The Yale expositor., 1894-10-05

Probably no one would have called
them an ideal pair, but they had
been a thoroughly comfortable one,
though neither was aware OF how en-
tirely Indispensable one was to the
other And now, after nearly twen-
ty years OF married life, the thread
of their slow winding happiness had
broken off sharp, or rather, as Mary
said to herself, it had been cut in
twain by her own sharp tongue in
less than minute. But could it not
be knit together again, aye, and so
that the joint should be neither seen
nor felt?
Mary was Chat sweetest hallmark
OF noble mind) forgiving. and when
Fletcher had finally shut the door on
her, with subdued sternness that
said he shut her in TO her own reflec-
tions, and much consolation might
they bring her. she began to make
excuses for her absent man until
gradually all his faults dwlndled. and
were swallowed up in the enormity
of her own.
Even Lady Blanche receded, and
only that morning she had seemed to
stand there in the very flesh between
husband and wife. And If a woman
ever has any doubt about possessing
n heart, let her be really jealous.
Then a long, darting skewer will run
through bit of her anatomy, and
she will know.
She thought of the gradual change
that had come over him of late. of
how easily she had discovered that
he was hiding something from her of
which he was both sorry and
ashamed, so that often he found it
impossible to meet her eyes with
those blue ones of his, that were
usually guileless as a child's.
Tom used TO say that TO draw his
fathers attention to outside matters
when he was engaged in abstruse
meditation was like watching the
dawn Of reason in the eyes OF baby;
first a CLEAN. then a slow wavering
light, then partial comprehension,
and finally satisfied and clear
awakening.
This absence OF mind made him
peculiarly liable to imposture Of all
descriptions, and Mary viewed his
occasional visits to the city with the
deepest mistrust. for if no did get
an idea, poor innocent, it was pretty
sure TO be wrong one, and tolera-
bly, certain to bring him to grief.
These visits. however. had lately
been entirely overlooked in Mary's
dumfounded amazement at one day
finding him tucked comfortably into
Lady Blanche Jessup's ingle-nook. a
cup of tea in one hand, piece of
muffin in the other ana Vpon his
comely face look OF complete salts
faction such as latterly it had never
worn at home.
John" she gasped. but the de-
luded man had not even the grace to
seem ashamed Of himself, and pres
emily she found that this dropping
in process had been going on a con-
siderable time, and in telling her
Lady Blanche had laughed-not tri-
umphantly, but as il she were in
tensely amused at either husband Or
wife-possibly both.
Lady Blanche was bit OF gam
bier on the stock exchange, and oc-
casionally carried on some exceed
ingly risky operations. in which, or
report lied, she lost none of her own,
and a great deal of her friends
money, and Mary, though not at all
cOnversant with current chroniques
4 Soondo lo,Sas u,as a,yara ~ tb;s md
/ knew that her husbands pocket
stood in equal danger with his heart
And she naturally disliked and
mlstrustel this emphatically nine
teenth centuri woman, with whom
| she had never been on terms Of more
than slight acquaintance, and with
whom she had not an idea or taste
in common; while no doubt from the
bottom of her soul the other de-
spised one who could be perfectly
charming and lovable, but never by
any possibility smart" that word OF
magic which covers with its ngis
every bad, wicked and outrageous
act that woman ow-a.days can
commit. And in thinking of her to-
night, Mary could not imagine whore
the attraction in her lay for John
| Anderson.
Long as she had looked into that
simple, sincere. faithful soul, she
had found only reverence for good
women and pity, but no contempt for
bad ones, and so far as she could
tell, only two human figures had
loomed large through the abstrac
tion In which he lived and they were
herself and their only surviving son,
| Tom.
Mary took sip OF coffee, glancing
uninterestedly at the letters that lay
on the white cloth, then gave cry
Of pleasure, for there was one from
Tom, and several obvious cards o.
invitation, and one other lettsr that
Immediately fastened her attention
there was such an air of business
legal business, about it.
What possible business could there
be for any one to write to her about
| and she knew even less of business