Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1888-11-29

now. She had been married five years, ant
to her the love and romance of the uniol
were undated, undimmed. Indeed, sh,
loved her husband far better, more passion
atelv, than when she had married him.
She had been belle in her first season, b,
some eight years her senior. He had wooet
her with ardent devotion, and won he
! away from throng of eager suitors. Sh,
| loved him then with a young girls timiI
| love; she worshiped him now, with al
| awakened woman's deep passion. But
while her home and her domestic joys be
came each year more satisfying to Clarice
she saw with alarm Hugh's growing dis
taste for quiet evenings and simple pleas
ures. He wanted a crowd about him. He
grew more devoted to the club. He craveC
excitement. He never took her out now fol
| an evening at the theater alone, and coy
supper afterward, as in the old days. II
must be theater-party now, where he was
the escort of some other lady, she the re-
cipient of some other gallant's attention
II she complained he called her attention tc
the fact that he was quite as liberal with
her as he was with himself. He invited
gentlemen to the house. and was glad tG
have her entertain them. OF course he
business and in society had thousand
things to take his time and attention. If he
provided for his family. paid all bills with.
out objection, and never left his wife TO
NOPE at home alone, what complaint could
she make!
Surely none, save that of starving heart.
But there is no law of the statutes or of
society which enables a woman to gain
rod fo Of lii
Perhaps there was no real wrong in the
matter at this juncture. We must make
allowances for inherited natures. Hugh
Bickester was the son of an ambitious and
unhappy politician, who fought his way from
Obscurity to nOtOriety and died, leaving
his only child the inheritance of his am
bilious propensities, his restlessness and
craving for excitement, and his selfish blind
ness to the smaller duties of life which lie
so close we often overlook them.
He mad, like many men, been wild in nis
pursuit of a lovely woman, until he made
her wholly his own. Then he had become
accustomed to the thought of possession,
and, while he was content and satisfied with
his choice, other aims, objects and pleas
ures, aside from his home, became necessary
to his happiness.
Clarice often exhibited lack of tact in
her management of him, which a more
worldly woman would have avoided. She
complained of the change from lover to
husband-of the absence of his former inter-
est in her; and a man never Is won over by
complaints, especially if it is his wife who
makes them.
And she questioned him when he went
out, and when he returned, concerning his
whereabouts and actions; and man never
enjoys or is made better by this espionage
of his conduct, especially one who for many
years has lived life of bachelor freedom.
Hugh Bickester took especial pains to see
that Clarice was never left alone but he
showed no return of his old passing devo-
ton to his home, which had blessed her
early married life. And though now he al
most invariably announced where he was to
pass his time. and how, when absent from
Clarice, which rendered her questioning
his absences were more fire.
quent and prolonged, and the term do
nestle happiness" seemed one of mocking
derlsion to Clarice. She was unhappy, but
she was not a woman to sit and pine and
grieve.
She preferred the society of her husband
to that of all the world beside; but. if she
could not have it, she accepted the society
Of the agreeable men who were ever ready
to do her homage. Among them Count Du-
bois was foremost. Handsome, cultured.
the pOssessor of thrilling tenor
voice and an infection whose every ex-
preston was caress, he was a dangerous
for most women. But sheltered
behind her great love for her husband.
Clarice seemed to be proof against all his
destinations. She admired him, she en-
joyed his society, she as thrilled by his
but her heart was untouched.
While Count Dubois! He was growing
madly, fiercely, hopelessly in love with the
fair unhappy woman with whom he was
thrown so constantly by the oft-expressed
desire of her husband.
When he first became aware of the danger
of the sentiment which was dawning in his
breast, let US do him the justice to say that
be made resolve to avoid and fly tempta-
ton. He remained whole week away from
the Bickesters', and then Hugh hunted him
up and insisted upon his gong home to dinner
with him.
I'VE are perfectly forlorn without you,"
he said. "We made up a theater- party last
evening, and half dozen fair ladies were
disconsolate because you were not of the
number. Mrs. Bickester was cross-ques-
toned by each lady separately, and obliged to
confess her utter ignorance of your where
abouts. Now, don't want this to occur
again, my dear Count, while you are in the
city. See that you report here at least twice
a week"
What could q man, Frenchman, do I'M
der those circumstances Madly in love
with the wife, and urged-nay commanded
BY the husband to seek her presence, he, of
course, cast his scruples to the wind and
plunged into the exciting game of love.
Very carefully, very slowly. very systemat
cally, he laid his plans to win the heart of
the wife from her husband. He made slow
but he was so madly in love, he
felt he could afford to wait.
Hugh Bickester frequented the club more
and more, and was less and less at his own
freside, and, when he was at home, he in
wanted a crowd about him. 1t was
more than six months from the time when
Count Dubois first entered the Bickester
home, that husband and wife sat alone in
heir handsome parlors again. Hugh glanced
It his watch.
Il must be off," he said; 81 am half an
hour late at the club now"
Clarlce looked at MN with an expression |
IT. infinite longing and tenderness in her |
ACE, which had grown strangely thin and |
)allid of late.
"Why do you never spend any more quiet |
evenings with me at homer" she said. |
why do you always want to go away for |
or have a crowd about you! |
Have you lost all interest in your home and |
7our wife, Hughp'
"Why, of course not, What a foolish |
6ea," he answered carelessly.
She sat gazing at him moment in silence. |
Then she rose suddenly, her cheeks flushing, |
Ter eyes flashing.