The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1914-07-24
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HER AUTHOR. HUSBAND
BY CHARLES EUGENE eANka

with the fragrance of roses tina
clambered over the low walls Of tht
cottage.
The house, built of hewn logs, sat II
the center of wide stretch of lawn
To the right stood grove of oak ant
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 hel
hands on the keys and sat for a mo
ment in silence. Then she rose anG
going to door looking into room
at the back called softly, William"
Well, came a 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. TITS so
beautiful out of doors. Take me for a
stroll under the trees"
Il can't stop until the book is done.
The proofs are all here and | must
change this ending. When the book
Is off for good, little one, we will
have 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 half
smile, expecting to see laughing de-
NAL of her words in her eyes. But
she turned away and went back to
the piano. Through the doorway he
watched her for a 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-
teurs Tor their associates and the hours
mad been bright with wit, repartee and
song. Now they had been for months
In this secluded spot, with hardly an
OLD friend 10 pay them an occasional
visit. He must not be interr1lpted in
MS 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 To
Nil her hours. Her heart cried out
for sympathy and love, for the touch
OF nature that makes comrades Of two
souls, Tor that answer to the animated
Aeartbeats of a conscious being. with
out which life is as a dry we'll 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 to him, so that she should have
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 But
into that world she had found no en-.
trance. 1t was a kingdom with but
room for one, and she was farther
away from 1t now than when they
were married ~ months ago. II her
husband took her into his confidence
concerning his literary pursuits it was
to read her page here and there, and
that in such an unaccented way as TO
leave 1t almost meaningless. He saw
she found no enjoyment in these De-
rusals and gave them up altogether.
Night and day he thought of his work
and she grew more and more lonely.
She did not doubt his affection for
her but she could not be satisfied
with an occasional caress or a gentle
word as the whole expression of it.
One day at the little station near
NAACli NONAas7I SIIV met IAdlD0 faTDS-
worth and the instant look of admira-
ton that came to his eyes was not dis
pleasing to her, She had grown so
weary of solitude that another being
out of their old world was gladly vel
coined. He was staying with a rela-
tive in the neighbOrhood. he told her:
his physician had advised the country;
but for his part he hated it, He did
not go away, however, but planned
many ways Of meeting the pretty wife
of the author who found no time from
his books to entertain her She was
too much of a woman not to know
FarnswOrth remained because of her.
She did not admit it to herself, vet
down deep in her heart she was
pleased with the admiration she had
awakened in this man Of the world,
with his air Of WEAKNESS toward
everything. 1t was something TO have
power over one who had seen every
thing and despised 1t. She was 80
much alone that he found little diff
Guilty in meeting her and she began
to look forward to those meetings as
a rightfuI release from the changeless
round of everyday life to which she
had been subjected. He was so ready
to offer every attention, to anticipate
her highest wish, to discover what
was pleasing or interesting to her and
make that the subject of his study
that the companionship ripened fast
Tonight she had been unusually
lonely and depressed. The days of
her girlhood came back to accentuate
the lack of friends and confidants.
Two brothers and a sister had made q
lively household in which there were
few hours of loneliness. Now she