The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-10-03
CHAPTER II.

] VtS "ClC oAl Ou tuC S6lLCty WnSu uc ar rived. Mrs. Green met him, without any exhibition of gladness. didn't like him He was large, brusque man, with bushy whi skers and heavy jaws, suggesting the merciless 6rmness with which he held people who had business with him When l was introduced to him he shook hands with me in matter -ot-course way. He narrowly eyed his wife, who, after the ar. rival of her husband, seemed to have lost much of her unreasonable reserve. A, dinner she actually spoke to me.
 How do you like this place?' she asked.
 "Very much," rejoined.
 Good place for a man that ain't got nothing to do," said Mir. Green, "but it's a mighty slow place for a man of busi- ness. Got no telegraph ofice-got noth ing"
 People generally come to such places to escape business" suggested.
 Seems that way" he replied. "There's too much escaping business. The hum buggery of overwork is hurting trade everywhere. When man works few months he cries overwork and wants to quit. It's all foolishness."
 It is not foolishness with me-. said.
 "What business are you in2"
 T am a newspaper writer"
 He slightly frowned in disapproyal, and, after few moments, said:
 There are too many newspaper men in the country. They keep trade unset tied. Those devilish interviewers ought to be killed"
 MT. Barker, understand, is not an interviewer" remarked Mrs. Green.
 Annie, you don't know anything about it."
 Her face colored. Interviewers, !" continued MT. Green, "write lies. They put words in a mans mouth"
 "Yes," l broke in, "they often put grammatical sentences into ungrammati- cal mouths"
 Mrs. Green smiled. MT. Green drank his coffee with vulgar gurgle, then, put ting down his cup he showed back his chair, took out quill toothpick and pro- ceeded to make himself obnoxious. I saw that he was brute and knew that his wife-whom, by this time had dis covered to be strikingly handsome-could not love him. Had she married him for money9 Could woman with such sim cere and honest eyes sell herself2
 Late that evening l lay on bench in a summer-house situated in little green cove of the mountain, not far from the hotel Benson and had been smoking and discussing affairs which should not have concerned us. Benson grew tired and sauntered away. As lay there on the bench, heard voices outside, and recognized them as the voices of Green and his wife.
 "l am fired walking" she said. "Let us return to the hotel."
 "You are always tired when am with you," he replied. "You needn't be in such hurry to get back. That fool newspaper man is of somewhere playing poker, probably"
 "Why do you speak of him?" she asked.
 "Oh, I saw how you looked at him. You promised me faithfully that you wouldn't flirt. thought that retired place like this"
 "Mr. Green, for goodness sake, hush. You talk to me as though have no sense of responsibility. I did not flirt before was married, and heaven knows that have no disposition to flirt now. have avoided gentlemen's society since came to this place, and not until your arrival did notice the fool newspaper man as you term him." "Wel, am going back to town to- morrow, and want you to promise that you will not speak to him."
 "You are unjust"
 "But not unreasonable"
 "Yes, you are both."
 "Annie, remember that you used to scribble considerably. Scribblers lean toward each other."
 "What difference does that make if their shoulders don't touch ?"
 "Annie, don't be foolish. You know never could excuse an attempt to bs cpl grammatical"
 "You cannot excuse anything, it seems"
 eff you loved me you would not find fault with my exactness."
 "U loved you," she said in low voice. "You should speak not of love. You know why married you." | IA .. A. Al L h