St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1898-12-03
HER PUNISHMENT
ny Florence n. Smith.

ANEN george ArDutnnOt pretty
well for two ycars-ever since he
had been married, in fact-and con-
tiderea him rising fellow in the lit
erary world. He had not done any
thing very great, but his work was dis
iinctly promising, and his name was
gradually making itself known. I'm
luckily, he had married the wrong
woman.
But nv friend was not like some
men-he did not whine and cry, he
made the best of il. He did not go
out aud search for twin SOUL to
whom he might confide his marital
sufferings. though, Phoebus knows,
he had enough to put mp with. 1t was
not bad temper. 1t was jealousy-bit-
ter, mean, incessant jealousy-that
Erudged him even his literary fame.
Agatha Arbuthnot was one OF
those little. pale blue-eyed women,
with a spiteful tongue and narrow
heart, who have ruined the career of
many a sensitive man. She hated to
hear her husbands praises sounded
In her ears.
One afternoon Agatha was slanging
Arbuthnot because some women who
had happened to call the day before
had pushed, and told her how fortu-
nate she was to be the wife of such
rising genius. Her face was crimson
with anger, and her voice was very
Ahrill as she mimicked her callers.
Dear Mrs. Arbuthnot! How proud
you must be of your clever husband!
He's quite a genius. How / envy you
living with the man who can write
such exquisite stories!"
Then she stamped her foot, and
turned savagely on Arbuthnot.
..Clever! Exquisite! A genius! |
never saw any genius in your silly
tales. Beastly rot, call them. Iwish
to goodness I'd married Harry jenkins
instead of you. At any rate, people
wouldn't have praised him up just In
order to run me down. / know what
they mean. OF course I'm stupid. and
brainless and silly-not good enough
for YOU to wipe your boots on
And then Arbuthnot did the most
aensible thing possible. He walked
out Of the edining-room, and locked him.
self UP in his study. Agatha, on seeing
the lines of his mouth more firmly set
than usual. and guessing nothing OF
the tempest that surged in his mind,
Immediately went off into violent
fit of Mysteries, and called the sym
pathetic housemaid to witness that
:.George was a perfect brute-it would
eerye him right If she ran away with
some one else"
Georges den wasn't much OF a
sstudy," merely smoke-begrlmed
den. furnished with a secondhand
bureau. two or three chairs. and some
shelves of books. Agatha called 1t
.George.s sulking-room," but l knew
II was the only haven OF refuge Ar
huthnot could find in his own house.
"a man must dree his own weird,
Arbuthnot said, as he sat down weari-
lv at the bureau and looked at the
sheets of paper that Uttered over his
desk. I'm not the only fool who's
found marriage a, failure; and. after
all. I'ye got brain as well as heart
I'll give myself up to work. and waste
NO time in morbid self-pity. That's
form of cowardice that leads to the
cutting of ones throat; and II I've eS'
hausted the possibilities OF marriage
III be hanged if I've exhausted the pos
abilities of life"
He smiled grimly. and taking from
one of the pigeon holes notebook
laid it on his desk and began to read
its contents.
From that day Arbuthnot pro
sressed swiftly through the book that
rasto make his name. This was to bt
his masterpiece, wherein he wouie
.boN his best of brain and heart; and
&c the weeks rolled on and the move
nea1ed its end, Arbuthnot realized MI
work was good, and in that knowiedg'
could afford to live, and did live, with
out love and sympathy.
In truth. he needed every suppor
that work and philosophy could Civ
man. Agatha's conduct grew dali.
more shrewish and violent, and bel
,onyne less fastidious in its choice o
words.
..so you've taken to locking yourseil
uni in your sulking room" she cried on'
dsy> when .Arbuthnot had perforc'
heen compelled to answer her heav,
hanging on his study door. Its nic'
.h;,,v when a husband comes to loci
himself up from his wife! l suppos'
INV society's not good enough for sucl
q clever man a. you.
Arbuthnot saw that she was in ont
NJ her paroxysms of rage, and
n control his own feelings.
.T wanted to finish some work" h
said, calmly. looking at the moor lit