Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1903-02-04
Her Husband's
Friend
By HARRY R. THOMPSON.

Webb was a man she had heard
much of-too much of-but never
to her positive knowledge had seen.
She had a faint idea Of his being
Jackson's college chum; that he trav-
eled a great deal, and was a person
of many OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
to Jackson. At any other time of
the year he was just such q mar as
would appeal to her, but this was
a season when no man save her hus-
band had any charms. In her minds
eye Webb was tall, handsome, ami
able and artificial, and for that rea-
son she was sure to dislike him, or
his presence. AS a matter of fact,
Webb was tall, handsome and ami
able, but hardly artificial. He was Sc
rious by turns, though polite and con-
siderate, and rather to her surprise,
when he first presented himself she
feared she would like him.
On the second day she was sure
Of IL.
But why she liked him she could
not explain satisfactorily to herself
when she partly attempted to do so.
Though by no means dull, he paraded
none Of the brilliant and seductive
qualities which Jackson had so often
assured her he possessed. On the
contrary, he sat mute, receptive, in
tensely pleased, before her chatty
eagerness to make him feel at home,
as well as silently responsive to
Jackson's frank and wordy hOspi-
tally.
He was the ideal Of a listener, so
much so, indeed, that before she
knew it she was playing to him.
To add to her surprise, she saw that
TO Webb it was all the most nat
ural thing In the world. He APP
peared to admire their pretty home
and to settle himself down in it like
who had discovered IN oasis. He
had the art Of making himself com
Portable without assuming license.
This is what 1 call living" he kept
repeating frankly and appreciatively,
turning his deep eyes feelingly over
their pretty place.
It pleased him, too, in the absence
of children, to get on familiar terms
with the dog and the cat and to play
with them at leisure. He did not
care for boating or amusements, and
jackson, who appeared to know him,
never urged him TO leave the place.
To Mrs. Jackson his personality was
q delightful puzzle, but secretly she
liked him. And the puzzle was rem
dered deeper when she overheard
them-Jackson and he-whispering
together one evening at the foot Of
the stairs.
"Does she suspect" Webb was in
quiring in an undertone.
Mrs. Jackson regretted she could
not hear her husbands reply. She
grew piqued and she showed IL.
Then seeing that Webb appeared
grieved without understanding, she
gradually relented, and when they
were alone she increased her friendi-
ness in the effort to gain his conf
dence and his tongue.
But her failure therein was almost
equal to her irritation at the appar-
emily complete understanding be
tween Webb and her husband. To
Jackson she pretended to be angry
at the long visit of the guest, and
demonstrated with him about it.
"But we can't ask him to CO."
urged Jackson. "Then there's no
need of taking Webb seriously-no
need at all, my dear. Just let him
have his own way, and he viii be the
better pleased"
One evening Jackson drove to town
for the purpose of sending an impor-
tant message to New York, leaving
Mrs. Jackson and Webb at cards.
After several games, they tired, and
then Webb asked her to play and
sing something. 1t was one of those
cool evenings that recur in early
summer, making a CRATE fire pleas
ant. When the song was finished,
they dreW chairs before the fire for
a chat.
"You may smoke, Frank" she said.
falling into her husbands familiar
way of addressing him, as she had
done on several occasions.
He expressed the gratitude that
was in his eyes and lit a cigar.
81 shall never get over this visit
he murmured, gratefully, then
paused for a half minute. "At least
once in every mans lifetime he is
able to appreciate that the greatest
blessing under the sun is the hospi.
tally of a home made beautiful with
his dearest friends. It is the perfect
host who gives without reserve. In
your home your guest is unarmed
of complaint"
He was in no sense a difident man
for he was not self-conscious. BIS
periods Of reserve were not consti.
tutional, but the result Of practiced
receptivity. Sitting there with his
hostess before the glowing CRATE FIRE
his silence melted, He began to talk
freely and intimately, in his serious
cadences, which as he proceeded fell
on her ear as most fascinating. De
veloped, his voice was rich and mu.