The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-04-24
ALTERED LOVE.


ST say, old man, met your wife the
other day-hadn't seen her since you were
married-it's about eight years ago now,
i suppose-anG, by Jove, I scarcely recog-
nized herl How tremendously she's al
tered
'tAltered-how?" asked Willoughby.
swell, she looked SO ill-awfully ill.,
and-and''-
"And what?''
'Wel, unhappy, old man, I thought.
In fact, as told you, couldn't believe it
was that same smiling little Ellis girl
whom used to meet at dances"
And now Ralph Willoughby was ru1ni-
mating over those remarks of Thornton's.
The curious thing was that he had not no
ticed himself that his wife looked at all
unwen. Once or twice lately, it is true it
had struck him that she was getting very
plain, but nothing more. Still, Thorn
toms impression must have been the right
one. "And unhappy" That was what
worried him most. Could it be possible
that she was not happy? 1t had never &C.
CURED to him to think about that before.
''The same smiling little Ellis girl whom
used to meet at -dances.'' These words
had touched a chord in his memory. He
closed his eyes and saw her again as she
was on the night when he had proposed to
her. Ali And he remembered, too
what blunt, incOnsiderate wretch ones
memory is how, when he had declared
that she was the sweetest little girl he had
ever met, she had said:
"Ah, you love. me for my looks If ]
were ugly, you would not care for me.''
And he had denied it at the time-had
sworn that it was not so. Now he realized
with start that she had been right for
Of late there n fraf 1xa1 h fo1f
not the slightest affection for her. At
times the sight of her had almost repealed
him. They lad become estranged. He
never petted her now, never used a word
of endearment. In fact, when he came to
think of it, he had been a bit of brute
For how could the poor little woman help
getting ugly? 1t no doubt panied her even
more than him. Thornton had said she
looked unhappy. In all probability she
was unhappy Left alone all day, while
he was in the city, how terribly dull it
must have been for her.
1t would have been different; of course, If
there had been children. Perhaps that,
too, had been a secret trouble to her. He
recOllected now, with a pang of remorse,
that once when they had had words he had
been cad enoagh to twit her with that.
Even in the evenings again he would as
often as not go of to the club. And when
word with her. What a selfish beast he
had beenl He had never even taken the
trouble to think whether she was happy or
not. And she, being a woman and having
little to occupy herself with, had conse-
quently all the more time for reflection,
and doubtless constantly thought of the
difference between then and now Well,
he felt grateful to Thornton for the rude
awakening he had given him.
He rose and put on his hat and coat.
He had made resolution. He would go
home at once, and for the future he would
treat his wife as he used to in the early
days-With all the affectionate words and
caresses of the honeymoon days. Poor lit
tie womanl He had half a mind to ask
the waiter to punch his head.
1t was with a light heart that Ralph
Willoughby left the club. There was to
be a renaissance of love.
He surprised her looking over some
tradesmen's account books.
''Oh, is that you? You're early she
said.
eyes, dear little woman he replied
''I thought it a shame to leave you all
alone, darling
And he patted her cheek and kissed her
quite tenderly.
,''Another night, Ralph, I wouldn't have
quite SO much to drink. Hadn't you bet
ter go to bed?''
He felt as if he had been stabbed He
looked at her. BAIL She was ugly-ter-
ribly ugly.
He went to bed.-Pick Me Up.