Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-09

tensity as the days went by, "the way that man
is tFiling with her She hasn't the least idea he
is married. ] know she hasn't, from the way
she talks to him. Someone ought to tell her
about it."
! Ten years of marital experience have taught
me that my wife has courage of conviction Dor
dering on audacity. / trembled apprehensively
concerning conception of duty that might force
me into the necessity of defending her from
Heinmineway's natural resentment. -..sfa,
"For Heavens sake, Mabel" expostulated
Whose business is it but theirs? She is probably
thoroughly capable of taking care Of herself She
wasn't born yesterday Remember, she's a
widow"
"That's nothing to do with it," she, would re-
ply, irately. "She may be a dozen widows, but
she's the dearest and most ingenious little
creature l ever saw. If you could only hear her
talk to him about herself and her dead husband
It's the most naive thing 1 ever heard, She
asks that brute such questions and he answers
them to suit his own ends-the scoundrel!"
"Such as?'-I would inquire, for l was. not
free from curiosity in the matter myself. Il
ooh! as to whether woman married to an old
man should feel herself to blame if she became
aware that she was growing interested in anpth-
er man within year of her husbands death?"
"And what does Hemingway say to that"
"He looks as if be could eat her up, and as
sures her that such an event is perfectly natural
and usti6able. And then she asks if he consid-
ers it unbecoming for widow to think of mar
rying again before the conventional term of her
mourning is expired"
"And he says #F
.'He says see where his horrid guile comes inl
certainly; that widow, although she may not be
blamed for falling in love within her period Of
mourning should not dream of changing her CON
dition until she has paid the customary tribute
to her husbands memory. You see, he can't mar
ny her himself, and so he wants to keep her
from the thought of marriage, but not from the
thought c. love- OH call il atrocious in him -
l must confess that likewise thought the fel-
lows conduct inexcusabe from the ethical stand
point, though in my secret heart / could not
blame any man for pressing to the furthest extent
such an opportunity might be accorded him
by woman like that
And poor Hemmingway, for all his money
wasn't to be envied in his relations He had had
to pay price for his enormous wealth, as every
one knew. Mrs. Beach Hemmingway had repu-
tation for being "as erusty and shrewd as So
crates Xantippe, and as jealous as a female
Othello' Still, agree that Hemmngway ought
to have started fair with the sweet little woman,
and that he was playing her rather mean trick
in not telling her that he already the prop
erty of another. y
The days went on, and the affair waxed hotter
and hotter. have seen many men in love, but
| have never seen any so completely enamored as
Hemingway. The word is somewhat old-fash-
oned one, but j can think of no other that SO
ftF expresses his condition. II
She was scarcely ever visible without him, as
her shadow, and in the eight days which made
up the term of the voyage so unmistakable and
unhappy change came over the man that even
my wife, who bubbled and boiled with virtuous
Indignation against him from morning till might,
was moved to a sort of angry and grudging COM
passion for him.
.T do think,' she observed, appraising his ap-