THE BROKEN HEART.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 189, 26 July 1913, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE BROKEN HEART.

TELLING OF A TRIO, THEIIc HEKO, AND THEIR TRAGEDY. IARDNER, old man, congratulate J me!” cried Bissett, bursting into "vi • rn VA t ?’ s room likl ‘ a whirlwind. ‘Elsie Wilton has accepted me, and wo ro going to be married in the vpnng “ Jove!” exclaimed Lardner. He turned his back to his friend, ostensibly to find a cigarette. “.’iou aren’t very enthusiastic.” complamed Brssett, good-hum 011 rediv. < i 1 con ß'’atUlate you, or couise. he said, controlling his voice with an effort. "Fact is. it’s a bit of a surprise; it- lt 'll take a bit of getting used to. You re such a wiki chap, you hJg''’ Aevcr bought of you— marry-

’• Well so long,” said Bissett a few the othera t " r ‘ “ ri “ gHng r01,,K1 tl '»

In the doorway ho paused. ‘ 1011 look a. bit off colour, old bov ” fio said. “lou’t-e as white as a sheet. Jake my advice and have a stiff ‘b and s.’ -nd then tumble into b«l.” AV HEN LOVE HAS FLOWN. lj\i ’”'? r T ; <l> ? rin( ' ! ‘ Rn(la f( ” - a broken IPH r ’ a i VI J ” st Bissvtt a!J ‘’ v er. But, then, he did not know that Lardij'tW su tfermg. And Lardner resolved that he never should know He met her by chance a few days beW 1 u T ecld " !£r - h<! to avoid '««• i l she stopped him. Dick, I haven’t seen you for ages. I laVe ? oth, "S better tu do, take me o havo tea somewhere. I am not ineobner Jack till five.

“L hope,” she said, as they sat together ni the tea-shop, “that you Haven t been keeping .mt of the wav just because 1 am engaged.” Then, reading n. look of doubt i-.i his face, she continued brightly: “Why, you } ;il|y fil(1 4a{ . k knoWR yon and 1 are awfully good pah. and have been for vears. We were talking about you only yesterday, and I told -Jini thfit I flj'ivays thought of you mv big brother.” "

Jack and Elsie had not been married « couple of years before Lardner realised that something was w’rong Anyone. could have seen it „ f1 ; (1 n ;, t even tronblo to address litm wife with oT* dinarv courtesy in the presence of comparative strangers. Ono evening Lardner found hei alone, and in tears. She made no at - tempt at concealment, hut sobbed out tho story of her ill-fated marriage. I---I thought I loved him,” she muttered. Ho was kind to mo once. But now I know it was mere infatuation, it—it was someone else I really loved.” FOR HER SAKE. Shu looked at him, and each tinder-

“Dick, did yon—did von love me betore—before I was married?” “Yes,” he answered simplv, and hetero she could reply ho added : * And now that you know, we must never meet again.” And ha caught up his hat and hurried away. For a year he neither saw nor heard of her. Then, one evening when he wan coming home from the office, he found her waiting in his rooms. “Jack is going to die,” she said, simply.

“Going to die?” he echoed, the blood surging in his ears. “Is there—is there no hope?”

"No real hope,” she murmured. "It’.i consumption—galloping. Tho doctor says his only chance is to go to South Africa. Wo should have to raise at least three hundred pounds for that—which is the same as saying that he will be dead in six months.”

Tor an instant Lardner wavered, but only for an instant. Then without a word he went to his desk.

"I have.—saved—a good deal—during tho last few years,” he said tunelessly, as he opened his cheque-book.

“Dick!” she cried hoarsely. “Dick! What arc you doing? Don’t you ” She checked herself.

“I am writing a cheque for £3OO payable to your husband.” ho replied firmly. “Ho can pay me Ixack when—when tie has recovered.”

Ho placed it in an envelope and handed it to her. Thon led her to the door. • —From “Answers”.