The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1900-01-18
JANICE"
A Wife's Second courtship.

Wife's Second courtship. 3
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Anice Vale and Lawrence Favorite
married each other as o part of their
social duty. They had grown up with
the expectation that they would be
married and contemplated that fact
without much interest for all the years
of their youth. When Anice came
home from school and was introduced
into society it was generally under
stood that she would be allowed only
one season of freedom.
Lawrence Favorite certainly would
not have claimed that his young wife
was absorbed in him. He had been
we'll enough pleased to marry her. He
knew the purity and dignity of her
life and could not help noting her
regal beauty, but his life, like hers,
had been mapped out for him to q
great extent.
He had not thought much about her
life. He had supposed, in lordly
but chivalrous fashion, that she sat in
the parlor eating bread and honey,
fguratively speaking, while he was
away at business, and that she
watched for his return, as was the
duty of wife, that she made herself
beautiful for his pleasure, and went
and came according to his desire.
An indisposition which kept Law
renee at home for a week revealed to
Z him the fact that his wife lived stir
ring life in which he had no part and
, the details of which she did not con-
fide to him. She was seldom at home.
She gave'oy the keeping Of their
great mansion to her corps Of servants.
and her directions to them were OF the
briefest
Visitors came who were closeted
with her-visitors of whom he had
never heard. She went out plainly
attired, was gone for hours, and re-
turned greatly wearied. Lawrence
Favorite was mysti6ed and trife
displeased. But for all that he began
to acquire q sort of respect for this
woman whom he had taken as a
matter of course. He tried to draw
her into conversation, but she gave
hin only polite nothings, as had been
her habit always.
ssYou are q reticent woman, my
dear" he said to her one evening as
the two sat together at dinner. She
looked mp and languidly smiled.
s.A confidential woman is always
annoying, don't you think so?" she
responded
She looked at him across their
dainty table-looked at him over the
yiolets, and was never more beautiful
with her cleaning satin gown and her
delicately tinted flesh. then at that
moment, but not line Of her face
s0ftened at his remark.
on spare me too much. In these
days that I have been at home ailing
it has occurred to me that I know
nothing about your life. I realize that
you and are strangers.
81 realized that long time ago.
That is why I have not confded in
YOU
s.But why did you marry me if you
considered me stranger?"
s.For the same reason that You
married me-because it was too much
trouble to protest; because it was
simpler to marry somebody than to
remain single aud have folks forever
worrying, and because whatever you
! did not know about me you knew
nothing Objectionable. In other words.
. we were married because we were too
supine to protest"
he sighed and looked longingly at
the exquisite woman opposite him.
ST suppose it is so," he admitted,
ssbut I much wish We had married
esch other for some better reason"
The next day he was able to go to
business, but he could not fix his
mind upon the letters to which he en-
deayored to give his attention and the
( details of his business continually
slipped from him. Harassed and too
irritable to remain at his desk he went
home. There was certain bride hold
Ing her postnuptial reception in the
neighborhood, and the carriages
thronged the avenues leading to the
{ house.
'.Anice will be there" he said to
himself. 'tAnd she will be more
beautiful than the fairest."
But as he assembled his steps he was
surprised to see his wife open the
door and stand on the threshold talk
ing with woman. In his wife's arms
was a little babe, and she bent and
kissed it twice before she placed it in
the arms of its mother.
'.Be sure and give the baby an air.
ing every day." she called as the
woman started away. "And the food
will be sent up tomorrow, and the lit
tie buggy will be there when you get
home. I'll expect you again a week
from today. Don't forget"
Lawrence had never heard her voice
sound so hearty and full of cheer. he
& could hardly believe this was the
woman who ordinarily employed a
sort of monotonous, musical intoning
when she spoke. Nor could he at
FIRST believe that those glowing eyes
were the calm and unresponsive ones
into which he had looked thousand
times, only to be bafled by their
opacity.
.sYou are not at the reception,
Anice."
'.As you see>" She endeavored tt
return at once to her ordinary tone,
but it was difficult. As the door
closed he held out his arms to her.
s.Anice!' he cried, "Anice, dear love,
do not change your voice for me! Dc
not drive the light out of your eyes
because have come! You ;givc your
life in ministry to others. Minister
also to me. Forgive me that I have
not understood. Neither of uo hat
understood. We havs been like chill
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