The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1910-10-12

street with ner TWO elQeSL DOSS anu
invited them on the spot to buns and
milk in the nearest confectioner's.
1t had been a hot and dusty walk,
and the Flanelles accepted with alac-
rity, and as they sat there at their
handicapped table, Lise Standring
passed the window, her head droop-
ing a little to one side, her mouth
sulky and bored. her little tip-tilted
hat and beautifully arranged veil al
most hiding her eyes from them.
Young Mrs. Standring," Mrs.
Flaneile murmured over her cup OF
tea. Tea at every possible moment
was as necessary to her life in those
days as sentiment. Poor young
thing!"
"Why?" Tormentilia asked frank
ly. Every one was vaguely plying
Lise in those days, Yet no n ever
gave any definite reason except that
she had a temper.
"Such a hollow. empty life! A
mere butterfly existence, without the
butterfy's simple pleasures"
1T isn't any emptier than most
, peoples" Tormentilla said quickly.
/ She has heaps of friends
"Friends." Mrs. Flanelle shook
! her head. Friends don't fill ones
life"
Il suppose you mean that she'd be
happier if she had children. She has
her husband"
Mrs. Flanelle sighed and took an
eclair.
"Now," T~ormentilla said to herself,
"is your chance. Find out what this
awful tragedy is
Mrs. Flanelle was kind, if she
wasn't very wise. It did not occur
to her that she was talking to a girl
Of eighteen.
You see," she said, cit was a mar
riage of convenience. and that is al
ways such q mistake"
"Of course said Tormentilla,
much interested, "but sic adores him.
Any one can see that, and she doesn't
attempt to hide it."
Mrs. Flanelle drew down her veil
and put on her glove.
"'They were married" she said.
because his mother had once been
in love with her father, and you must
admit that that was an insufficient
reason for a lifelong tie
They needn't have done it unless
they liked, I SUPPOSE
Mrs. Flanelle sighed. =.
Money was involved" she said,
"in some intricate way. I have not
a commercial mind, and I will not at
tempt to explain. But rather than
face the poverty which was the only
alternative, they married. And then,
without a moments warning, the
blow fell. She, young, beautiful,
warm-hearted, and ignorant, fell in
love with her husband
st should think tat was rather a
good thing, shouldn't you?' Tormen-
tilla asked thoughtfully. do you
like your little boy to mix the cakes
on the counter when the girl isn't
looking, Mrs. Flanelle?c"
Leslie, darling, if you don't stop,
you shall be slapped when get home.
She has a terrible temper, YOU see,
and she demands so much Of him.
His one idea is to be left alone. He
only asks not to be worried. The
parlor-maid has often heard him say
he would give anything for a quiet
life. Men are so selfish. He is so
placid and plegmatic and-dormant,
YOU see. How can he understand or
be worthy of the highly strung, nerv-
Gus delicate creature he has won? A
beautiful, tropical, wild bird in cap
tivity, 1 compare her to in my inmost
heart. A delicate, bright-hued exotic
condemned to bloom in a cabbage
garden" Mrs. Flanelle sighed with
excess of sympathy.
81 don't quite see why" Tormen-
tilla said wonderiugly. Il don't think
they would be much happier if he
was highly strung and nervous, too,
do you? Ishould think it was rather
a good thing he was placid and easy
going
NO. He eyasre-ates her to the
point Of madness. She says she
would rather live with a turnip in a
bayfield,, than with a creature so
en~otionleSs and difficult to rouse.
The parlor-maid, who is my Janet's
dearest friend, has frequently heard
her make this remark. She often
does things on purpose to annoy him.
She has a passionate longing to make
him feel something. And she is en-
tremely attractive, YOU see, to Young
men. I should think she could be
attractive to anybody If she liked;
but she doesn't always like. And
when she does, it almost always an
noys her hus5and-ye,, somehow, not
enough. She can't make him jeal-
Gus. l feel sure she would stop quite
satisfied if she had once made him
thoroughly Jealous. She has been
trying to make him jealous Of young
Kenworthy, and az usual has only
succeeded in annoying him. He
thinks it such a pity that she should
trile with the affections Of any nice
youth, but only because he doesn't
like to see them blighted. Curiously
enough, he has a much higher opinion
of men than women, and he is de-
voted even to his brother, although
he naturally deplores his ~eXtraordin-