The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1899-09-22
BETWEEN HUSBAND AND WIFE

M|HttN HUSBAND ANU Wilt
Have you heard about the Somer
villes?' inquired Charlie Maurice on,
morning at breakfast
NO. dear. What is it?' replied tn,
charming little woman who presided owe
| the matutinal coffee pot.
They're going to separate"
You don't mean it, exclaimed Mrs
Maurice. "Oh, I'm so sorry.''
1T isn't generally known yet, but TIN
matter is in the hands of the solicitors.
Il wonder what it is unused Mrs
Maurice. Il wish we could help them
Charlie"
Help them, dear! How?''
why, make them friends again ant
prevent this separation
well, my dear, whatever it is, don
see how we can put things right
Il don't know l am not so sure OF
that. | shall call in and see Agatha thi:
all about it, and then l can make up my
nllnu what to do
please yourself, you blessed lttls
peacemiker. Ii anyone can straishte!
out the tangled skein, | expect you re- thu
one. But after all is said and done, thai
sort CT thing is always an ungratefu
job"
1t was nearly 5 o'clock when Mrs
Maurice called on her friend, whom SHE
found reclining on Il couch, attired in &
loose tea gown and looking tired and i'll
"Oh, yes, dear, it's quite true, replied
her hostess in response to Clare's ques
tlon; And | hope to be free by the enc
But-er-er-wh is in the wrong? Who
is doing it?''
1--WE are both doing it, dear, and no.
Nobody in the wrong? What do you
mean2'
Il mean what I say, my dear Clare, -
answered Agatha, with the same listless
manner and in the same emotionless tone
or voice Percy is a most excellent
man-he never makes love to anyone else
ne never gets tipsy, nor does he use bad
language or knock me about"
Then why are You parting?' asked
Clare
Simply because we are uttar'y weary
Of one another.
And what dors Percy think ON the
subiert::',
made il mistake and that it is only fair
to me-to us, l mean-that as far as is
possible the wrong should be righted.''
Are You sure YOU are not keeping
some thing back?' inquired Glare, suspi.
clously. Il am a married woman, re,
member, so l know what men are. and
even the best Of them sometimes
My dear Clare interrupted her
friend, Il can assure you that there is
nothing beyond what / have told you
AS far as Percy is concerned, | can give
HIM the best OF characters; in fact, he
would do for ii Sunday-schOol teacher
we have never had cross word since
we have been married. and I have had
my own way in everything. l really
den think that he possesses a single
fault, except that he tires me to death. v
I see. [ think | begin to understand
your feelings, remarked Clare, slowly
as r":- light commenced to break in
rpon h,'t. 1T must be terribly trying [,
amy woman to be tied to Il man of that
sort, if h" is everything that he pretcnd>
to be-
"Ihcrc is no prctcrsc about it, dear, y
replied Agatha. with Il sad smile. III
yru doubt my word, you need only ask
the bishop of Fulham. or his mother and
sisters; they all know how good he is"
Soon after this Glare took her depart.
urc and made her way home, and that
evening after dinner, as soon as the sery.
ants had left the room, Glare COM
menced:
I've found out all about it, Charlie,
and you have got to help me-
AL about what, dear?''
NV by. the misunderstanding between
Agatha and Percy, Of course. How stu
pid you are.
"Oh, yes. OF course. I had forgotten. y
Il called on Agatha this AFTERNOON and
bad =, long talk" continued Mrs. Mau.
rice, and what do you think is the rea.
son they are Separatingy'
i haven't the slightest idea, nv child,
unless she has placed her affections else,
Nothing of the kind. Charlie. and YOU
ought to be ashamed of yourself for sug.
gestlng SUCH thing, No. The fact is
that she is simply dying of ennui be.
cause Of Percy's sweet good nature
Well, he's bit namby-pamby. Ger.
talnly: but l don't see why that sho,,ld-'
"Oh. of course not! You men never do
sec anything, unless it is dragged right
before yonr eyes. Can not you under.
stand that Agatha belonged to jolly,
Eo-abcad family
.:M-ycs. They were y bit fast, certain.
And now she has no single exc;+e.
ment in her life," continued Clare, VIII.
out noticing the interruption. percy
gives her her own way in eyerythinc
never, contradicts her, never gives hel
inc pleasure Of an argument, or the do.
light of quarrel and makeup. vet oil
the time the bishop and his sisters and
his cousins and his aunts are rubbing if
IN how good he is, and what a lucky
woman she ought to consider herself.'
by Jovc, Glare! l never thought Of
that: What clever little woman YOU
are said Charlie, admiringly. "Stili.
don't quite see how we can put things
right"
Il think we can, if you like to help
,"oh, III help, of course. What shall
| have to do?"
The golden, haired diplomatist then
proceeded to give her lord and master a
few general hints on his mode Of pro.
cedure, which, it was arranged, he should
carry out the following afternoon.
On arriving at the club he found Per
cy endeavoring to stihe his yawns he.
hind the Churchman'S Gazette, and hav.
ing persuaded him to join him in lemon
SQUASH ne lighted a cigar, observing cas-.
ually as he did so: by the by, old man,
other day, when l was trying to induce
you to make friends with Agatha, for
from what | have since heard it seems to
me you are doing the only possible thing
in the circumstances, and | only wonder
you have not done it before
"Oh, indeed said Percy, with a pc
culiar information in his voice and look
in his eyes that showed there was fire
enough Within. if it was only reused.
And may | inquire what you have
heard respecting Agatha p
"Oh, only what everyone is talking
about" replied Garlic, carelessiy. ''By
the way, old man, while you are about it,