The Winslow mail., 1911-07-08
- Or |EM] M]ES7@E
Gerdldine'S Husband
BY ANTOINETTE PATTERSON
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary press1

ociated Literary Press)
At least SO Wilfrid Markham de-
clared. He had been placed at the
Flgnt or the hostess. who had been
most graciously interested in every
thing he said. and so appreciative of
the sense Of humor on which he had
always prided himself and which
somehow Geraldine usually failed to
see
Several times on the way home he
had again remarked to Geraldine
what fool Harry Paysan must have
been. AS for Geraldine, the dinner
had seemed to her rather a stupid
affair; she hoped the others for
which they were engaged would
prove more interesting
Two days after Mrs. Paysan's din
ner Geraldine was called up on the
phone by that lady herself.
Geraldine, you won't think me
very outrageous, will you, dear, when
l say | want to borrow your husband
for the opera tonight I've just been
sent two tickets, and Mr.. Markham
told me he adored music. He's such
dear! Now, Geraldine. don't say
he has an engagement"
"1'll ask him." said Geraldine
Mr.. Markham looked up briskly so
soon as his wife mentioned Mrs. Pay
sans name. How kind of her." he
exclaimed. wait, I'll talk to her
myself"
And Geraldine heard a most en-
thusiastic acceptance going over the
wire.
That night Mrs. Markham sat up
reading until her husband came home.
which was not until very late, as Mrs.
Paysan had persuaded him to return
to her apartments for little supper.
Markham reproached his wife for
waiting up for him, and then went
into raptures over the music, and
never in his life had he met any one
to whom music spoke so sympatheti-
cally as to Hortense Paysan.
Geraldine disguised the chagrin she
certainly felt, and replied rather
Imply she was glad he had enjoyed
his evening so much
At the other entertainments of this
notable week Geraldine saw with
ever-increasing alarm that her hus-
band was taking" immensely. She
felt that never before had she fully
realized. much less appreciated. his
real charm. When he had reserved
all of it just for her it had seemed
nnY hox wiz
but now that it was being bid for in
every direction she wanted it all back
again Whatever had possessed her,
when, like some great faithful dog,
he had been more than content and
happy to rest quietly by his own fire.
side, to poke him up?
Geraldine had plenty of attention
herself in the meantime, but it was
poor compensation having a man she
didn't care for talk sentiment to her,
while the man she did care for was
apparently saying the same thing to
another woman
By the end of the week Geraldine
Markham looked quite thin and pale,
but her husbands enthusiasm seemed
undiminished. He kept urging the
acceptance of every invitation that
came their way, until finally Gera[
dine herself struck.
I'm not going out any more" she
said. I'm tired and sick of 1t all.
I'm thinking of going into a convent.
When 1 married you looked forward
to a peaceful. happy home-life, never
for a moment thinking you would
turn out to be man whose one and
only thought was society,""
Society be hanged" Markham ex-
claimed with unwonted vehemence.
Then he added, feeling the time had
now come, 1--we been leading in a
mild-a very midway the life of
the average man about town. never
thought l should really like it, and l
didn't just SO soon as the novelty
wore Off l wanted to be sure you
had had enough of it,
II have had," said Geraldine grim
ly, quite enough"
A smile the old smile that Geral-
dine loved, came back to Wilfrid
Markham's face. Then may l go
back to my books, Gerry?"
For answer Geraldine lighted the
lamp and took up .one of her hus-
bands favorite volumes.
1--WE caught up to your mark" she
said, so we'll start from there" But
first she put both her arms around
her husbands neck and kissed him.
And you really don't care for Hor-
tense Paysan?"
Harry Paysan wasn't the least bit
of fool, after ALL"