The Republican., 1888-12-01

Society is composed of wheels within
wheels. l am dependent upon Jones, Smith
and Brown for success in my business. Con-
seuuently l must not offend Mrs. Jones or
Mrs. Smith or Mrs Brown; in fact, l must
be gallant and compliment them when we
meet, and you must be as charming as pos
sible to them all. The more popular you are
every way, the better for me- If We care
for nobody, nobody cares for US And this
reminds me that Harry Gray and his wife
are getting up theater-party for this even
ing, and have asked us and any Of our
friends to join them. Suppose Idrop around
and invite De Forest and Dubois!"
Another shadow fitted across the face of
| Mrs. BicIester as this proposition was made;
but she assented readily, and Hugh went out
TO hunt up his musical friend and the Count.
Clarice had thought she and Hugh might
| enjoy a delightful tetc-a-tete evening at
| home that night, but she gave up the idea
now. She had been married five years, and
| TO her the love and romance of the union
| were unabatcd, undimmed. Indeed, she
| loved her husband far better, more passion
atelY, than when she had married him.
She had been a belle in her first season, he
! some eight years her senior. He had woocd
her with ardent devotion, and won her
away from throng Of eager suitors. She
loved him then with a young girls timid
love; she worshiped him now, with an
| 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 craved
| excitement He never took her out now for
an evening at the theater alone, and cozy
supper afterward, as in the old days. 1t
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 to
| the fact that he was quite as liberal with
| her as he was with himself He invited
gentlemen to the house. and was glad to
| nave her entertain them. OF course he
couIu not always remain at home; man in
| business and in society had a thousand
| lhings 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 a starving heart.
But there is no law of the statutes or OF
society which enables woman to gain
redress for wrongs of this kind
Perhaps there was no real wrong in tho
matter at this juncture. We must make
allowances for inherited natures. Hugh
Bickcster was the son of an ambitious and
unhappy politician, who fought his way from
obscnrity 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
50 close we often overlook them.
He mad, like many men, been wild in his
pursuit OF 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
urcs aside from his home, became necessary
to his happiness.
Clartce often exhibited a 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
VI MS t'iluGtl, especially one who for
years has lived a life of bachelor freedom
Hugh Bickester took especial pains to see
that ClariCc 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-
mestic happiness" seemed one of mocking
derision to Clarice She was unhappy, but
she was not woman to sit and pine and
grieye.
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,
magnetic, the posscssor Of a thrilling tenor
voice and an infection whose every ex-
precision was a caress, he was a dangerous
companion for most women. But sheltered
behind hor great love for her husband,
Clarice seemed to be proof against all his
fascnatons. She admired him, she en-
joyed his society, she was thrilled by his
singing, but her neart was untouched.
While Count Dubois! He was growing
madiy, fiercely, hopelessly in love with the
fair unhappy woman with whom he was
thrown SO constantly by the oft-expressed
desire Of her husband.
Whom 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
he made a resolve to avoid and fly tempta-
ton. He remained whole week away from
the Bickesters', and then Hugh hunted him
upaud insisted upon his gong home to dinner
with him.
1--WE are perfectly forlorn without you"
he said 1--WE made up a theater-party last
evening, and half dozen fair ladies were
disconsolate because you were not of the
number. Mrs. Biclester 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 a man, a Frenchman, do, un-
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-
ically, he laid his plans to win the heart of