The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-01-19
TWO WIVES.
nIt,s rrown chilly. hnsn,t itpn

"It,s grown chilly hasn't itP"
"Oh, yes" said Agnes Lawton, with
sarcastic laugh. She WAS budding In her
dapper street gear before the pennon OF
cracking flame on her friends hearth.
"Its blown horribly chilly, Marion-for
MEL
"Another quarrel, suppose, with your
husbandf"
"a quarrel this time that ends every
thing. I'm going to my mother IN Bos-
ton"
"Don't, my dear"
Marion Kingsland spoke thus In tones
tranquil and low. She was swaying her
kslf softly In rocking chair, and she had
Alded her arms In leisurely way. She
was large, blond woman-not handsome,
but with beautiful figure and faos full
Of sweet gravity.
ooh, you've always said that, " replied
young Mrs. Lawton, frowning at the fire,
"But now mean to disobey your ooun-
sell"
Every we'll, Agnes; as you please. Re-
member I've always said one thing. Your
husband loves you devotedly"-
"Ah, that's the very point, Marionl He
loves me, but not devotedly. He''- and
here Mrs Lawton lowered her face and
drew out the next words In a logged,
dragging understandable Is not faithful"
The oscillations Of Mrs. Highlands
rocking chair quickened the least little bit.
"What husband iss'
"Yours." -.s
ooh, Trent-yesi wasn't thinking Of
him." She oolored, biting her lips. What
Is the present trouble, Agnesp Tell me"
''It's very simple. found note in
Fred's-I mean MI. Acknowledgements
pocket"
MY dear Agnes, what were you doing
therof"
"Doing therep''
"You were spying ealously SPYING"
said Marion, with her usual calm. "Ad-
NIT It,"
you're crueler than usual, Marion. l
was fool to come here. Mamma will
sympathize, however shall take the 8
o'clock train for Boston"
"Was the note very dreadful"
"Oh, it told Its own story. And, as
you're aware, this Ia not the first time
"That you've gone through your hus-
bands pookets2 know. And the sigma
ture2'
"Initials"
~ see And a very violent quarrel fol-
lowetlf"
1.-The most violent we have ever had.
And the lust we shall ever have"
Marion Kingsland stopped rocking.
"Agnes," she said, breaking pause, II
don't know husband who in public Is
more respectful, more attentive, more posi-
lively gallant to his wife than yours"
"In publicl" bristled the other. "What
does that meanP"
1t means great deal more than many
a wife gets-many wife of our aoquaint.
anoe whom I've heard you openly pity in
my hearing. Now, answer me frankly.
Might not that letter which you found and
read have implied Irritation, n passing
senSment, rather than the very lurid and
scandalous Interpretation you put upon
itf say, might it notp. Think for mo
ment before you answer"
Agnes tossed her head, decked in tiny
bonnet of tangled pansies
"Well, perhaps" she presently conced-
ed, with distinct reluctance.
"nerhaps,' repeated Marion. "Now that
is at least an admission. 1t puts Frederick
in more pardonable light. But it does
not excuse you from being most rashly in
discreet.
"Oh," fumed Agnes, II do so detest
that kind of philosophy"
"Wo women can cultivate none that is
sounder."
''We women, Marion! How would you
feel, pray, if your Trent
"Never mind my Trent, dear. Let us
talk generaities for few minutes
There's hardly II household that hasn't its
Bluebeard's chamber.
Except yours And so you can af-
ford
"Generalities, please, Agnes, just for a
little while There are Fatimas who do
pry, and there are Fatimas who don't
Tho latter have by far tho best time of it
that is, when their Bluebeards treat
them fondly and courteously. Discretion
is wonderful safeguard to oonjugal con-
tentment. The moral obligation with men
should he as strong as it Is with women.
freely grant you that. But society does
not grant 1t, and in the lives of our great
great-great- grandchildren it will not prac-
tically employ any such system of ethics
unless | miserably err. 1t Is a system
talked about, written about, and, If at
some day it will be actively exploited, on
that day everybody who now lives will lie,
as firmly believe, in graves whose deep
est cut headstones have grown undeclpher-
able blurs. The new woman may dream
her dreams and evan realize few Of them,
| But after all, 1t Is still mans world,
and mans world for many centuries 1t
must remain. Fatima will reap nothing
by her curiosity except unhappiness. So
many Of them live and die in blissful ig-
| norance And it is so much better that
they should. Men are men, and the Loop
| ard does not change his spots. Why not
| let we'll aloneP A wife can tend and water
her jealousy and her suspicion precisely as
| II they were two different specimens of fern
| In fayorlte jardiniere. OF course marital
neglect, Ill treatment, rudeness, are all
autre chose. But have often taken a
thoughtful survey, Agnes, of my own So
oal surroundings. They are very much
| tho same as yours, my dear. We often
| meet at the same teas, dinners, dances.
| We know the same set-the smart set, l
suppose one would call it-and most Of
| our men friends are married, like our
selves And I've repeatedly asked myself,
| Judging as much by what they don't say
| as by what they do say IL vast amount
| of family torment may not BIO avoided by
| the simple process of Fatima refraining
from all interference with Bluebeard's key