The Yale expositor., 1914-08-20

we've nad Deen married Tor three
long years, young James had never
got over expecting the miracle. He
had married the sweetest, most cling
ing little thing, and she thought him
so wonderful! And every single time
he has heart-throbbed and brain
throbbed his way to something very
big, to something very promising,
he has felt sure-sure-that now,
once more, Genevieve would think him
wonderful-that she would at least
find the living soul that should show
her what he meant, and bring her,
thrilling and weeping and laughing, to
his arms.
Every single one OF those times
James has come tearing home, his
heart pounding, his voice strangling in
his throat, till he could tell her-his
own love, his own wife, and feel her
soft arms about his neck in the en-
brace that was better-why, even
better than those words of Judge AL
lard, booming in his deep tones from
the bench, Il must compliment you,
sir, upon the marked legal ability you
have shown in the conduct Of this
case" And-"My dear, am so glad
for you"-thus should whisper Gene
We've.
But she has never done it. Why,
certainly not She has James safely
married. What use on earth to pre-
tend interest in those stuffy old court
house affairs that bored her to extinc-
ton anyway. So Genevieve has never
whispered.
So the blazing eyes of poor James
were changing, dulling, as they had
changed and dulled before. But there
lurked in the very depths of them "a
something - that Genevieve would
have been shocked at-a bitter fire, a
craving hunger that might come to be,
ribly like hate.
Let Jennie alone, Margaret" was
all he said, 'let Jennie alone. / will
wait upon her" And the fat two
year-old girl, with black eyes just like
her fathers, gurgled with happiness
and consumed her bread and milk be-
tween snatches of more or less intelli-
gible chat with regard to her old dolls
head being Off Conversation Ian
guished bit. Genevieve chartered a
little about the card party she was
going to, what she would wear, who
would entertain with the hostess, and
how she would have the club next
time.
James ate in silence-youth has an
appetite, thank the fates-and baby
Jennie dropped sleepy-eyed. out of her
high chair. swarmed up his knee and
went to sleep in his lap.
He carried the baby to her crib
and tucked her up for her nap, her
little shoes off, her little frock loos-
ened. her soft cuTls pinned up atop of
her round little head-James was a
perfectly tamable James, you see, and
knew his duty.
Then he came out to Genevieve. II
will not be home to dinner this eve
ming" he said gravely. Il will not be
home to dinner, Genevieve. We are
very busy, and will dine at the club.
Do not let it interfere with any of your
arrangements"
Well, Genevieve wouldn't She didn't
| hear what he said She was as busy
as possible at the telephone arranging
for Mrs. Yards to call for her on the
way to the card party. James waited
and waited-and then waited bit
longer. Maybe he was waiting for
that belated miracle?
Then he shut the door. He shut II
| just as he had shut it often before
quietly not letting the latch click even
| the tiniest bit. He shut the door as If
behind him lay something out OF
which the breath of life had gone
something white and still and terrible
and very, very dear.
But, dear me, James is young-and
James has the sweetest black-eyed
two-year-old. So-"Baby-Jennie," he
murmurs to himself as he swings on
his street car She'll miss me this
evening. I'll have to take her home a
new doll or something"
Copyright. by Associated Literary Press.l