Smyrna times., 1894-02-21
A FINANCIER'S WIFE.
BY EDWARD S. VAN zILE.

BY EDWARD S. VAN zILE.
Mrs. Adolphe Mortimer had made
up her mind that it was her duty to be-
come a sacrifice. If there was one
thing that this worthy woman prided
herself on, it was her mind, and what
ever that organ reached decision it
clnng to it with tenacity worthy of
almost any cause. Mrs. Mortimer's
will power never slipped its trolley.
She had decided, in this instance, to
cast herself as an Offering on the altar
of her husbands higher welfare. She
had watched him grow morbid, self
absorbed, restless; and, after tedious.
but, on the whole, satisfactory process
OF ratiocinatiOn, she had reached the
conclusion that it was incumbent upon
her, as his better halt, to revive him, to
enliven his dropping spirits by the re-
freshing water of her own mentality.
Having established herself firmly
upon this proposition she cast about
her some effective method whereby she
could bring the old sparkle back to his
eye, the color to his wan cheeks, the
smoothness to his wrinkled brow.
He is very silent at meals" she re-
hected. He reads his newspapers and
letters in fdgety, despondent wav.
he goes out early in the evening and
remains late at his club Then, again.
l seem to bore him. That is very
strange. He used to take so much in.
terest in all my affairs. Now. what
can he find at the club that he cannot
have at home? set out to give him
all the comforts of a club. How have
failed? ? His cigar box is always full.
the sponge is always wet, and have
learned to play poker just to please
him. Ah, that's it My range of topics
is too narrow. / really must pay at
tentlon to the current news. Poor
AdOlphe When his mind is full of
business cares l bother him with nv
clatter about books and theatres and
and things. What he needs is a home
where he can get in small doses the
mental tonic he finds on the exchange
and at his club. I'll read the news
papers every day and surprise the poor
dear fellow with my wisdom. The idea
OF my talking about bonnets when he
is thinking only of bulls and bears. It's
absurdw
Mrs. Mortimer began her experiment
that evening at dinner. They had
eaten their sOup In silence, and the
anxious wife had been nerving herself
for the conversational plunge that she
had determined to make for the sake
OF her poor, dear boy. Finally she
asked:
How was the market, to-day,
Adolphs ?"
The broker looked at his wife sharp
ly.
what market, Genevieve Jeffer.
son ? Washington What do you meanP
1.-The stock market, dear. Was it
easy ?"
Easy as SUN in fractions" he an
swered, Grossly, helping himself to the
fish and relapsing into moody silence.
Vulgar fraction" she was tempted
to retort, but stayed her tongue in time.
After while she made another at
tempt tOrebuild his shatter constitution.
How was the bank statement. to-
day, my dear ?"
"WhOse ?" he asked nervously.
"Why ,anybody's-everybody's. You
know what 1 mean, darling. Are things
looking up?"
Her voice trembled slightly, but she
smiled sweetly. He glanced question
ingly, but remained silent.
She was growing discouraged, but.as
! said before, Mrs. Adolphe Mortimer
had will Of iron, and refused to give
up the fight. 1t was something gained
at all events, to cause even a faint
CLEAN of surprise in her husbands
eyes.
"Are you long or short, Adolphe ?"
she ventured at last.
"Of what?"
She really didn't know.
"Of-Of-margins," she faltered, al
most in whisper.
He was too pre-occupied to catch her
answer, and again the dinner went for.
ward in utter silence.
Perhaps" she unused, "he will be
more talkative over his coffee. I will
wait moment before making another
effort. Let me see? What shall l saw
next ? He said the market was easy as
a man in fractions. That means it's
hard, When les hard --it's--it's well I
don't know. never heard OF it's being
hard-nOr soft, either. Sometimes It's
feverish, isn't It.? That's it. TIL ask
him about-about its--its temperature.
No, that won't do. That wouldn't
sound like what read in that Wall
street paper. But wasn't there some
thing about the rate of exchange? That
must mean whether it's fast or slow.
I'll try that,
'pid the exchange run very we'll, to-
day, sweetheart 9n she began again, as
he moodily lit cigar.
He gazed at hera moment. t.gulzzlcally
and then blew cloud of smoke into