“Since that day I have been calmer. I knew that she did not return my love, and that I had only pity to hope from her. Years passed, your children grew up and married, we three grew old together. You gave up your wild life, forgot the other women, and lived for one alone, as I did. It was not possible that I should ever cease to love her, but my love took on another shape; earthly desires faded, and a bond of the spirit grew up between us. You have often laughed when you heard us philosophizing together. But if you had known how close were our souls at such moments you would have been very jealous. And now she is dead, and before the next New-Year’s Eve comes round we two may follow her. It is, therefore, high time that I rid myself of this secret and say to you, ‘Franz, I sinned against you once, forgive me.’” He held out an imploring hand toward his friend; but the other answered, grumbling: “Nonsense. There is nothing to forgive. What you told me there, I knew it long ago. She confessed it herself forty years ago. And now I will tell you why I ran after other women until I was an old man--because she told me then that you were the one and only love of her life.” The friend stared at him without speaking, and the hoarse clock began to strike--midnight. BRIC-A-BRAC AND DESTINIES BY GABRIELE REUTER [Illustration] _Not long ago, in 1895, Gabriele Reuter published a book called, in the translation, “Of Good Family.” It was very popular, for it was not only well written, in an up-to-date, realistic style, softened by imagination, but it dealt with the position of the modern woman--it was full of moving pictures of family life and manners. Since then the author has stood in Germany as the woman-weaver of questions and problems concerning her own sex, in realistic but sober colors._ _Gabriele Reuter was born in 1859, at Alexandria, Egypt. She was educated in Germany, however, and now lives at Berlin. Since 1878 she has devoted herself to literature, writing articles, novels, and stories for the journals and reviews._ [Illustration] BRIC-A-BRAC AND DESTINIES BY GABRIELE REUTER Translated by Grace Isabel Colbron. Copyright, 1907, by P. F. Collier & Son. The temptation to wait over a train and visit my old friend in his new home was very strong. I decided to do it. I found his name on the door of a pretty little villa in an attractive street. “Would you wait a little? The doctor is expected home at any moment,” the servant told me, as she ushered me into the drawing-room. “Will you give my card to Mrs. Hartens?” I said. I was rather curious to see the woman he had chosen, this dear, queer old chap, this enthusiast for Hellenic ideals and the cult of free natural beauty.