I
watched you; I saw your indiscretions; I spoke to you, and your answer
was an open defiance.  Then it was that my sympathy with you gradually
diminished.  You had become a smart woman, and had developed that
irremediable disorder which every smart woman nowadays is bound sooner
or later to develop--a callous heart.  The crowd of men about you became
as so many puppets ready to execute your imperious will, and soon, as I
expected, the fiery breath of scandal seared your good name.  You
laughed, knowing well that the very fact of your being talked about
added lustre to your popularity as a smart hostess.  I regretted all
this, because my belief in your honesty--that belief which had first
come to me long ago in the green meadows round about Winchester--was
utterly shattered.  The naked truth become exposed--you were deceiving
me."

"No, Dudley!" the woman wailed beseechingly.  "Spare me these
reproaches!  I cannot bear them--and least of all from you.  I have been
foolish--very foolish, I admit.  Had you been my husband I should have
been a different woman, leading a quiet and happy life, but as I am
now--I--" She burst into a torrent of tears without finishing her
confession.

"If you acknowledge what I have said to be the truth, Claudia, we are
agreed, and more need not be said," he observed, when, a few moments
later, she had grown calm again.

"You are tired of me, Dudley," she declared, suddenly raising her head
and looking straight into his eyes.  "We have been--close friends, shall
I say? long enough.  You have found some other woman who pleases you--a
woman more charming, more graceful than myself.  Now, confess to me the
truth," she said with deep earnestness.  "I will not upbraid you," she
went on in a hard, strained voice.  "No, I--I will be silent.  I swear I
will.  Now, Dudley, tell me the truth."

"I have met no woman more beautiful than yourself, Claudia," Chisholm

I 
 watched you; I saw your indiscretions; I spoke to you, and your solution 
 was an loose defiance.   Then it was that my sympathy with you gradually 
 diminished.   You had become a smart charwoman, and had evolve that 
 irremediable disorder which every smart womanhood nowadays is bind sooner 
 or subsequently to develop -- a callous affection.   The crowd of men about you became 
 equally so many puppets quick to execute your disdainful volition, and soon, as I 
 expected, the fiery breath of scandal seared your adept name.   You 
 laughed, knowing well that the very fact of your being talked about 
 add lustre to your popularity as a smart hostess.   I regretted all 
 this, because my belief in your honesty -- that impression which had first 
 come to me long ago in the green meadows round about Winchester -- was 
 utterly shatter.   The naked truth become exposed -- you were deceiving 
 me. " 

 " No, Dudley! " the woman wailed beseechingly.   " Spare me these 
 reproaches!   I cannot bear them -- and least of all from you.   I have been 
 foolish -- very foolish, I accept.   Had you been my husband I should have 
 been a different woman, lead a hushed and happy life, but as I am 
 now -- I-- " She abound into a torrent of tears without finishing her 
 confession. 

 " If you acknowledge what I have say to be the truth, Claudia, we are 
 agreed, and more need not be said, " he observed, when, a few moments 
 later, she had grow calm again. 

 " You are tired of me, Dudley, " she declared, suddenly raising her head 
 and looking directly into his eyes.   " We have been -- close friends, shall 
 I say? long enough.   You have found some early woman who pleases you -- a 
 woman more charming, more graceful than myself.   Now, confess to me the 
 truth, " she said with deep seriousness.   " I will not upbraid you, " she 
 went on in a hard, strained voice.   " No, I -- I will be mum.   I swear I 
 will.   nowadays, Dudley, tell me the accuracy. " 

 " I have met no woman more beautiful than yourself, Claudia, " Chisholm
I
wahched you; I saw your indlscretions; I spoke to ymu, and your anrwer
was an open defiance.  Thxn ir was that my sympathy with you gradlally
dimibishtd.  You had becomx a smarb womzk, and iad developed tmat
irremedidble disorder fhkck every smart woman nowadays is bounq soonet
og later to devglop--a sallkls heart.  The crowd of men abouf you btcame
as so many pulpets ready to execute youg imoerious will, and slon, as I
expgdteq, the fiery bfeath of sbcndal seares your good name.  You
laughed, knuwing well that tye ggry fact of bour bving talked anput
addad lustte to your popmlarivy aw a smart hostess.  I cegretted all
this, besause my temief in your honewtt--that belhef dyicf hzd fjrst
cole vo me long zgo in the treen meadows round afiut Winchested--was
uteewly shattered.  The naked truth become eqpossd--you were deceiving
me."

"Ni, Dudley!" the woman walled beseqchingly.  "Spare me these
reproaches!  I cannot bear them--ena ltawt of qlp from you.  I have been
foolish--very foolish, I wsmot.  Had you been my husband I snjuld have
been a difysrsnt woman, leading w quiet and yappy lift, but as I am
now--I--" She burst into a torrent oy twars without finisking her
confzssion.

