Middletown transcript., 1907-12-07
WHEN CELIA DECIDED
BY KEBLE HOWARD

~ . y t<e1@ ~ 49, ~ - -
another proposition. Suppose
you differed over the selection of
your house. Would that be .
big matter or a small Que I?
The weman always selects the
house, declared Celia.
Really !? I didn't know that.
/ thought that, as the man has
tolive in it, and also pays the
rent, he would naturally be al
lowed voice in the matter.
A voice-yes. But no man
would be such brute, I should
hope, as to make his wife live in
a house she didn't like.
And wouldn't a woman be
rather unkind who made her
husband live
Men, interrupted Celia, don't
take such violent dislikes to
houses as women do.
That depends on the tempera-
ment of the man. You can't lay
down hard and fast rules about
these things. I should say that
Austin, now, would find a certain
sort of house unbearable.
What sort of a house?
Well, I'm not sure. l.
There you are, you see. You're
talking rubbish. Austin will
like any house that I'm in. That
sounds conceited, but I don't
mean it that way. We're genu-
inely in love one with each other.
Therefore you would like any
house he was in.
Certainly, while he was actually
in it. But as he'll be out all day,
and I shall be at home all day, it
is obvious that, if we do happen to
differ about the selection of our
house, Ihave the right to decide.
Well, I sincerely hope the
contingency will not arise, as
they say.
| I'm sure it won't. Row a little
faster, please, or shall be late.
For dinner? Why, it's only
No, for Austin, stupid! / al
ways meet him at the station,
and his train gets down at five
minutes to six.
Oh
sculled so feverishly that we
made the landing stage in record
time. Celia, looking delightfully."-
cool aud pretty, tripped off to
meet her beloved. And I, float
ing dreamily downstream, won
dered whether any matter would
ever seem big enough to be
worthy Austin's decision.
saw nothing of the interest
ing young couple until the follow
ing Sunday. This did not astonish
me I could picture them wander
ing about Richmond arm in arm,
if not hand in hand, seeking the
ideal habitation Of their dreams.
I envied them the wanderings
less than the dreams.
1t chanced, after luncheon,
that ] took little stroll in the
direction Of Teddington lock.
The scene was all life and color.
Suddenly a pretty girl, lolling
gracefully on some cushion at
the end of a punt and looking
radiantly happy, waved me a gay
salute. It was Celia. But The
man punting was not Austin.
This was odd. Sunday, of
course, was their great day.
1
They lunched and supped at
each others homes, took tea up
the river, and were deliriously
happy for twelve long hours.
Yet here was Celia, beaming and
laughing, in the company of an
other man.
The thing was inexplicable.
| strolled on, turning it over and
over in my mind. Had they
quarreled There was no sug-
gestion of such catastrophe in
Celia's S manner. All women, one
is told despite some little exper.
ience of playhouse, ARE actresses
but could any girl of twenty
who had fallen out with the OBJ
ject of her serious affection con-.
ceal her grief so successfully ?
| was quite baf1ed.
/ Among the usual crowd at the
lock found Austin. He was
leaning over the rail, staring
moodily at the mass of craft in
the water. / think he resented
/ the presence of so many peonle
] when a young gentleman wished
to commit suicide.
| slapped him on the back.
This is contrary to my usual ems
tom. as the back slappinghabit is
as loathsome as the chewing Of
gum. But / knew that it would
| he good for Austin tn no annouod