The World. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1891-1896, 1893-01-27

life.
:" fear" he said to her about zen days
| after the baby's birth. as he sat ny her bod
side fondiing her slender hand. fear
that / have not been as compartments 5
should have been. / have been to- self
absorbed. But, my darling know you'll
forgive me if promise you that hereafter
/ III try to give you larger share Of my
/ life"
I have nothing to forgive, old fellow"
! answered Alice. across whose pale face
| fitted a smile Of mingled happiness and
/ love, ] am as much to blame as you are
If blame is the right word. / know
I that I nave not entered as closely Into
/ your pursuits as l should have done. But
/ when I'm well again"
Make no rash promises" be broke in
| playfully. " An authors wife can take a
very deep interest in the details Of her
husbands work, but a lawyers wife must,
/ Of necessity, be bored by the dry tech
nicalities that pertain 10 his daily rau.l
And you're a lawyers wife, you know
There was in this mans nature some
thing strangely peryerse. Even when 10
deliberately set out to be kind he was al
most certain to do or say something that
left a sting. In the half light of the wan
ing day lie did not see the tears that had
come into his wife's eyes. nor did he note
the trembling of her hand. He was IN
conscious Of the sarcastic ring his voice
had given forth as he repeated the words
A lawyers wife, you know"
Alice's voice trembled a little as she
said:
Il don't quite agree with you my dear.
Perhaps woman is not as much borsd by
law talk as you think Your father and
often have long discussions about his
cases, and, do you know, he tells me 1 am
clever"
Harlan flushed slightly. His jealousy
OF the friendship that had grown up be-
tween his wife and father was very real,
though he knew that it was unworthy of
him. He had thought on that first even
ing they had spent at home after the
honeymoon that his fathers cordiality
toward Alice was thing to be grateful
for. He had felt that it would drtw his
father closer to him. 1t had in its finality,
had just the opposite effect. Way, he won
dered, as he sat silently gazing at the fair
face of his wife, beauthel by the gentle
light of young motherhood Was it his
own faultt He feared so as he reviewed
the past two years and saw that his dual
role of poet and law-student had cost him
much that for the moment he regretted.
After a time Alice broke the silence that
had followed her last remark
1 am so glad, Harlan, that you won
your first case. Your father is very proud
Of you"
Yes? Well shall try to be worthy OF
his regard. l think l have it in me to be
successful lawyer if work hard enough.
But. oh, Alice, love- something elsel"
There was the suspicion of sob in his
voice as this exclamation involuntarily es-
capped him.
Alice burst into hysterical tears.
Here, here, this will never do" re-
marked in stern tones an elderly woman
who entered the room at that moment.
g am surprised at you, Mr. Otis. You are
old enough to know better. 1 snail forbid
you coming here at all unless you use
more Judgment"
Hastily kissing his wife's tear-stained |
face, Harlan skunk from the room, awed
by the majesty of an eartged nurse and |
conscience-stricken at waat he now
realized was an unwarrl ted exhibition O |
selfishness on his part
He found his father in the library
How are they up-stairs?" asked Mr. |
Otis, smiling less dstantly than of old |
The pleasure of being u grandfather I
seemed to have added a toa3l Of geniality I
to his manner.
Nicely, l believe" ms rered Harlan, |
but that confounded nlrse is u nuisance
She probably understands her business, but |
she distinctly comes under the head of |
necessary evils"
The Old story" remarked the elder
man, smiling again. There has always
been m rked antagonisn between hus-
bands and midwives. 1t is one of the most
interesting Phenomena of human ature."