The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-12-01

| TO hunt UP his musical friend and the Count
Oiarice had thought she and Hugh might
| enjoy q delightful tetc-a-tete evening Al
| home that night but she gave up the idet
| now. She had been married five years, ano
to her the love and romance of the unior
| were unabated, undimmed. Indeed, she
| loved her husband far better, more passion
| ately, than when she had married him.
She had been belle in her first season, NJ
| some eight years her senior. He had wooec
| her with ardent devotion, and won hei
| away from throng of eager suitors She
loved him then with young girl's umic
| love; she worshiped him now, with al
| awakened womans 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. dc
grew more devoted to the club. He craved
excitement. He never took her out now for
| an evening at the theater alone, and a cozy
| supper afterward, as in the old days. III
must be u theater-party now, where he was
the escort of some other lady, she the re-
cipient of some other gallant's attention.
If she complained he called her attention to
the fact that he was quite as liberal with
her as he was with him1elf He invited
gentlemen to the house, and was glad to
have her entertain them. OF course he
could not always remain at home; u man in
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 makel
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 the
matter at this juucturc. 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 du ties of life which lie
so close we often overlook them.
He had, like many men, been wild in his
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 contentand 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 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 Olarice 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.
luent and prolonged, and the term do
mestc happiness" seemed one Of mocking |
ierision TO Clarice. She was unhappy, but |
she was not woman 20 sit and pine and |
yreve
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 |
IF the agreeable men who were ever ready |
10 do her homage. Among them Count Du- |
Dos was foremost. Handsome, cultured, |
the possessor of a thrilling tenor |
voice aud an infection whose every eX-
PRESTON was n caress, he was dangerous |
companion for most women. But, sheltered |
behind her great love for her husband,
Jlarice seemed to be proof against all his |
She admired him, she en-
Dyed his society, she was thrilled by his
inging, but her heart was untouched.
While Count Dubois. BE was growing |
nadly, fiercely, hopelessly in love with the |
air unhappy woman with whom he was
hrown so constantly by the oft-expressed |
lcsire of her husband.
When he first became aware of the danger |
# the sentiment which was dawning in his |
,reast, let us do him the justice to say that |
le made resolve to avoid and fly tempta-
ion. He remained a whole week away from |
he Bickcsters', and then Hugh hunted him
lpand insisted upon his going home to dinner |
With him.
1--WE are perfectly forlorp without you,n |
ie said. ''Wc made up theater- party last |
evening, and half dozen fair ladies were
Iisconsoate because you were not of the
lumber. Mrs. Bickester was cross-ques-
ioned by each lady separately and obliged to
confess her utter ignorance of your where
bouts. Now don't want this to occur
gain, my dear Count, while you are in the
ty. See that you report here at least twice
week"
What could a man, a Frepchman, do, un-
Ter those circumstances! Madly in love
With the wife, and urged-nay commanded
~ the husband to seek her presence, he, of
curse, cast his scruples to the wind and
plunged into the exciting game of love.
yery carefully, very slowly, very systcmat-
cally, he laid his plans TO win the heart of
he wife from her husband. He made slow
rogrcss; but he was so madly in love, he
cit he could afford to wait
Hugh BicSestcr freguented the club more
nd more, and was less and less at his own
reside, and, when he was at home, he in
ariably wanted a crowd about him. 1t was
lore than six months from the time when
,ount Dubois first entered the Bickester
ome, that husband and wife sat alone in
heir handsome parlors again Hugh glanced
/ his watch.
81 must be on" he said; 81 am half an
our late at the club now'
Clarice looked at him with an expression
infinite longing and tenderness in her
ace, which had grown strangely thin and
allid of late.
"Why do you never spend any more quiet
yenings with me at homei" she said |
Why do you always want to go away for
ntertainment or have crowd about you?
lave you lost all interest in your home and
our wife, Hugh"