St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-07-20

can read to her. "
But George did not answer.
The next day and for many days after
George was an intensely unhappy man.
His wife was charming. Always polite
and loving to him, but she no longer
demonstrated with him for his firta-
tions with the charming little widow
in fact, she rather encouraged it than
otherwise. But he had the uncomfort-
able consciousness that while he was
flirting with Mrs Winn Doris was out
with Captain Beaumont.
Then he began to compare his wife
with the little widow, and he began to
see how much sweeter and more charm
ing Doris was. He got bad tempered,
and she was always good tempered and
affectionate with him, but he could not
help seeing and feeling that she was
quite as happy with Captain Beaumont
as he was in his company.
"Where are you going to?" he said
one day when he saw her trim and
smart in tailor made gown.
"We are going for a walk to Bos-
combe"
"We? Who are 'we?'" he queried.
Captain Beaumont and l..
Captain Beaumont and you?" he
echoed in a sudden fury. 1T is always
Captain Beaumont-either walking or
riding with you.
My DEAR" she replied calmly, "you
are not SO silly as to be jealous, are you?
Jealousy is ii thing could never I'M
derstand. Of all things abhor it is
jealous man. should never think Of
you for one being jealous of Captain
Beaumont. Look how much older he is
than am"
II do not care a pin," said George,
eff he is older or younger. l know you
are my wife, and it is my place to take
you out for rides and drives and to bring
you flowers, and am not going to al
low single man to be hanging after
you always and to have every one in
the hotel speaking about it. You go out
driving with him, he takes you to the
theater, gives you flowers, and you al
low him to pay you any amount of at
tention."
"My DEAR" said Doris, "you are
really exciting yourself. am sure you
are far too much of man of the world
to be jealous. Besides, you take Mrs.
VIM for drives and you give her flow
ers. You hang about and have all the
people in the hotel speaking about it,
and when ! receive attentions why
should you worry about it?'
Because / love you, Doris" said
George affectionately. because you
are my wife. do not care hang fol
that little fool of a widow--a little
empty headed doll. flirted with her
well-because never could help max.
ing an idiot of myself for some silly
woman. You know love you and an
not going to have you spoken about ant
talked about like that little fool If yor
want to 60 to the theater, will taxi
you, and if you want flowers can bu,
them for you; if you want any one t,
ride with you, l will give you my SO
ciety-and, Doris, love you-and upoI
my soul you will drive me mad alto
gether if you do not leave off flirting.
"Oh, you old goose!" cried Doris
when she had recovered from her fit o
laughter. but you are so like man
/, forsooth, must not be jealous of you
but, oh, let me flirt with another mar
and you are jealous of me. You can giv'
a widow baskets of flowers, but let {
poor man give me even spray and
oh, what to do! George, darling, 70,
are silly goose! You are very hand
some but you have not grain of sens
in your silly head. We have only beer
having lark with you. Why, Captain
Beaumont is engaged to be married tt
my cousin Alice, privately. and l mus
confess that l asked him to flirt witt
me just to prove to you that what il
sauce for the goose is also sauce for tn,
gander-and you seemed SO fond of Mrs
VIM"
Nonsense, said George viciously
~ hate her. ;"
"And you paid her so much atten
tion," continued Doris maliciously.
"She told me yesterday that she wa
going to be married to man out in In
dia," interpolated George
"And you said that you would neve
be guilty of jealousy
81 was an ass, said George.
And then he took Doris in his arm
and kissed and Rugged her.
upon my SOUL" he said in few
moments, Il won't do it any more
The game is not worth the candle
Don't you fiirt, and l won't"
"Flirt!" quoth Doris, with her gold
en- head up to his shoulder. 81 shoult
never think of such thing, for | low,
you, George-love you with ali m.
heart. But you kno " love only feed
and thrives Oh love, and you cannot keel
anything alive unless you nourish it. "
81 have been an ass" said Georg'
repentantly.
When he met Captain Beaumont il
the smoking room afterward, he looked
at him rather sheepishly, and then h,
held out his hand and said, "Well, ole
fellow, | know all about it,
Poor little girl" said the gallan
captain. "It was very plucky of her, bu
could not have kept up much longe
the hirtations with her, because Alic'
and | are going to be married in sil