The Washington herald., 1914-12-06
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the uniform the same Lieut.. Whats-his-
name that was honeying around Mrs.
Neff?"
Persis was in too fierce a mood to con-
tinue that nonsense. She turned on VIII
lie as a she-wolf turns on a terrier at
her heels:
''oh, Lord! Can't escape you for
moment2 Do go somewhere and smoke
something. Or IL the worst comes to
the worst, drink something; but don't
stand there making green eyes at me like
an ape"
Green eyes like an ape!" he echoed.
stupidly. We'll, I'll be" Then an
unusual vigor of wrath stirred him.
Look here, Persis. I won't have you
make fun of me. I'd rather have you
hate me than make a fool Of me. won't
be laughed at-I won't"
Persis groaned with repugnance: "oh,
you've ceased to be a laughing matter to
me, Willie"
Willie was about to reply in kind. but
he gave her a long look and, seeing how
beautiful she was, grew more tender
Everything seems to have ceased to
be a laughing matter to you. Persis
What has come over you? BEFORE we
were married you were always laughing
at everything, everybody. But from
the time we were married you quit laugh
ing. Hang il all. I married you to cheer
me up bit What in heavens name has
changed you?'
Before this weakness she relented lit |
tie. "Oh, nothing has changed me- Don
worry about me. I'm just trifie bored
wiS life life" ,.o,,.ro +u,t tired ~ me-"
he MISUNDERSTANDING me. I must be
a nuisance TO you. Lord knows I am to
myself"
She looked at him with suddenly gen
tier eyes. In contemning himself he was
commencing himself The best approach
to a human tribunal, as to divine, is |
humble and a contrite heart. She put
out her hand to him, but he did not see
il: he set of TO find some one to lead
him to a Scotch highbalL And Persis,
now that she was rid of him, was free
to glide forward to the marble bench,
where she could see Forbes half con-
cealed in a grotto of shadow and mood
OF gloom.
The thought of what she was about to
do gave her pause She realized the
atrocity of attempting to keep Forbes
in mind when she had taken such SOL
emn vows so publicly. She must be
kinder to Willie. She tried to dismiss
her conscience by telling herself that 1t
would be childish to run away from
Forbes. She caught sight Of Mrs. Men
lowering about with the recaptured
Alice She dreaded what Interpretation
Mrs Neff would put upon her appear
anCe in the environs Of Forbes. She re-
membered with what fierce criticism she
had always met the slightest indiscre-
tons of other married women.
Later she happened upon the surrep-
titious Stowe Webb. and learned that
Senator TAFT and Forbes were leaving
Paris in the morning to take the waters
somewhere-Vichy, Carlsbad, Marienbad,
or Matlock; he was not sure where.
She sent for Willie, and he came with
a slight elevation OF manner which
showed that he had found some one to
arrange him at least one Scotch-and-
soda.
He was demonstrative in the car and
very affectionate in the elevator at the
Hotel Meurice. where they were stop
ping. This did not endear him to Persis
His man exchanged a glance with her
maid as they peeled off their wraps.
When man and maid had been sent to
he'd Willie came shuffiing into Persis
dressing room where she sat staring at
her dolefuI beauty in the mirror. He saw
how listless she was, and was awkward
Iv eager to cheer her up. He could not
have depressed her more than by trying
to cheer her up.
He tried to shake of gloom as a wet
spaniel shakes of water.
"Oh. I say. Persis buck up, Don't
feel like this. You're so beautiful;
you're simply ripping tonight He laid
his hand on her bare arm. She started
at his touch and before she realized It
gasped. please don't paw me"
He stared a her. agh3st: do you
hate me as much as that?''
oh. I don't hate yOu. Willie It's my
self hate Persis cried. You mustn't J
mind me; I'm just . little blue and
lonely"
He laughed gruesomely. Bride and {
groom together on honeymoon. and both !
terribly lonely: Cad, I wonder II other I
married couples come to feel this way q
whom the honeymoon turns to green
cheese And do they just bluff # through? 7
II reminds me Of that chap in Hogarth's c
Marriage a Ia Mode. where the wife is t
yawninE and the husband is sunk back 2
in his chair in dismal stupor Only he b
was drunk-T think III get drunk n
He stumbled out to find his usual n
neponthe. When he came back her door a
was locked.
Persis sat in grim communion with her e
image for hours. She family heard her "
tapping on her door. and call il
ing through it at intervals in thicker and a
thicker speech. But it was like far s
off rumor from a street. She was in C
session with herself. "
She took her boudoir cap from her hair
and sat in the cascade Of II peeringl a
through from a cavern. and smoking a
always. She was smoking much too "
much. but she felt companionship in
tobacco. As she held the cap in her n
hand she thought Of Forbes: and the re- II
nembrance was so Joyous that she il
vowed to brave the world to get back to p
aim. II
Then she pictured how he would look W
it her when he understood She imag- W
ned him starting back from her as from
something abhorrent She threw a Gig ST
arette stub at her face in the mirror and al
yasped: "Pagh," She could endure any al
hing better than such cheapening Of IN
herself in Forbes eyes And after a al
while she began to think of her self-re- 10
;DeCt. She had only herself She must Fl,
Scen that self precious. ft
Worn out at last with her silent war.
he bent her head on her crossed hands 81
md fell asleep among the fripperies of OF
Ter dressing-table.
Hours later she woke in broad daylight la
nd crept to bed with tingling arms and ca
ching forehead. She did not wake II,
gain till noon. Nichette had tiptSed
bout her like a sentinel and had kept hi
Willie at a distance. He discharged herI az
dozen times. but she simply shrugged be
nd shifted and answered him in French sIi
90 rapid for him to follow or repIy to re