. Through
out Grand, Ijtiko, Routt and Garfield
counties are to be found elk, deer, an
telope, rabbits, ducks, geese, grouse,
quail, and frequently a mountain lion
or a bear gives zest to tho sixirt of
the hunter, who will find himself real
izing, In the Colorado mountains and
forests, his Ideal dreams of early days
In the undeveloied West. Ten thous
and tents are available to the Denver
committee for the use of campers, and
cau be rented at a cost not to exceed
$2 per week; each tent Is large enough
to accomodate six persons. A camping
equipment of stove and dishes can be
taught for $, and lislilng tackle aud
hunting outfits cau be rented at rea
sonable rates.
A SUMMER IN DENVER.
But it Is by no means necessary to a
pleasant and profitable summer in
Colorado that tbe time be spent at
these famous resorts. Denver, Itself,
with Its cool. Invigorating air and s
many attractions, makes an ideal sum
mer city. The cable and electric lines, I
by their systems of transfers, furnish
ride of ten or twelve miles for 1
nickel fare. Elltch's Zoological Gar
dens: Manhattan Beach, with its ex
cellent summer theaters and Its boat
ing; the Montclalr Art Gallery and a
score of other points of Interest make
the city of Denver a charming summer
home.
RATES TO DENVER AND TO COLO
RADO RESORTS.
From all points In the East, railroads
will sell tickets to Dencer and return
at one fare, plus $2 for membership In
the association. These tickets will
read, "good returning July 15th or
10th," but If deposited with the Union
Ticket Agent In Denver the return cou
pons will be extended to any time up
to September 1st The rate from Cali
fornia and Pacific Coast points to Den
ver and return Is $(10. Numerous ex
cursions will be given to points of In
terest In Colorado and other States
among the Rocky Mountains and rates
to these places will be very low. The
Rio Grande offers trips around the
famous circle at $20, which brlnc the
tourists to Mancos In the country of
Hie Cliff Dwellers, A rate of $20 from
Denver to Salt Lake, and return, has
been fixed. For $2.25 the Union Pa
cific, Denver Sc Gulf lines offers a one
day trip to Sliver Plume, over the fa
mous "Loop." The rate to Leadville
and return, good until September 1st.
Is $8; to Grand Junction, at the con
fluence of the Green and Grand Rivers,
the return rate bas been made $15.
The 8anta Fe route will run an excur
sion to the Olty of Mexico and return
at $40 for the round trip. From July
0th to 20th all tbe railroads will sell
tickets to any point In tbe State of
Colorado, at one fare for the round
trip, limited to September 1st, so tbat
teachers and their friends who ma
desire to spend their vacation In tba
mountains can avail themselves of this
opportunity, after tba doee of tba ootv
TMtlon.
The Interrupted Letter. I
HIS Is a short tale
of what passes for
romance In these
latter days. There
was a time when
every romance was
a love-story also,
and all ended alike
with "and so they
were married and lived happily ever
after." That time is not now. We no
longer know the ending of every story,
hardly even when Death causes an In
terruption. There was a certain house, not too
large for comfort and not too small for
generous entertainment, not ornate to
ugliness nor plain to severity. A house
wuu wide windows, airy rooms, and
rouud-the-corner verandas, set on a velvet-green
lawn that sloped to a
broad avenue, lined on either side with
similar well-appointed homes. Out of
this house one May morning, when Na
ture In shrubs aud ornamental beds
and highly trained vines smiled a well-
dressed suburban welcome to him,
stepped the owner, snug and satisfied
with himself and his belongings. He
stood on the wide stone steps for a few
minutes with his after-breakfast cigar
between his fingers, nud enloved all
the delicious sensations of elation and
dominance that his well-made aud dain
tily-served cup of coffee had sent trick
ling over his nerves. He was a hand
some, well-set-up fellow, who might
nave been carefully preserved at 45 or
a little gone off at 35, aud the pride that
percolated through him stiffened up
his back erect, swung his legs out vig
orously, and put a good-humored smile
on his naturally kind face. His morn
ing thoughts were taking account of
stock, for this was his wedding anni
versary, and the balance on his side
was a handsome sum to contemplate.
There was professional success to his
credit, and he felt a keen Joy at the
long list of legal fights In which he
stood the victor. The money that had
come out of It was very good to have;
ho liked to be finely appointed and si
lently served; but he was not sordid,
after all, and the fever of the battle
was his chlefest delight. And then
there was the social success he had
won, he and his wife, and she certainly
came In for a share of the deserts there,
for bIic was like all his belongings the
best to be had.
Yes, Constance was certainly his most
paying Investment, and the thought of
her lovely presence ran through his
meditations like the chorus In the
Greek piny not, perhaps, Indispensa
ble, but essential to Its perfection. She
was a woman of few words, but those
were always to the point No nonsense
about Constance, either; no poetry and
that sort of thing, and so she was a
woman to be trusted. Here he gave a
linlf-unconsclous smile at the absurdity
of nny man he knew being preferred
to him. She was a woman of stately
dignity, too, and the idea of her conde
scending to anything approaching a
ntrtation was too Incongruous. He
had always allowed his wife the most
perfect liberty In her dealings with tbe
numerous men who thronged their so
cial functions, and she was safe, for all
her beauty and fine presence oh, yes,
perrectiy sare almost too safe! A lit
tle spice of the devil was unquestion
ably a great attraction In a woman, but
In a wife certainly not, It would never
do.
