The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-12

ouCy hutU, udu uO lucd VI DCIuS OCAOAoCA
to any of his grand relations for advance
ment.
Now, one thing that Lord Marlborough
insisted upon as necessary to the successful
attainmentsof their object was that Her
| mione should again show herself in society
Ia thing which she had rather avoided do
ing since her marriage. as her husband
she knew, would never be induced to &C
company her. The realization. Lord Har
borough said, that Pygmalion Smith had
a more than personable wife could not bat
prove favorable to their scheme.
As consequence Hermione was soon in
whirl of engagements and Pygmaliou
found himself evening after evening de
prived of that society which had become
essential to his happiness. He had never
sought the friendship of his fellows, and
knew not the joy of club whist nor appre-
ciated the gossip of c!ab smoking rooms.
The inspirer of his genius away, he grew
day by day more respondent, more jealous,
more miserable. When his wife sat to him
in the mornings he somewhat recovered
his spirits. Indeed, at no time could he re-
sist the fascination of her presence. But
these glimpses of happiness in the daytime
seemed to make the gloom of his evenings
more intolerable.
Poor Pygmalion was in a very bad way
and by degrees he came to contemplate the
prospect of an evening spent alone with a
horror only possible to one of so nervous
and highly strung temperament. Once
or twice, indeed. he had been startled at
finding himself standing, chisel and mallet
in hand, half determined in the wildness
of his jealousy and the fury of his passion
ate disappointment to disfigure and destroy
the glorious portrait of his wife, over which
he had expended his best powers, his most
subtle and delicate handicraft. Once, in
deed the sharp edge OF the steel had in
fact been held against the snowy marble
bosom and the mallet had been raised to
drive it home, but it had come in upon his
maddened heart that this was half way to
murder, and the poor fellow had sunk upon
his knees and found relief in abundant
tears of passionate repentance.
But all this time Pygmalion was too
proud even to hint to Hermione that any
thing was wrong with him. And she, in
blissful ignorance, half enjoying for their
own sakes the renewal of old amusements,
but chiefly valuing them for the advantage
which she believed would through them
accrue to her husband, gave herself up to
an increasing round of gayety.
And all this, OF course, convinced Pyg-
malion more and more that his wife had
tired of him and was bent upon annulling,
as far as possible, the consequences of her
marriage-the mere passing caprice. as he
believed it to have been, of a high spirited
girl He cursed the folly that had ever in
duced him to believe that he was fit mate
for this most glorious and most beautiful
creature.
1t was early in July. and there twas to be
a grand reception at the Hungarian en-
Sassy, in Portland place. An extremely
select dinner party was to precede it, and
by most wonderful piece Of maneuvering
on the part of Lord Marlborough Mrs. Pyg-
malion Smith was to find herself on the
right hand of the exalted parsonage.
Hermione, as may be imagined, was, at
this piece Of news, in great futter of ex-
element, and, as she sat by her husband
that morning, had wrapped about her en-
unmistakable air Of mystery. How she
prayed that she might so bear herself in
the evening as to make a favorable impress
sion upon her husbands hoped for patron.
Now, Pygmalion had made up his mind
on this particular morning to make one
contentment which he had of late felt so
certainly slipping away from him. He had
determined to see whether or no his wife
valued her pewly found, almost daily en-
ancipation above his devoted love and COM
partnership. True. he had little hope that,
the fellowship of one poor little hunchback
could compete with the gay association of
that brilliant society to which she by
nature belonged; but he felt that the pres
ent state of things was unbearable, and he
had better know the worst.
"Hermione, my darlingp' he said, for he
had never yet dropped one single outward
sign of endearment, "Pm going to ask a
little favor of you today"
"a little favor, Lion, you old stupid
what do you mean by talking of favors to
mes How often must tell you that there
is no pleasure greater to me than doing
what you wish2 The only fault that l
have to find with you is that you will
never tell me what you do want. When
ask you what you would like me to do you
always put me off with that old saying of
yours, BE happy and look happy and you
will make me happy"
Pygmalion laughed, for who could resist
the fascination of being called an old stu
pid by such sweet lips as those?
"Well, Hermione, granted that all you
say is right, l am really going to ask you
to give up something for me today. Iwant
you to stay at home and spend this even
ing with me-"
"What, this EVENING" Oh, Lionl why
didn't you ask me anything elsei II
promised Marlborough faithfully that ]
would go to the Hungarian embassy to-
night: and, besides that, I'm invited to the
dinner. It's quite impossiblel Oh, please
please don't ask me to stay away from
that. Really-really, Lion, there's any
thing else l would do for you. You don't
know what you are asking me to do.
gave my word that nothing would prevent
my being there's
Every well, Hermione, don't say a word
more. I've asked favor, and you have
not seen your way to grant it." And |
Pygmalion turned away with a sigh, and
worked for an hour in silence.
Poor Hermione little realized the blow |
which she had dealt her husband. She |
felt that the passing cloud would be amply |
for by the news which she |
had good hope she wo1ld be the bearer Of |
that night. But to Pygmalion the incl |
dent was total eclipse to the brightness |
Of his life Yearly the day passed with |
him. All work was distasteful Least of |
all could he occupy himself with the |
marble portrait of his wife, which was
now approaching completion. In the af- |
ternoon he heard Lord Marlborough arrive, I
but his pride kept him from his wife's |
drawing room during her cousins visit, |
while his jealousy held him on tenterhooks |
during it's length, which. it must be ad- |
nitted, was great enough to arouse the |
s11snicinns Of q less virilant husband