Arizona republican., 1912-07-14

necessary to be present, she lost all patience with him.
 Fletcher what am l to understand anywhere with me? Do you intend
 to shut yourself in the house like a hermit, and compel me to stay here with you, in order to avoid talk. un-
 til we lose every friend we have?'
 Come. Vivian, aren't you a little unreasonable? I go out with you two or three times every week, often when I'm so tired that nearly go to sleep at dinner; we have people here at least two or more evenings-really I see very little of you. dear. It isn't so much of a hermit life after all, is it?"
 Well. you know what I mean? If one refuses invitation after invitation. people get tired of sending them. If we expect to keep our place in society, we must go out and be seen-we must entertain in our own house, or else we are very soon dropped-and pray then, where are we?'
 My dear wife. we are under obli- cations to no one,. socially To tell the truth. I only care to see people whom I like and respect. and after this I don't propose to make slave of myself a whole evening by attend ing social function simply because the hostess invites us to pay off a similar festivity at which she was our guest. Now this reception for in- stance. I've met these people twice ten to one they can't recall my name when I shake hands with them. I only see them | moment. and then stand around the rest of the evening perhaps exchanging word or two with fellow unfortunates-until Pm tired enough to drop. It isn't worth
 it. Vivian. I'm sorry to displease you.
 but I won't go.'
 Vivian did go. accompanied by two married friends. On several other oc- casions she went in the same manner
 To her, reared in an atmosphere in
 which ones duty to ones set and so- ciety at large. had been a prominent feature in her education Fletchers conduct seemed ineXcuSable. Always accustomed U being amused. she had little resource in the line of self amusement and the idea of solitary evenings at home with Fletcher seemed dull to her. However, in or der to be quite fair toward him. she said, she actually did try the experi- ment once, of spending an evening a la Maison. For an hour during which scarcely word was spoken she worked nervOusly at bit of fancy work, while he smoked his cigar over the evening paper at the opposite size of the table. Then with a sigh of comfort. he ljokt q ever at her affec- tionately. and said .Eh. Vivian this | is something like hc,1e: you don't know how much I'm enjoying this be- ! ing at home by ourselves"
 Yes. that's all very nice to sit read l ing your old paper without even look | ing at me once--nice for you, but where do I come in?''
 | Why, dear, your very presence is a companionship to me. even if we don't 1 say a word I must go over the stock 1 quotations so as to be ready for to-
 morrow's business, but with every
 word I read I'm conscious of your be- l ing here I won't read so long next
 time. Do you know. l was thinking
 how nice it would be to study some ! language, or read aloud to each Other?"
 | oil. lclCIlei- lidl illlSDI uO OIlGc l in a while. but we really haven't time 1 for that sort of thing. Just a min
 ute, was that the bell? Only one of
 your horrid telegrams. I hoped it might be callers. It's dreadfully stu pid to bore each other here alone 1 Why don't you care to see people any 1 more? Goodness knows you went out 1 enough before We were married. You | danced a great deal. too, and you do
 dance beautifully. dear You used to i sing nicely. and-pay cards f "Of course, l went out Vivian, but I chiefly for the sake of meeting you Dance? Yes; I'm fond of it yet-on a floor like the Conservatorys or the Idining- room of summer hotel; but not in a crowded, badly ventilated parlOr, where one can't move without tearing some lady's gown. Sing? My | dear. nothing would please me better than to get out my old guitar and go over a few old favortes for your ben 1 eft when we are by ourselves. Play cards? Why, a good rubber of whist with you and a friend or two who know the game-with. perhaps, small 4 bottle and cold lunch afterward-is 1 simply delightful, but these progress ! sive card parties where one plays for l two minutes with one good partner I and then with some well meaning | young person who knows absolutely | nothing about the rules, and comes to I flirt-no, thank yOu!'
 1 These trivial disputes between Brighton and his wife assumed larger proportions as time went by He was invariably kind and courteous to her; but upon some points where her views did not coincide with his. he was as 1 obstinate as a mule. She. on her part l tried not to disagree with him. but their standpoints in the way of look ing at life were entirely different, and it was the realization of this fact | that filled her with a sense of having been imposed upon.
 I Unfortunately. she had--like many another honest, well meaning wfe-a
 bosom friend who consistently magni- fled her husbands faults, and gave her plenty advice as to mot being die