Constance's morning letters and notes
were In his pocket now to be posted In
town, and several of these were ad
dressed to men. All social missives of
course, that had to do with the en
gagements they two made, accented
or declined, together or apart, as they
ueeiuoti. tine or tnose letters he re
membered was pretty bulky for a note,
lint Constance was snfo, perfectly so,
and mcy understood each other. She
wasn t a woman to expect too much,
cither. Of course a good deal of the
demonstration will wear off In ten
years; a man can't be always making
love to his wife, and decidedly Con
stance wasn't the woman to expect IL
These reflections had somehow wan
dered on, uninterrupted by the epi
sodes of tho ride ou the cars, the meet
ing and greeting of many friends going
Into town, and they followed him Into
his office, where ho opened his mall
n:d called In the boy to carry out his
otters. As he lf;ld them out on tils
desk, he almost without thinking push
ed aside the bulky one from his wife's
packet, and sent off the rest without It.
Ho could not have said why he did It,
nd nt Intervals through the morning
ii looked at It nnd meant 10 send It,
nit somehow he waited. It was ad
rcssed ns ninny of their Joint Invlta
lons or her own brief com.nunlca-
ons were, to "Mr. Roland Van Slt-
irt" There was nothing unusual'
i
about it. Van Slttart was one of their
most Intimate friends, though some
how he never quite liked the fellow
now that he thought of it, and, as he
turned It over, he noticed that the flap
of the letter had come loose.
At last the temptation became too
great for him. He took out the letter
and read it from beginning to end.
Me had never done such a thing before
In the ten years of his married life,
and he knew perfectly well that It was
not the sort of thing gentlemen do.
He did It, he assured himself, against
his own will and quite without suspi
cion of Constance. This Is what he
read:
"It Is quite useless for you to say
more to me upon this sublect You
ask the impossible, and with a man's
calm oblivion of any view of It but his
own. You think that if I were in love
with you, as you are with me, happi
ness could only be achieved for us by
going away to live our lives out togeth
er. I am not even sure that this feel
ing we bave for each other would bu
lasting. My husband bad it at first
for me, and It did not last He loves
me now as I have loved him In a kind
ly way that Is like an intenser friend
ship. But even this makes a bond be
tween us that you do not understand
and that I cannot break. If I hated
him, I should go with you, loving you
as I do; but I also have love for him,
and I could as soon do violence to the
tie that binds me to my mother or to
a child, If I had one. There Is no pas
sion between us, but there are ten
years of a kind of affection that you
cannot comprehend, a thousand expe
riences that have come to us two alone
of all the world, and two little graves.
That alone would hold me to him, and
the memory of his gentleness and con
siderate kindness to me even when at
last I had to do without his passionate
love, would embitter my days with you.
If I had found you years ago, it would
have been different how different, it
breaks my heart to think; but it is too
late. You say there are no children,
as If that altered the case. But there
is a memory of little, clinging hands
that unites us more firmly than any
marriage vow. If you had found me
the woman I was ten years ago, I dare
not think of what we might have
been aud havo lived, of the happiness
we might have known together. But
now It can never be, for I am that
woman no longer. I am, as every wlfo
Is, a part of the man to whom I then
joined my future. Marriage is not a
thing of words or promises; it Is a re
molding of life, and there Is no going
back or starting over again.
"It Is not as you scornfully say, 'the
Fetish of convention' that holds mo
true, It Is my own heart and that is
what marriage has made It There aro
married relations from which I should
go unhesitatingly and without sense
of guilt, straight to the man I loved,
but those relations are not mine. Afy
life with him Is not what I hoped or
longed for, and that through no fault
of mine, but there Is In It not a llttlo
of beauty, after all, and much of deep
affection aud truth, aud I shall remain
faithful to It, God helping me, as far
as in me lies. It might be made easier
for me, perhaps, by your going away
for a time, but your going or staying
will not alter it What I am I shall re
main. CONSTANCE."
The man finished the letter, folded It
firmly, aud pasted it shut Then ho
rung for the boy and sent blm out with
It to post After that he locked the
door and sat down with bis head clasp
ed tightly between his hands.
What had happened to the world to
turn It upside down like this? Was he
going crazy? He got up and looked
In a hanging mirror to see If his hair
hnd turned gray. Then be sat down
again, and waited for the emotion that
seemed bursting his heart to straighten
themselves out Anger against them
both, friend and wife who bad deceived
him, against life that bad lied to blm
with a false prosperity, then misgiv
ings as to his own course all raged
within hlra by turns. But above and
within It was one predominating
thought as persistent aa pain; that bet
ter than all the world he still loved bis
wife.
What should he do, go home and de
nounce the whole thing to her face,
kill Van Slttart, or bury the secret Iu
his sore heart and try to win back her
love? He had taken It for granted
for so many years that now perhaps It
was too late. He burled bis face In
his folded arms upon tbe table and
wept His life that had seemed so
rich, and full, and prosperous In the
morning seemed now so meager and
bereft What Indeed, was ha to do?
What would rou bars done? Annie
E. P. Searing, In San Frandeoo Ar
gonaut