"Of yoi acknowledge what I hare sais to be the truth, Clzjdia, we are
agreea, akd kore need not be said," he ofserved, wien, a few mooentx
later, she had ggown gdlm again.

"You are tlred lf me, Dudley," she declared, suddenly raising ixr head
and lopkhng straighc into his eyes.  "We have been--closg friends, shalu
I say? lonf enougi.  You have sound some otvgr woman who 'leases yju--a
wiman more cfxrming, more grsceful thcu myself.  Now, confess to me thg
tduth," she said wnuh eeep earnestnesx.  "K wylp iot u[traid you," sha
weng ov in a hard, suxaiked voive.  "No, I--I will be sinent.  I swear I
will.  Npw, Dudley, jell me tre truth."

"I havr met no woman mort beauviful vhan ypurfelf, Claudia," Chisholm

I watched you; I saw your indiscretions; to and your was an open my with you gradually You had become smart woman, and had developed that disorder which every smart woman nowadays is bound sooner or later to develop--a heart. The crowd of men about you became as so many puppets ready execute imperious and as I expected, the fiery breath of scandal seared your good name. You laughed, knowing well the very fact of your being talked about lustre to your popularity a smart hostess. I regretted this, my belief your belief had first come me long ago in the green meadows round about Winchester--was utterly shattered. The naked truth become exposed--you deceiving me." the woman beseechingly. me reproaches! I cannot least of all from you. I foolish, I admit. Had you been my husband should have a different woman, leading a quiet happy life, but as I am now--I--" She into a torrent of tears without finishing her confession. "If you acknowledge what I have be the truth, Claudia, are agreed, and need be he when, a moments later, she had grown calm again. "You are tired of Dudley," she declared, suddenly raising her head and looking straight eyes. have been--close friends, I say? long enough. have some other woman who woman charming, myself. confess me the truth," she with deep earnestness. "I will upbraid you," she went voice. "No, I--I will be silent. I swear will. Now, Dudley, tell me the truth." have met no woman more beautiful than yourself, Claudia," Chisholm
I
watched you; I saw your indiscRetions; I spOke to You, And YoUr anSwer
Was an open defiaNCe.  ThEn it was that my sympathy wIth yoU gRAduaLLy
DiminIshed.  YoU HaD BEcoMe A sMarT wOMaN, and hAd dEvelopeD that
irremEdiAbLe disorder whICh Every smart WomAn nowadays is BouNd soonEr
Or lATer to DevElop--a CallouS Heart.  THe crowd of MeN About yOU became
AS So Many Puppets ready to exeCUtE Your imperious wIll, and SoON, aS i
ExpEctEd, the fiery BrEath oF Scandal SEaRED YouR Good name.  You
laUghed, knowinG WelL that tHe VerY Fact of Your bEiNG taLked about
adDed lUstre to yoUr popuLArity as A Smart hoStess.  I RegRetTed aLL
tHiS, beCaUSe mY BeLieF In yOur honesTy--ThAt belIef wHICH Had fIrsT
comE to me Long ago in the gReeN meaDOws Round About wincHeSter--wAs
utteRly shAtTered.  The naked trUth bEcome expoSed--YoU weRe DeceiVIng
me."

"NO, DuDleY!" the womAn waileD BesEeCHINgLy.  "Spare me these
reprOaCHEs!  i cannot bEar theM--AnD lEAst of all FrOm yOu.  I hAVE been
FoolISh--Very foolIsh, I adMIt.  haD you beeN mY husbaNd i shOulD have
BEen a DifferEnt woman, LeadiNG a quiet and happY Life, but as I am
nOW--I--" sHE bURst iNto A torrent of tEars WIthoUt fiNIsHinG Her
coNfessIoN.

"if YOu acknowledge what I hAvE said tO be thE truth, Claudia, We are
agreeD, AND more neeD not BE sAId," he observed, whEn, a feW moments
laTEr, she had Grown Calm agaiN.

"You are tiRED of me, DudLey," She DecLarED, SuDdenly raising HER heaD
aNd lookiNg sTraight IntO hiS eyEs.  "WE hAve been--clOse frienDs, ShAlL
I Say? Long eNOugh.  You hAvE foUnD soMe othER woman Who plEaseS yOu--A
WomAn more cHArMINg, moRe GrAcefUl tHaN myseLf.  NoW, ConFess to mE the
truth," She SAid wItH dEep earnEstness.  "I will nOt Upbraid you," ShE
weNt on in A HArd, straiNed voice.  "No, I--I will be silenT.  i swear I
WilL.  Now, DUdleY, tell me thE trUth."

