The Canton times. (Canton, Miss.) 1893-1906, 1895-05-03

selves woman. IHey are diloci vi thcii
SEX" Mr.. Meredith stranglcd a yawn.
THE art Of studying the verb ~ Sc
suffire belongs exclusively to men," he
said, when the yawn was over. Flora
was silent.
Don't you think that circumstances
make every"
Mr. Meredith licked the paper at his
wife. No, don't, my dear little
Floss, he said, good humoredly. Come
and kiss me, and then you can get all
my things ready. I must hurry up or
l sha'n't get through with this lot"
nodding his head at the bulky brown
parcel. ''till morning"
Flora kissed him, not once, but sew
erai times, and then the table was
cleared, his pipe was lit and the brown
parcel was torn open.
! What is it tonight, darling? Flora
asked, her heart quivering; reviews
again?"
Eyes, the same old thing. Give me
! the first one that comes. l glanced
| through some of them this morning
| all the usual rubbish, only little more
So"
Flora picked up the first one that
came; it was bound in gray and gold.
There was a similar book locked away
upstairs. The title danced before her
eyes in blurred fashion; she did not
dare give the book in his hand, her own
was trembling too much. She went
and sat down by the fire; her seat was
little in shadowland The lamp on
the table, with its broad green shade,
spread the light in concentrated cir
Gle; it did not reach that slim figure in
the pink frock with the pile Of socks
and the work basket in her lap.
Flora ran her needle in and out for
half dozen times before she realized
there was no diminution of the yawn-
ing hole, simply because there was no
wool in the needle. She had curious
buzzing noise in her ears, and her
heart felt like hard lump. How long
1t was since he had taken up the book.
She had not dared to look at him, but,
though her eyes were riveted on the
ribbed brown sock, two big words
darted and danced up and down each
rib.
Christobers Guest Christobel's
Guest! Why, OH why had she chosen
that name. Christobel! She felt sure
Paul would call it silly. But how long
he was! Would" She gave great
start, and her daruing-needle ran
into her hand. Something had come
crashing against the fender at her feet.
Something square and fat, bound in
gray, with gold lettering.
II beg your pardon, darling. hope
1 did not hurt you. did not mean to
be so violent" Paul Meredith came
forward and picked up the book.
1.-The fire is the proper place for ROT
of this sort" he said, as he turned it
over in his hand. 81 can't understand
how firm like - bring themselves
to publish this kind of thing. 1t must
pay them, suppose, though who the
deuce they set to read such twaddle
beats me- WE'LL" flinging the book
on to the table this time. ''Well, that
was bad start. Let us hope it is not
case of worse remains behind"
The pipe was replenished, and the
second book was well under way be-
fore Flora spoke.
Paul" she said, when the fierceness
Of the pain had left her little, Paul,
are you quite just? IL mean-don't
you think you ought to read these
books with more care-more-"
Paul Meredith looked amazed.
'Iknow my business" he said, coldly,
when he spoke. He felt too much sur
prised to be really as angry as he
ought to have been.
The girl had ceased darning. Seated
of color that famed on each cheek, nor
the expression of the eyes, that were,
as he had often told her, his wife's
greatest beauty.
Forgive me, dear" she said, very,
very softly, but with culver in her
voice he had never heard before; "for-
give me, only / have been thinking
lately so much about writers and writ
ing, and feeP'-she broke off-"Paul,
dear, you are so big and clever, but all
the world is not like you. While you
find happiness in a scientific work
there are some-many, perhaps-who
would find pleasure in book like that.
Yes, / am sure there would be many
many"
There must be more fools in the
world, then, than even Carlyle i'm
agined," MIR. Meredith said, speaking
with his pipe between his teeth and his
eyes ON the book before him. Flora
rose.
II feel so sorry for the person who
wrote the story" she said, her voice
almost whisper; she was standing
with her back toward him. "Now, do