The Washington herald., 1914-03-13

Florence was beginning to suspect sne
had married the wrong man. II is q
most uncomfortable suspicion when II
comes in the meridian of ones honey
moon. But Ronald was impossible. ut
teriy so. His mind baked at the dizzy.
ing flights of Wagner and Verdi ana
groveled in an atmosphere where trumps
and aces mark the apex OF estheuc
development
She swung around on the piano stool
and threw frigid glance at Ronald, I'M
mersed in the ecstasies OF solitaire
Before we were married you used to
like to have me play for you. sne oo-
served peevishly. Now
Ronald sighed despairingly. gathered
his cards and stepped to the door: he
looked like a man who has founo the
feminine enigma insolvable-
Wagner and all that highbrow stun
is a bit too deep for me-, he con-
fessed. You should have married Jim
niche probably understands you pet
ter than 1 do" And with mock
ing, stiff-necked bow her brute OF nus
band left the room.
Florence tilted her pretty little heao
against her hands and tried TO weep.
Ronald was right-she should nave mar
ried Jimmie Jimmie understood her'
Jimmie had mind attuned to higher
things than aces and spades; Jimmie was
really the man she should have mar
ried- But Jimmie, stupid thing, mao tak-
en- her No seriously and married Alice
And Alice was no better than Ronald,
her mind. too, was gyved to sucn stupid
things as cards.
At length Florence succeeded in coaxing
tears to her eyes. Most any woman pos
sessinr average intelligence knows now
tc do it And then, just as II a med
diesome fate had intervened. man
stepped up behind her and almost spoiled
it all by whisking the tears away with
a two-for-a-quarter handkerchief
1t was Jimmie. of course. IL had
seemed like an irrelevant whirn OF fate
that Jimmie and his wife and Florence
ard her husband should spend their
bcneymoon in adjoining apartments in a
summer resort hotel. Jimmie MADE
conscientious job of brushing away Flor
ence's tears. and then proceeded 10 an
unimpassioned analysis of the SITUATION
Your husband and my wife are play
ing cards in the next room, he began.
Now suppose YOU play that Schubert
minor for me.
.'I.et's make il a duet" suggested Flor
ence. and Jimmie obediently seated him.
self beside her. Florence was hoping that
Ronald would come init would give the
brute a lesson, But Ronald did not
come-evidently he had found solace IN
a card game with Alice. Jimmie ana
Florence thumped the piano keys till as
late an hour as the hotel management
would allow, and when at length he rose
TO leave both were thoroughly convinced
that fate had made a mess of 1t and
mismated-each Of them.
Just as Jimmie stepped out, Ronald en-
tered the room with an air of husbandly
sapience.
Hope you and Jimmy had a good time
at the piano" he said icily.
I'VE had a very pleasant time. indeed
Florence assured him. II suppose you
found Alice congenial company?
Very. We had six very exciting games
and | beat her only four out of the six"
Florence fumed at fate that had given
her a husband who would neither under
stand her nor accommodate her by being
Jealous when she found man who did.
The events of the following day did not
improve matters. In the morning boy
brought a most luxuriant cluster of roses
for Florence. She plucked a card from
the bouquet and read the inscription with
tender eyes.
How nice of Jfmmie-" she exclaimed
sweetIy.
Ronald shrugged cOntemptuously. Send
ing flowers to other mems wives is quite
in harmony with his artistic tempera-
ment. 1 suppose"
You're horrid.' cried Florence. Didn't
you play cards with Alice till an outrage |
ously late hour last night?'
While you and Jimmie were cutrag-
ing the piano." parried Ronald.
Florence had thought that if ever She |
could make Ronald show the slightest |
symptom of jealousy she would be eX-I
tremeIy happy. Ronald was jealous now, |
jealous enough for violence, but Florence |
was far from happy. |
Jimmie is at least a gentleman" she |
declared. and then anger brought tears to |
her eyes.
Ronald voiced with blunt emphasis his |
opinion of men who occupy the same
piano stool with other mems wives and
send them flowers. Florence flew into a
rage, upsetting a chair and a table that
happened to stand in the path blazed byi