The herald., 1895-04-29
HE LOVED
HER AS LONG AS SHE WAS
HANDSOME

say, OH HAL, L lnct your WIG The
other day-hadn't seen her since you were
married-it's about eight years ago now
l suppose-and, by Jove, 1 scarcely recog
nized her! How tremendously she's al
tered. :"
"Altered-hove" asked Willoughby.
well, she looked so ill-awfully ill
nnd-and'-
and WHAT"
"Well, unhappy, old man, I thought
In fact, as told you, couldn't believe II
was that same smiling little Ellis girl
whom 1 used to meet at dances"
And now Ralph Willoughby was rumi-
mating over those remarks of Thornton S.
The curious thing was that he had not no.
ticed himself that his wife looked at all
unwell. 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 oc-
CURED to him to think about that before.
"The same smiling little Ellis girl whom
l used to meet at dances" These words
had touched chord in his memory. He
closed his eyes and saw her again as she
was on the night when he had proposed to
her. All And he remembered, too
what a blunt inconsiderate wretch one s
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 l
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 was no doubt that he had felt
not the slightest affection for her. At
times the sight of her had almost repealed
him. They had become estranged He
never petted her now, never used a word
of endearment. In fact, when he camc to
think of it, he had been bit of n 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 secret trouble to her. He
recollected now, with a pang of remorse
that once when they had had words he had
been cad enough to twit her with that
Even in the evenings again he would as
often as not go off to the club. And when
he staid at home he scarcely exchanged a
word with her. What selfish beast he
had been! He had never even taken the
trouble to think whether she was happy or
not And she, being woman and having
little to occupy herself with, had conse-
quently all tho 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 a resolution. He would go
homo at once, and for the future he would
treat his wife as he used to in the early
days-with all tho affectionate words and
carcsscs Of the honeymoon days. Poor lit
tic woman 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 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,
II thought it shame to leave you all
alone, darling"
And he patted her cheek and kissed her
quite tenderly.
Another night, Ralph, wouldn't have
quite so much to drink. Hadn't you bet
ter go to bedS''
He felt as If he had been stabbed He
looked at her. Bah! She was ugly-ter-
ribly ugly.
He went to bed. Pick Me Up.