The Monticellonian., 1898-10-28
KNEW George Arb thnot pretty
By Florence E. Smith.

' KNEW George Arb thnot pretty
 well for two years-eyer since he had been married, in faet-and con sidered him rising fellow in the lit erary world. He had not done any thing very great, but his work was dis tinetly promising. and his name was gradually making itself known. Un- luckily, he had married the wrong woman.
 But my friend was not like some men-he did not whine and cry, he made the best of il. He did not go out and search for a twin soul" to whom he might eonfide his marital sutferings, though. Phoebus knows, he had enough to put up with. It was not bad temper. It was jealousy-bit- ter, mean. incessant jealousy-that gruaged him even his literary fame. Agatha Arbuthnot was one of those little, pale blue-eyed women, with a spitefut tongue and q narrow heart, who have ruined the career of many sensitive man. She hated to hear her husbands praises sounded in her ears.
 One afternoon Agatha was slanging Arhuthnot because some women who had happened to call the day before lad gdshed, and told her how fortu- nate she was to be the wife of such a rising genius. Her face was crimson with anger, and her voice was very shriH as she mimicked her callers.
 Dear Mrs. Arbuthnot! How proud you must be of your clever husband! Hes quite 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! 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. l 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 sensible thing possible He walked out of the dining-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 f of mysteries, and called the sym pathetic houSemaid to witness that George was perfect brute-it would serve him right if she ran away with some one clse.'
 Georges den wasn't much of a study merely smoke-begrimed den, furnished with a secondhand bureau, two CT three chairs, and some shelves of books. Agatha called if "George's sulking-room. but l knew Ii was the only haven of refuge Ar buthnot could find in his own house.
 "A man must dree his own weird. = Arbuthnot said as he sat down weari- ly at the bureau and looked nt the sheets of paRr that Uttered over his desk I'm not the only fool who's found marriage failure; and, after all. I've got a brain as we'll as d heart, I'll give myself mp 10 work. and waste no time in morbid self-pity. That's a form of cowardiee that leads to the cutting of ones throat; and if I've eX- hausted the possibilities of marriage, TT be hanged if I've exhausted the pos abilities of life
 He smiled grimiy. and taking from one of the pigeon holes notebook. laid ii on his desk and began 10 read its contents.
 From that day Arbuthnot pro- gressed swiftly through the book that was 10 make his name. This was 10 be bis masterpiece, wherein he would show his best of brain and heart; and as the weeks rolled on and the move neared it's end, Arhuthnot realized his work was good, and in that knowledge could afford to live, and did live, with out love and sympathy.
 In truth, be needed every support that work and philosophy could give B man. Agatha's conduct grew dailA more shrewish and violent. and her tongue less fastidious in its choice ot words.
 So you've taken to locking yourself upiH your sulking room, she cried one day, when Arbuthnot had perforct been compelled to answer her heavy banging on his study door. Its nic, thing when husband comes to locl himself up from his wife! I suppose my society's not good enough for sucf clever man as you"
 Arbuthuot saw that she was in one oi her paroxysms Of rage, and resolved 10 control his own feelings
 1 T wanted to finish some work, h. .aid calInlN lnokinn nt fhe dnnr Nt