The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-09-12
CHAPTER xlI-Continued.

There had been a snow, hard packed
by traffic, and the blacks caught the
sleigh swiftly along through the dusk.
When the crowded business section
lay behind them, Henley remarked
casually:
Il saw your little charity back
there"
He was a cripple"
81 see." Henley nodded. That's
your greatest asset"
What is?"
Your health"
My lack Of 1t, you mean." Mark an
aswered grimly. But l don't quite
get your point Of view"
1T keeps you from making fool
of yourself There's Hare, for In
stance, a capable man, drinking him.
self into incompetency. And Harmon,
with his women. For them prosperity
means indulgence. You keep your
appetites under control"
Il have to-"
Exactly my point" For a few
blocks Henley apparently gave himself
over wholly to the agreeable exercise
Of breathing in the keen frosty air.
When he resumed. no one could have
guessed from his tone that he was
working toward a given point "Higs-
bees case Is worse. One woman"
Has he"
His wife, A smooth catty creature.
with craze for display. Married him
after he made his stake, of course. Al
ways nagging him for new Jewels, new
carriages, q new-house. Makes him
dress for dinner. Drags him around
to dances and receptions and box par
ties-when 30 minutes of that takes
the rolls used to-" Mark might have
been sitting for his portrait. "Egging
him on until he's scheming as IN
scrupulously as toothless old dow
ager to get into society-or what with
her passes for society. He spent six
months beating about the bush to get
me to send my wife around to call on
her. Queer. how a big talented man
will let q pretty useless woman pull
him around by the'ears!"
Damned Queer!" said Mark.
Il suppose we, who aren't in the
same case. can't understand It,"
Henley, Mark thought, seemed to
understand it very well.
A few minutes more brought them
dashing up to a stop under the porte
cochere Of Henley's big house.
Much obliged for the lift" said
Henley as he sprang out of the sleigh.
He added casually. "Er-by the way, I
think / heard my. wife say she was
planning to call on Mrs. Truitt in the
near future"
Despite q quick flush. Mark looked
at him steadily. "Higsbee, then, was
a parallel"
by no MEANS" Henley returned
blandly. 1T seems they have met at
st. Swithin's and were-mutually in
terested." He paused, but as no reply
came from Mark, continued In the i'm
personal tone Of one who philosophers
generally. After all. there's a Higs-
bee In all Of US. We affect to jeer at
this society thing. But we want our
wives to have the best It's more COM
Portable, too. And besides, when man
has a charming wife, he can't hide her
light under a bushel. Good night"
Good night. Especially" Mark
muttered to himself, when she pro-
poses to let It shine" He gave the
reins an angry jerk. The horses leaped
and raced down the driveway and into
the street The music OF the sleigh
bells rang merrily on the keen air.
Once he laughed aloud, sneeringly.
"Complaisant toady!" He did not re-
fer to Henley. He had, in fact, him.
SELF In mind. One can not well openly
resent the insolent II friendly inter.
est-even In ones domestic affairs
OF the man whose eccentric favor spells
prosperity. Still it stings, especially
when 1t argues a shrewd guess as to
the fact. And the fact was. Superin.
tendent Truths domestic estate. like
.ne neighoorhood In which he lived,
left something to be desired.
he stopped at a brick house that
dlnered from its neighbors only In that
the lot was wide enough to allow for
a driveway to the little stable in the
rear. A groom. who had come to the
front In answer to the summons of the
bells, took the team
Mark. leaning hard on his cana
limped stiffly up the terrace stems IN
the porch. The parlor-Unity was
beginning to refer to 1t, not easily, as
the drawing room-was lighted, the
shades were not drawn.
Unity was reclining In graceful att.
tude-she could be relied upon to pre-
sent graceful poses at all times-in a
big easy chair. Her gown, Of some
soft. pale green stun, vastly became
her and. as did every detail of her
from the carefully achieved couture
to the black velvet slippers that
peeped out from beneath her skirt,
avouched the fact that Unity had
mastered more than the rudiments of
the art Of personal decoration.