The Marble times and Crystal silver lance., 1900-12-14

them as conveniences. A man was
tuning the piano in the sitting-room
and the doctor got away from the din.
But at l o'clock luncheon all was or
derby, and his wife, in a perfumed
lawn. sat at the luncheon table. He
wanted to question her about her
drive; he could not become accus-
toned so quickly to seeing some one
in possession of his road horse and
cart without so mucn as by your
leave" But no explanation was Of
fered and at the last he lacked co1r-
age to make an inquiry
That afternoon, late, he came home
to find her in the garden, drinking
solitary cup of tea and reading La
vengro,' over which she was smiling
contentedly. He joined her and she
invited him casually to have some tea.
Tea in the garden seemed an idle
thing to so busy man, but he yielded,
and while he drank it she read him
the fight between the Flaming Tin
man and Lavengro, with lsopel look
ing on and rewarding the conqueror.
He was not addicted to fiction, but he
found himself delighted, in spite or
himself, with the whimsicality OF the
lines. He said as much.
"Fiction has its uses" replied his
wife, smilingly. IF one is living hard
enough to satisfy ones self entirely
fiction may be superliuous. But to
most persons fiction makes up for what
actual life offers" He regarded her
curiously from under his level broWS;
and she sat smiling, bearing his gaze
with a sort of bravado. That evening,
after dinner, coming in from the
stables, where he had been to see an
ailing horse, he looked in at the door
of the sitting-room and hardly knew
it for the familiar apartment. A sllgnt
fire mitigated the chill of the Septem-
ber evening; the piano STOOD open'
there were new magazines on little
table by the fire; and vases of flowers
and some gay new curtains. His wife,
engaged in cutting her magazines
seemed the picture of content. She
was making the most of material
things, evidently.
She looked up pleasantly.
Il suppose you are going to your
laboratory" she said. But l shall en-
Joy myself in a more frivolous fashion.
One is supposed to be quite secluded
for a month or two after one Is hrsf
married, but when | can, without Of
Tending the conventionalities, l shall
fp, lcin mr.
reading or whist"
That will be good" he said coldly,
and went on. The truth is, he would
have come into the sitting-room if he
had been invited. He reflected that
perhaps he ought to provide some
amusement for her and he decided that
he would do it. But when he spoke of
something of the sort at breakfast the
next morning she thanked him, but
said she had all of her day laid out.
She was to drive Jim Huddleston out
to the woods-he was a little patient
of the doctor, afflicted with hip dis
ease. She wanted to see the woods
herself, she said, and expected to live
in them half the time through Septem-
Der and October In the afternoon she
was to take tea with the Nortons, who
had sent a 1ote asking her. And she
was to see a woman about studying
French that year, and now the piano
was tuned she had a notion to prac
tice two hours a day. The doctor saw
himself superfluous and felt relieved.
t1n A,, tha
woman within his walls grew more
charming, more independent and pop
ular; as he saw her beloved by her
servants and neighbors, Thoughtful and
kind to all who needed her sympathy,
he could hardly recognize her for the
timid girl he had married. Certainly
her aunt had difficulty in knowing her
for the obedient, low-sprited girl she
had known. She got up some charity
concerts, gave an autumn garden par
ty, series of quiet and delightful teas
and she studied and read and walked
and rode all with the air of being the
most self-sufficient of persons. 1t was
evident to every one that she was the
most interesting parsonage in the viii
lage.
One night, when the chill of winter
had actually set in, her husband ,smok-
ing in his library, heard the sound of
her piano in the wild 'Erlking" The
passion and power of it moved him in
a way he was not pleased to be moved.
The intellectual thrill he approved Of
the emotional thrill met with his con-
demnation. Yet now he felt himself
a prey to it. He was engaged on
paper which he had been invited to
write for a certain exclusive medical
journal, but he found his ideas OBJ
stinate, and he put down his pipe and
pen at last, laid aside his study gown
for his coat. and made his way to the
sitting-room. His wife was still play
ing; the soft light fell about her from