The Florida agriculturist., 1889-06-12


| day long. He came home to dinner, it
was true; but he was not fond of dining
out; and when dinner was over, he was
tired, and liked to stay quietly at home
and go to bed at half past TO- Such an
existence as this was the next thing to
unendurable to woman like Sylvia
Tunstall Forty years hence, perhaps,
this Darby and Joan kind of life might
be practicable; but not now, in the flush
of youth, variety and curiosityl She alb
solutely would not stand it'll
Tunstall was manly, straightforward,
single hearted fellow and at first he did
not comprehend his wife's attitude. He
had homely ideas of married Iife and
the routine of social dissipation was
without attractions for him When at
last he learnt how matters stood he
thought it over, and came to the conclu-
sion that his wife had much reason ON
her SIDE She was young, good looking
and full of the wine of life. and it was
only natural and proper i'll her to wish to
see and to be seen. So he began by at
tempting to 'go out" with her, but he
presently discovered that going to bed at
O'Clock in the morning was not COM
patible with having breakfast at half
past Z He then tried giving dinners
twice a week and reception once
month: but Sylvia pointed out to him
that the customs of good society de-
manded that they should accept invita-
tons as well as give them. SO that his
second state bade fair to be even worse
than his first. What was to be done?
He would not consent give up his Iusl-
ness. on that point he was firm Sylvia
was equally convinced that it was mn
possible to give up society For "a time
there threatened to be a deadlock
Finally compromise was effected
Sylvia had relations and particular
friends who were in society and OF
whose escort and countenance she could
avail herself. Her husband could take
her to places and her relatives or
friends could bring her home again BY
degrees it was found unnecessary to have
him take her, and she both went and re-
turned without him. His anticipations
of domestic felicity were Disappointed;
but Sylvia was enjoying herself and he
always looked forward to time when
she would weary Of gayety and return
TO him. He loved her as much as ever
and was proud of her social popularity;
he had perfect faith in her truth and
honor He ate his dinner and went
to bed alone. and when he rose in the
morning he was careful not to awaken
his WIFE That was the style of tine
menage.
But Cuthbert Tunstan was not fool
fact which his wife perhaps failed to
fully appreciate AS long as her conduct
was above reproach. according to the
somewhat vague standards of society, he
would not interfere with her pleasures;
but he was not the man to permit the
least step beyond this. And though he
was naturally unsuspicious. and slow to
wrath, any one who understood men
would have known that it would be un-
comfortable to arouse him. But Sylvia
got the idea that she could do exactly as
she pleased, and she did it.
One day Tunstal got hint from some
precious friend of his-a very distant,
indirect, ambiguous and innocent hint,
but hint all the same He appeared
not to understand it, and passed it over
without comment: but the repressed
emotion which it aroused was so strong
! that he came near fainting where he
stood.
He attended to his business the same
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