The record-union., 1898-10-10

visits at the Oxfords' house, even stay
irg for dinner sometimes in an i'm
promptu fashion that left his wife watt
ing for him an hour in vain before she
dared to sit down at the spoiled meal
at home.
But these absences were never OBJ
jected to; and if Clara suffered on ac-
count Of them she never reproached her
husband. On the contrary, she encour-
aged his friendship with Miss Oxford
and resolutely struggled against any
feeling of jealousy, trusting implicitly
in his honor.
Jack was careful not to repeat the
blunder that had once led to an un-
pleasant scene, but he often talked
about the great resemblance of Miss
Oxford and Clara.
1T IS delightful" he would say to
the latter, after one of the expeditions
that took him home long after business
hours were over-'it is delightful to
hear different thoughts and different
expressions coming out of pretty lips
just like yours
Then perhaps, he kissed his wife in
gallant fashion that was quite new
to him; and innocent Clara blushed
with pleasure. and never wondered
whether the other lips We're sometimes
requisitiOned to remind him of her
kisses also.
Meanwhile Clara's health was rap
idly giving way Her cough grew more
troublesome than ever, and eXasperated
Jack. who wasl a light sleeper, SO much
that he had the bed made in the spare
room on the floor above. and slept there
instead of with his wife. Clara said
nothing to- this arrangement, as She al
ways studied her husbands comfort,
but she often wept silently to herself
during her lonely wakeful nights.
She now saw very little of Jack as
he was not only away during business
hours, but spent most of his spare time
at the Oxfords. 1t interested him, he
said, to watch the development of a
nature that should, by all physiological
appearances, be akin to her own; and
he persuaded her that the growing in
timacy between Nab Che now called
Miss oxford by her Christian name)
and himself was a kind of beautiful
reflection-on strictly platonic lines-of
their own love.
And the poor little woman swallowed
tude for this double manifestation Of
her husbands devotion.
One day the doctor broke the news
to Mrs. Aston that the condition of
her health gave cause for great anx-
iety, and he advised her to consult
with a specialist on diseases of the
lungs without delay Jack, on talking
il over afterwards, said that all physi-
clans We're fools, and the biggest fool
charged the biggest price to make up
for other deficiencies. However, al
though he was inclined to pooh pooh
the whole affair, he consented to his
Wife seeing a specialist, and con-
sultation was accordingly arranged.
Clara, who was terribly afraid of
stethoscopes and tapping, would have
liked Jack to accompany her to the
eminent physicians house. But on the
morning Of the appointment he came
down stairs with a ready packed trav-
cling bag. and announced that If cer-
tain letter We're waiting for him at the
office he would be obliged to undertake
a journey on business and could not
return before the following day.
If it had not been on account of
urgent business, Clara would have
though her husbands absence at this
critical juncture very unkind. For the
specialist would pronounce on her that
afternoon, sentence of life or death.
But the journey. if undertaken. was
clearly unavoidable. and she could only
reproach Fate for having chosen that
day of all others to separate them.