The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-07-09
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HER AUTHOR HUSBAND
BY CHARLES EUGENE BANKS.

|
In the dusk of the evening woman
sat at a piano, softly improvising.
Outside the katydids trilled an an
sWerlng refrain. The air was heavy
with the fragrance of roses that
clambered over the low walls of the
cottage.
The house, built of hewn logs, sat in
the center of wide stretch of lawn.
TO the right stood a grove of oak and
elm, poplar and naples. To the left
ran an apple orchard warm with the
blush OF early ripening fruit.
The woman at the piano rested her
hands on the keys and sat for a mo-
ment in silence, Then she rose and
going to door looking into room
at the back called softly, William"
Well" came deep response.
May | come in?"
Certainly, my dear You are al
ways welcome
He laid his pen aside and held out
his hand to her. What is it. little
sweetheart? Lonesome, Ell? Never
mind. ! shall be done with this work
very soon and then we will have q
long play SPELL"
Don't write any more tonight
dear" She trailed her fingers softly
through his tangled hair. ITS 80
beautiful out Of doors. Take nae for a
stroll under the trees"
i can't stop until the book is done.
The proofs are all here and l must
change this ending When the book
Is OFF for good, little one, we will
have a long vacation"
1T is always So she said, with q
disappointed sigh, and 1t will always
be- The book! The book! You care
more for any one Of those scrubbed
pages than you do for me-"
He glanced up at her with a half
smile, expecting to see a laughing de-
MAI OF her words In her eyes But
she turned away and went back to
the piano. Through the doorway he
watched her for moment and then
bent again to his work.
How different was this from the
married life she had dreamed of. She
was young, pretty, fond of friends,
pleasure, music. Before they were
married they had artists and littera-
tours for their associates and the hours
had been bright with wit, repartee and
song. Now they had been for months
in this secluded spot, with hardly an
old friend to pay them an occasional
visit. He must not be interrupted in
his work When the book was done
they would have time enough for en-
Joyment In his absorption he did not
miss the society of friends but she
had not this needed concentration 10
fill her hours. Her heart cried ont
for sympathy and love, for the touch
of nature that makes comrades of two
souls, for that answer to the animated
heartbeats of a conscious being with
out which life is as dry well in a
desert She had looked forward with
delight to the time when she should
be her husbands confidant when the
people of his creation should be her
people, known to her almost as soon
as 10 him, so that she should have a
sort OF partnership In them, and some.
thing to do with giving them to the
world, She had planned to be his
helpmeet, his inspiration. She had
seen herself suggesting a lesser char.
acter for a tale, adding a word or a
phrase, contributing a witticism. Rnt
into that world she had found no en-.
trance. 1t was kingdom with but
room for one, and she was farther
away from it now than when thew
were married IL months ago. II her
husband took her into his confidence
concerning his literary pursuits it was
to read her a page here and there. and
that in such an unaccented wav as to
leave It almost meaningless. He saw
she found no enjoyment In these ma
rusals and gave them up altogether
Night and day he thought of his work
and she grew more and more lonely.