The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-10-17
such as business appointments and invita-

she's in the drawing room reading a
sermon on the sofa. Wouldn't you like
| to see her?"
Ell think I'll go presently. That's an
odd sort of sermon, isn't it-a sermon on
the sofa?"
CiceIy laughed. She had even teeth
which showed for moment as her lips
parted. John rested his elbow on the
gate and did not laugh. After a moment
he suggested that it would be as well to
go into the garden.
I'm their natural state" he said, 81 pre-
fer roses to chickens, and conversation to
either"
Cicely pulled her hat down to shade her
eyes from the sun, and followed him
through the gate. 1t was quite tea time
before they disturbed Johns aunt in the
perusal of her sermon.
AS the summer went on John looked for
ward with more eagerness than had been
customary to his Sundays at Hendon. He
started a little earlier and returned little
later, until one morning he actually got
there In time for church. His aunt did
not go to church in the morning, because
she wished William to go, and the house
without herself or William was, to her
mind, as a castle unguarded. So it fell
out, with an odd directness of consequence,
that John and Cicely were late for lunch
con II And John said the mutton was the
best he had ever eaten; but Cicely SEEM
ed preoccupied and could not say what the
wears text had been And Johns aunt
said she had mislaid her spectacles and
felt quite blind, at which even the imma-
culate William sighed thankfully, as he
remembered a wine stain on the table
cloth.
When the luncheon had been removed,
William placed on the bare mahogany ia
Bile the fruit and a decanter of old port,
whose color was like the rubles that fell
from the magic song-blrd's mouth. John
tilted back his chair little and looked al
Cicely, who blushed and looked at her
plate. Then he turned to his aunt and
said quietly with a gentle smile on his
lips, Aunt Jane, Cicely and I are going
to be married"
His aunt gasped in establishment. you,
John, at your age! And you. Cicely! oh,
my dears, 1 am so glad. Come close to
me and tell me about it,"
John nearly missed the last train that
night. Some gates must be very pleasant
resting places; We linger so long at them.
John and Cicely were married in the
new year, and, for time, the affairs of
Green, Richards & Van Schaacht were
! left to the careful carelessness of clerks.
| John was rich, and Cicely had something
of her own. but he disiked what he called
show" and urged Cicely to be content
with small house and three maids. He
was not stingy, though for he ordered a
carriage and horses and gave her a very
liberal allowance in addition TO her own
income.
The first year of their life together was
a delightful time of happiness to both. 1t
was necessary, of course, for John to be
away all day, but Cicely nightly enjoyed
the novelty of being married, and found
| ii very amusing to order things at shops
and give her name as Mrs. Green. Her
mother had not allowed her to read many
novels. deeming them pernicious, and so a
subscription to Nudes seemed like Alad-
dins lamp for richness of possibility. John
left the city as early as $50. Frequent
" they went to $heater or dined our,
and there were Saturdays to Mondays at
Brighton or Eastbourne, besides visits to
the Hendon house, where William greeted
them with a smile anticipatory of half n
sovereign.
AS the second year wore on John found
1t necessary to give more attention to his
business One of two matters had lately
gone amiss, giving rise to an urgent re
quest from the FIRMS" New York CORE
spondents that their instructions should
be more closely attended to. John Green
showed the letter to his head clerk, ana
said no more about it, but he gradually
fell back into his old practice of staying
late and seeing to things himself, instead
of leaving them to those less competent or
less interested.
One night John had promised to get
home early, as they were going to the
dIeF, OUT II WAS nearly o y ClpCh DNLO4S
his key sounded in the door.
Cicely met him with a Teproachful
glance. He kissed her, and sat down wear
lily on the sofa.
'I am dreadfully sorry, dearest. but it
was impossible to Ieave earlier"
"You promised, John; and we shall be
so late"
Eyes, dear, yes, I know. Now, you go
and have some dinner, and when I am
rested little I'll run UP and dress and
be ready as soon as you are.'
but you can't go without dinner"
Eyes, I can. You run along"
He put his hand to his forehead and
pushed back his hair
"Are YOU so tired, dear?" Cicely asked
gently, bending over him. He smiled up al
her and took her hand.
"Then we won't go, DEAR" she said.
Eyes, yes 1 promised to take you, Cice-
''Tll forgive you You are very tired,
can see, and will be much happier at
home"
Dear child" he answered, kissing her
hand. You really don't mind"
She turned away and rang the bell for
dinner She was bitterly disappointed at
not going, but she concealed 1t from John,
and after dinner played the piano to him,
while he dozed In a chair.
That night was the beginning of many
things. Cicely sought amusement more al
instead of with her husband. This is the
beginning of the end with many a love
match.
John was now very busy. He seldom got
home before s. and very often found Cice-
ly either going or gone to some entertain
ment, to which he was dsinclined to fol-
low her.
They gradually grew apart, living DIFF
ferent lives, and asking less and less of
each other. John grew daily more abb
sorbed in his business. He was very fond
Of Cicely, but he had giving up showing It,
and this Is what a woman hates. Occa-
sonally, after leaving him to a lonely ev-
ening, Cicely would come down to break
fast in a repentant mood, wishing to put
things back as they had once been. She
would make some pleasant remark and
John would say 'yes, dear" or mo dear"
in his quiet tone, and would ask her IL she
would have bacon or fish, and then would
open the Times and spread 1t before him
like some hideous barricade without a
loophole. till her warm intentions iced