The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1910-10-25
fofo ooToTo T6TooTo 1910 g &
By Dorothea Deaki1,

found her opportunity. Tormentilla
met her one morning in the High
street with her two eldest boys and
invited them on the spot to buns and
milk in the nearest confectioner's
1t had been hot and dusty walk,
ana the FlaneIles accepted with alac-
rity, and as they sat there at their
handicapped table, Lfse 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.
Flanelle 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!"
.sWhy?" Tormentilla asked frank
Iy. Every one was vaguely plying
Lise in those days, yet no one ever
gave any definite reason except that
she had a temper.
"Such a hollow, empty life! a
mere butterfly existence, without the
butterfly's simple pleasures.
cit isn't any emptier than most
peoples" Tormentilla said quickly.
''She has heaps of friends"
''Friends!" Mrs. Flanelle shook
her head. Friends don't fiji 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" Tormentilla said to herself,
"is your chance. Find out what this
awful tragedy is"
Mrs. Flanelle was kind. il sshe
wasn't very wise. 1t did not occur
to her that she was talking to a girl
of eighteen.
"You see," she said, at was mar
riage of convenience, and that is al
ways such a mistake"
"Of course" said Tormentilla.
much interested, f'but she 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.
'fThey 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 lifelong tie
''They needn't have done it unless
they liked, I suppose?"
Mrs. FIanelle sighed.
Money was involved" she said,
Elm some intricate way. I have not
commercial mind, and 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"
ri should think that was rather a
good thing, shouldn't you?" Tormen-
tilIa asked thoughtfulIy. 'tDo you
like your little boy to mix the cakes
on the counter when the girl isn't
looking, Mrs. Flanelle?"
Leslie, darling. il you don't stop,
you shall be slapped when get home.
She has 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, l compare her to in my Utmost
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 wonderingly. Il don't think
they would be much happier il he
was highly strung and nervous, too.
do you? Ishould think it was rather
a good thing he was placid and easy
going"
mo. He exasperates her to- the
point of madness. She says she
would rather live with turnip in a
bayfield,, than with creature so
emotionless 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 ex-
tremely attractive. you see, to young
men. / should think she could be
attractive to anybody If she liked;
but she doesn't always like. And
when she does, 1t almost always an
noys her husband yet, somehow, not
enough. She can't make him jeal-
Gus. 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 as usual has only
succeeded in annoying him. He
thinks it such a pity that she should
triHe with the affections of any nice
youth, but only because he doesn't
like to see them blighted. Curiously
enough, he has much higher opinion
OF men than women, and he is de-
voted even to his brother, although
he naturally deplores his extraordin-
airy opinions.
a see,' said Tormentilla slowly