ind, thoughtful friend of several years'
standing--the only woman friend I had in the world. I loved her
dearly; you will understand when I tell you that she had frequently
gone out of her way to be kind to me. It struck me as strange that he
had never admitted knowing her, although frequently he had heard me
speak of her. While I stood pondering the situation, he took her in
his arms and kissed her good-by and boarded the train without seeing
me. I slipped out of the station without having been seen by either of
them; but while I was waiting for a taxicab, my friend came out of the
station, saw me, and rushed up to greet me. It developed, in the
course of our conversation following the usual commonplaces of
greeting, that she had been down to the station to see her husband off
on the train for San Francisco."

Donald whistled softly.

"How did you manage to get away with it, Nan?" he demanded
incredulously.

"All my life I have been used to doing without things," she replied
simply. "I suppose that helped a little. The shock was not so abrupt
that I lost my presence of mind; you see, I had had a few minutes to
adjust myself after seeing him kiss her in the station--and just then
the taxicab came up and I escaped. Then I came home to the Sawdust
Pile. I wrote him, of course, and sent the letter by registered mail,
in order to make certain he would receive it. He did, but he did not
answer. There was no reason why he should, for he was quite safe. I
had assured him there was no necessity for worry on my account."

"Of all the crazy, fool things for you to do!" Donald cried sharply.
"Why under the canopy did you deem it necessary to sacrifice yourself
for him? Surely you did not love him--"

"I'm afraid I never loved him," she interrupted. "I--I thought I did,
although, if he hadn't been away so frequently after our marriage, I
would have learned to love him dearly, I think."

"Just human nature," Donald suggested. "Something akin to what
trapshooters and golfers call a mental hazard."

"Of course he married me under an assumed name, Donald."

"Did you ever see a marriage certificate?"

"Oh, yes; I had to sign it in the presence of the minister."

Donald was relieved.

"Then, you great goose of a girl, you can clear your record any time
you desire. The minister forwarded the marriage certificate to the
state capital, and it is registered there with the State Board of
Health. After registration, it was return