Los Angeles herald., 1892-07-24
A MARITAL EPISODE.

A MARITAL EPISODE.
Yes, Raoul had certainly married for
love, and he had thrown himself with
such enthusiasm into his new life that
in a day all his relations with the outer
world were shattered-like glass. He
shut himself in his sanctuary, turned the
key on the inside and tasted his happi-
ness drop by drop. When by chance
you encountered him he hardly gave you
a word; he seemed to be afraid of his
past, and took care to avoid all those
who could possibly recall it to mind.
Raoul was thus for some eight months.
Toward the middle of the ninth he had
a relapse into former habits. One met
him more frequently. He had resumed
his cigars, walked more leisurely and
did not disdain to cast an occasional
glance at a pretty woman.
This was not because he was less hap
py in his home or loved less his pretty
little wife. Oh, no, not at all; for when
ever | met him he assured me earnestly
''that his wife was a treasure"
When a husband says this so positively
there is no room to doubt that he is still
lover. You do not agree with me? A
man, you say, who announces thus that
his wife is a treasure is man who blows
upon tea or ashes already cold. All,
well, perhaps you are right; when the
lire flames one warns himself and gen.
orally Say s -.a+l,:->e,-
To tell the truth, Raoul had begun to
blow upon his fire. The sweetness that
had intoxicated him nine months ago
appeared to him now little insipid, the
warm temperature about him little
heavy, and when his wife came softly
behind him and kissed him on the brow
he began to notice what he had never
noticed before-that she ruff1ed his hair.
He said nothing, but was irritated, an
noyed; all the more so as the tender lit
tie woman, seeing nothing herself, after
her kiss would close his eyes with her
little hands and laugh like a gleeful
child.
"Come, come, Louise" said he one
morning, finding it impossible to be 81
lent longer, ''do you not see that / am
reading?'
''Then say, My dear little wife, /
adore you!' and I'll let you CO." Louise
returned, with the pout of an angel.
"But have said it five hundred and
one times already, and to be frank,
Louise, decline to be forced to repeat
it every quarter of an hour" And he
stopped for his book, which had fallen
to the floor, and closing as it fell, obliged
him to lose five minutes more seeking
the place where he had left off, which SO
much increased his bad hu1nor that ten
minutes later when they sat down to
lunch he found the soup decidedly too
salt, and said so.
''Why, no, Raoul do not find it so,"
Louise returned innocently.
''But do, and that settles it." Raoul
declared peremptorily, pouring water in
his bouillon with determined air. ''The
fact is, my dear, your cook knows no
more of seasoning than she knows of
finance. This food is UNBEATABLE. It is
only at restaurant that presentable
hllet can be had" And he breathed
sort Of sigh that resembled stified re-
gret.
"But a month ago she pleased you,"
urged Louise, who, in spite of her love
and gentleness, did not lack spirit; 81
do not understand it,
You do not understand Now, why
do you say that? And such tonei The
very minute, it seems to me, that / OBJ
ject to anything, you jump to the con-
clusion that am content with nothing"
81 did not say that"
'You leave it to be supposed, never
theless."
Silence fell between them, but mean
while Raoul, still fuming, thought how,
presently, they would go to install them
selves in the sitting room, having neither
theater nor ball to attend this evening;
that he would open his paper, and, while
reading, he would see over its edge the
regular movement of his wife's needle,
plying back and forth in that eternal
embroidery; and that, after the paper,
he would resume his book, yawp three
tlmes, look at the clock, and then, to
keep him from going to sleep entirely,
his wife would appeal to him with the
usual question: "Blue, black or red in
this corner, Raoul? What do you say
pet"
"PetP An expression that had once
brought tears of tenderness to his eyes
and that now seemed absurd.
All these thoughts came one by one,
and gradually he felt his bad humor in
crease, till suddenly he resumed sharp
~, II do not see what there is 90 extra
ordinary IN wishing TO have properly |
cooked fllet."
"Well, was wrong; I'll see to the
next, " Louise answered, with manner :
little prim.
Raoul laid down knife and fork re-
sigredly.
my dear child, said he, ..haye ! saic
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