The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-06-16


RVS home, listening to the voice of
| Harry's wife as 1t came to him from
an adjoining room: On, Harry, you are
such comfort. T wonder IL a man
ever realizes what ii means to a wo-
man to be able to talk out all her
| troubles to him and be laughed at for
her pains" Then he heard Harry laugh
"a tender little laugh--and decided to
postpone his call.
II wonder If Helen ever has trou-
bles or worries. or If she ever gets
blue?" And that evening he surprised
her with the demand
Tell me something about your work.
Helen"
my work.
Yes What are you working on
now?" .m
why, some essays; about as much
as anything"
All, they were humping against the
same old ice foe, but Jim determined
not to see it.
What sort of essays?' he persist
ed.
''why---er-ethical, principally"
How do you go about writing an
essay, Helen?"
why, 1 don't know. Pretty much
as anyone else does, l suppose" 4
There was a pause; then: 1
That's good work you've been do
ing on the Meridian" 4
Thank you"
Jim got up desperately. and began
looking around for his hat. He wished
with all his heart just then that IL
was not against The rule for her to
ask where he was going. it would
have been such satisfaction to his
soul to tell her he was going in search
of some one who wasn't a clam.
AS the weeks wore to months, Jim
failed to understand that he was as
angry as a hurt schoolboy over his re-
pulse. He fancied that mysterious
forces were at work within him-and
perhaps they were. That the deeper
instincts of his nature were awaken
ing and crying for companionship--a
cry to which his wife could not re-
spond. 1t was as though he had groD-
ed in the dark for the touch of a hu-
man hand and grasped the cold clay
of dethroned idol. He seemed to be
looking forward into long years of
| loneliness-the unutterable loneliness
of mismated soul; the conviction of
failure, of incompleteness grew upon
him. The story of his life spelled
| tragedy. He told himself bitterly that
while he dreamed of affinity he had
drfted upon affectation. And being
young and vigorous, he flung out saw
| agely against his fate. Other men
roamed at will in their wives's gar
dens; he might enter only when she
| chose to let down the bars To stand
waiting without-always. This was not
marriaga-this was not even common
companionship. 1t was not long before
discomfort ran up its evil seed. When
| tie becomes a farce, the sooner it is
broken the better"
So IT baDDared that tyIila
were still commenting admiringly up
on the beautiful success of the exper-
| iment, one of the experimenters was
| in his heart face to face with the
| thought of divorce and the other was
spending long hours with her head in
her hands. thinking thinking Why
had 1t failed? 1t had been carefully
planned and faithfully executed. 1t
| looked reasonable--it was reasonable.
| And yet-and yet there was not a
drudge In the street that did not get
more happiness. Il suppose happiness
Is not very reasonable sort of some
| thing" she murmured, wistfully, and
rose to stand before the fire.
While she stood there, twisting the
rings on her fingers, Jim came in. He
had resolved to tell her plainly what
he thought. That this death in life
was no longer endurable.
Helen" he began abruptly. do you
think we get as much out of matri-
mony as might be gotten?"
Helen smiled mirthlessly.
We don't seem to get very much"
| she admitted.
Jim started. He had forgotten-rath-
err 1t had never occurred to him that
she might also be-well, disappointed
She looked very fair standing there
in the freight, and-she was his wife,
All the manhood in him rallied at that
thought. Checked, embarrassed, he
took up the book she had been read
ing, and asked. awkwardly:
Shall l read aloud?'
IF you think you will enjoy Rus
! kim" She dropped into chair and
sunk her cheek against her knuckles.
Jim began to read mechanically. Ha
was playing for time, and he knew it.
If only there was some other way.
But there was none-he knew that
too. Without an idea of what he was
reading, he fell to marking time by
pages, one more page and yet one
more. then at last--to the bottom of
this one and no more His hands were
cold, his voice husky, but he was con-
scious of 1T. Conscious only of that
haunting question: why had it fail
| ed?" shIddenly the words he was read
ing rang like an answer to it In his
| ears: we are all sunk in the sin of
Ananias; we want to keep back part
Of the price" He paused and read them
again with swift comprehension: I'VE
want to keep back part of the price"
Helen" he said, in a low, eager
voice; "Helen?"
The hand that propped her cheek
had slipped to her temple, and he could
not see her face. He leaned forward
the hand that held the book dropped
between his knees, while his other hand
clenched hard on the arm of the chair
Helen" he repeated. Look at me-"
| She obeyed, and started up hurried
| ly to lean against the mantle.
oh, 1 know" she said, incoherently.
| Jim crossed the rug and took her
| into his arms with swift tenderness.
Tried to keep back part of the price,
dear" he whispered, kissing her with
| the slow, caressing kisses men keep
for women who are highly priced.
Think of it, dear, We dared to grudge
love his sweet monopoly"
Her surrender was the surrender of
a strong woman, instant and complete.
Il know" she said, again. "Oh, we
deserve death more than Ananias ever
did"
MY WIFE" he told her. gravely.
death itself is not more CHASTITY than
life as we have been trying to live it.
My wife,