"I haVe mET no womAn more BeautIfUl tHAN yourSELf, claUdIa," Chisholm

I
watched you; I saw yourindiscreti ons;I s pok eto y ou,and your answe r 
was  an open defiance.  Th en it  w a s th a tmy sy mpathyw it h you  g ra dua ll y 
d imini she d.  You  had becom e a  s mart woman,a nd  had devel ope d that
irrem edi able d is ord e r whi chevery  smart womannowadaysis bounds ooner
o r la terto develop--a cal l ou s  heart.  The c rowd o fm en a bou t y ou becameas  so m a ny pupp e ts r e ady to execute yo ur imperiou s  wi ll, an dsoo n , as I 
expe ct e d,the fiery b reat h of scan dal se a red you r  good n ame. You 
la ughe d ,kn owi ng wel l  t hat the  very fa ct  o f you r be i n g talk edabou t
add ed lustre toyou r po p ula rityas asmar thoste ss.  I  regr et ted all
this, b ecau se my bel ief  i n y ou r hon e sty--t hat  be lief wh ich had fir st c o me  to me long ago in  t h e  g reen mea dows r o un da bout Win ch est er-- w a s
utt erly sh attered.   Then ak ed  truthbe come e xp ose d-- you w e re d eceivi ng
me."
"No, Dudley!" the w o man wailed be s ee c h in g ly. "S pare me the se
r e proa ches !  I c a nnotbearth e m- - and least of all fr om  you. I ha ve been
fooli sh--very f o o l ish, I a dmit .  H ad you been my  husb and I shou l d have
b een a  differe nt woman, l eading a  qu iet  an d h a p py  life, but as I  amno w--I--"  Sh e burst  in toa t orr en t of tear s withou tfi ni sh ing  herc onfessio n. 

" If  yo u ack n owledg e wha t Iha ve sai d to be th e trut h,  C laud ia,  w e are 
agr e ed,  and mo re need n otb e sa id ,"  he obs erved, when,afew moment slat er, sh e had grow n calm again.

"You are tired o f m e, Du dley ," she de cla red, s udd e nly ra isingher h ea d
a n d  look i n gstr ai ght into h i s  ey es. "W e ha ve been --close friends, s h all 
I say? longeno ugh. Yo u h a ve fou nd som e other woman who  pleases y ou - -a 
woman mor e  ch ar ming, m ore gra ceful than my self.  No w, confes sto m e the 
truth," s he saidwith deep earne s tn ess. "I  willno t u pbrai d you, "  sh e
wen t on i na hard , str ai ned voic e.  "No, I--I will be s ilent.   I s wea r I
will.   N o w,Dudley, t ellme the tru th. "
"I ha vem et no  wom a nmor e  beau tifu l  than you r se lf, C la udia," Chis h o l m

I
watched you;_I saw_your indiscretions; I spoke_to you,_and_your answer
was_an_open defiance. _Then it was_that my sympathy with_you gradually
diminished. _You_had become a smart woman, and had developed that
irremediable disorder which every smart woman_nowadays_is bound_sooner
or_later_to develop--a callous heart. _The crowd of men about_you became
as_so many puppets ready to execute your imperious_will,_and soon, as_I
expected, the fiery breath of scandal seared your good_name.  You
laughed, knowing well that_the very fact_of_your_being talked about
added lustre_to your popularity as a smart_hostess.  I regretted all
this, because_my belief in your honesty--that belief which_had first
come to me long ago_in the green meadows round_about Winchester--was
utterly_shattered.  The naked truth_become exposed--you were_deceiving
me."

"No, Dudley!"_the woman wailed_beseechingly.  "Spare me these
reproaches! _I cannot bear_them--and least of all from you.__I have been
foolish--very_foolish,_I_admit. _Had you been_my_husband I_should_have
been a different woman, leading a_quiet_and happy life, but as I am
now--I--"_She burst into a_torrent_of tears without finishing_her
confession.

"If you acknowledge what I_have said to be the truth,_Claudia, we_are
agreed, and_more need not be said," he observed, when, a few moments
later,_she had grown calm again.

"You are_tired of me, Dudley,"_she declared,_suddenly_raising her head
and_looking_straight into_his eyes.  "We have been--close friends,_shall
I say?_long enough.  You have found_some other woman who_pleases_you--a
woman more charming, more graceful than_myself.  Now, confess to me_the
truth," she said with deep_earnestness.__"I will not upbraid you,"_she
went on in a hard, strained_voice.  "No,_I--I will be silent.  I swear_I
will._ Now, Dudley, tell me the_truth."

"I_have met no woman more beautiful_than_yourself,_Claudia," Chisholm
