Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1901-05-31

W y
friend"
Martha Dubreuil said this in tone
half railing and half testing.
Pierre raised his head without an
swering and twitched nervously the
page blackened by ink. 1t was the
twentieth time at least that his wife
had made such remarks, and what
was worse, he realized sorrowfully
that she spoke the truth.
Once he had written book OF which
he had been proud, a novel launched
timidly by a publisher who made him
pay the cost of publication. That was
an hour of ambitious dreams, long
since dissipated by the grim reality.
IL will amount to something in the
world" he had said resolutely. And
he believed il as did those who ad-
mired him-which is to say his mother,
his sister and some of his friends who
read the book. Martha, his wife, was
not one of these admirers. She told
him frankly again and again: You
will amount TO nothing"
He had no answer 10 make TO Mar
tha's sneers. and he suffered keenly in
recalling the lucky days when they
walked together as lovers along paths
bordered by flowers and they made
vows TO each other and kissed. You
will be a great man, my darling" she
had said then.
Pierre believed that he had been
faithless in not keeping his promise Of
greatness made four years before.
She had brought him her youth and
beauty, and he ought TO have given her
in exchange the literary fame she had
expected. and have earned fortune
for her by his pen. But now she had
abandoned those cherished dreams Of
reflected glory.
The poor fellow recalled the happy
days that had preceded their marriage,
and the delights of their companion
ship during their honeymoon. And he
answered to her taunt:
$50 much the worse. my dear. But
We love each other and that is enough.
He would not have cared for the plaud-
its of the crowd if he had had the love
Of Martha, But she broke into laugh
ter that froze his feeble smile.
"Oh. yes, indeed That's vel
enough. One can't live on love. Il is all
very Well 10 say SO i'm the novels YOU
write-or count ON writing but i'm rea.
life things are different"
When summer came they went to
'ic S'"SI''I'' ''I'' securing an SP-
pom '.'"' "S the I,''Il CORES l'""' emu
Oh " newspapers " men me- ,"'o ntr Una.
'ntA were -".i'-' S"e S"'C' m ~"
are "''e mus '''''.' a. Ter "''' Al' S'.e
sH'''e''' o', me S'l'''e was gwen "S III
"''.S'
40 we S'"s'"'e SHv "'S goo" '"e
os''e ~ 'He '"Sc. au' P''P'e ''' ~
aDou. ner nus"" ,'' the reporter VINO
rename IH 'He SHaoe' some men were
WIN Htr ""ch OF u. me ,line' aho gossip
!iiNeo ne! name " I'H 'Ii"' o' d "e"'.nl
io.eF. II'rIe ven req TO speak OF H.
H'' u she asked me man
muses. me WIN ms com PHmentS. You
Know lhaI am an honest woman.
but need amusement
DubreuiIs sutferingS were intense.
he thought OF that imbecue who
was ever al Martha's side bruised his
heart. lie wanted 10 strange him in
the crowded ballroom; and longed
for duel But the man was infld-
ential and Htterateur of reuown.
\ duel between them would have
been grotesque and useless.
The count deigned TO interest him
self "a little in Pierre.
Let us write a piece, my young
friend, said he, "and | will give YOU
recommendations. \ man has talent,
when ne has the sense TO win a wife
as pretty as yours
Yes, Pierre, why haven't YOU some