The Portland daily press., 1895-09-21
HIS WIFE'S CHUM.

ne nao deem married year and still
found that martial happiness was really q
tangible thing, not the fancifrl vaporings
of poetic enthusiasts. He was able to
crumble in the dust the highest and
strongest arguments brought forward by
cynical bachelors that marriage is a fail
ure. But yet, with all his devotion, he
was able to appreciate pretty woman.
He kept this appreciation to himself. In
q years time he had learned many valua-
BILE truths of whose existence he had not
even dreamed before One of these was
that it was far better for married man to
keep some things to himself and to observe
a religious silerne ON Others One subject
upon which he kept religious silence was
that of praising pretty women in his wife's
hearing. When he had married her, he
thought his wife the most beautiful crea-
ture which the widest dreams Of a lover S
fancy could conjure up, but after year s
constant association with her he had been
forced to acknowledge to himself that
there were others as pretty and at last had
decided that some were even prettier, but
that none was better or sweeter he never
doubted
One morning at breakfast as his wife,
clad in bewitching gown, was pouring
the coffee the smart, white aproned maid
came in with the mail, and amid the pile
Of letters was one upon which his wife
seized eagerly and tore open with the I'M
conventional aid Of the butter knife.
ooh, Jack, she said joyfully as she
read on with q smiling face, "Maude is
coming! You remember Maude?"
He did not remember Maude and said so.
ooh, yes, you TO-" his wife replied.
"She was my chllm when you came to see
me before we were married. She used to
plague us by coming In when we wanted
to be alone. Don't yOu remember?"
Jack had dim recollection of a small
girl who uaed to make herself 'too con-
foundedly nuiperous, las Jack had once
said in mnnent cfexasperation, but her
face he cuiu1u ret GAIA to mind. So he
nodded ana aslsea when abe was coming.
s'Tonight, sko!says. She does not men
tion the train. There are two, you know.
I suppose she WIZ take the 1875 from
Boston, where She wants to do some shop
ping. am SO glad she is coming. We
can have such fun talking over old times,
and, oh, lots Of things"
Every afternoon at $3.50 the train started
DUCK lrOIu oAAc pA8, cAI4VAJs ASAoy - oAes
A. station, and every afternoon at $40
Jack entered the last car with his grip and
his paper. In the middle of the week the
train was seldom crowded, and often Jack
found himself entirely alone for most OF
the journey. This happened to be one OF
the days, and Jack stretched himself out
comfortably and began to read the paper.
The main line pulled out in slow and
dignifed manner. Jack saw fash OF
white fly by the window, and the next
moment charming young woman, with
dark brown hair, laughing brown eyes
and a jaunty blue and white shirt waist
and red necktie, stood in the door, a
vision of summer personifed. She was SO
extremely pretty that Jack could not help
looking at her again as she came down the
aisle She caught his eye, half surprised
expression flashed over her face, she paused
uncertainty and then deliberately sat down
directly opposite Jack. She arranged her
blue skirt daintily, looked out of the win.
dow and then at Jack, who found himself
stealing surreptitious glance at her from