The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1914-08-27
"ou.y rnat 1t is we'll to be of with

"Only rnat it is we'll to be of with
the old love before one is on with
the newt" scoffed the mar Il happen
to know that you kept one man dan
Cling on your string until you had
landed another, then dropped number
one
Daisy's eyes flashed. $50 you've
been listening to gossip about your
wife. have you!" she burst forth.
AND may l ask what business it is
of yours or of anybody's what l did
before l was married?"
Its a good deal of my business
what you did after you we're engaged
to me- replied her husband, but the
woman rushed on, needless of his re-
mark.
You taunt me with what you con-
slider the facts, and I'll give you truth
as it vast" she declared holly. II
was at school. Then I met you, and
accepted you, for l knew-or
thought"-with cutting emphasis
that I loved you. And I wrote at
once to the other fellow-he was hard
ly more than a boy-and discarded
him. There. that is the truth, and
o. of it is that l was a fool to do
it. He at least was a gentleman"
With a sob of rage she fled from
the room. Her husband stood looking
at the door she had slammed behind
her. "1t's hell" he muttered between
set teeth. That's what it is, HE'LL"
Then, with a sudden chill, he ap-
preciated that, though angry, he was
not wounded. Once such q scene with
Daisy would have wrung his heart.
Now he felt no tenderness of pity for
her. Was his love dead? he asked
himself. And was hers, too?
After that episode the shams of mu-
tual consideration which each had
reared during the past years were of.
ten down. Daisy liked her ease too
much to quarrel unnecessarily, and, as
it was more comfortable to be pleas
ant than unpleasant, she did not, un-
less already angered, seek cause for
quarrel, and her husband followed her
lead. But only those who are bound
to each other by law and the church
know how many unacceptable causes
of friction occur in the family life.
1t is strange how certain traditions
hold when that for which they first
stood is gone. how those who deny
the spirit still cling to the form. This
is shown in nothing more strongly
than in the meaningless nightly kiss
exchanged in some households be.
tween the uncongenial heads. 1t
amused Dan that Daisy kept up this
custom. She, not being Of an analytic
or interpretive nature, retained the
habit Of pausing each night long
enough to drop upon his unrespon-
sive lips the p%erfunctory percussion
that had replaced the wifely kiss.
The irony Of the situation caused his
nature to revolt on a certain night on
which, as he had a cold, he had gone
to his room early. 1t was on the eve
ming Of the annual dinner OF the
musical club, to which each men,
Der was allowed to bring a guest. AS
Dan had been the unwilling victim
Op0A oSVCAoA VI SACoC OCCuSAOuS, 4lo
found himself reconciled to the slight
attack Of bronchitis which made his
remaining at home on this particular
night advisable. Daisy declared that
she must go If he was well enough
to be left, and, she added as an
a~fterthought, if Dan did not mind.
Dan did not mind, he assured her, see
ing In her unusual Difference to his
wishes a happy mood produced by
p%leasurable anticipation Of an eve
ming of gaiety undarkened by the
shadow Of his compulsory presence.
At heart he knew that Daisy would
not let a little thing like his wishes
stand in the way of the jolly dinner
at Delmonico's with the set which she
enjoyed, and of which he inwardly dis
approved. He had voiced this disap-
prevail long ago, but his remarks
were met with such outbursts Of We
hement protest from his wife that
he had not, since then, yentured to
utter any further criticism on this
subject. He did not care, enough to
court a scene by interfering.
So this evening, after he and his
boy, who was now over two years old,
had had their accustomed romp, Dan
took his solitary dinner, and went to
his room. He lay in bed reading
when his wife returned from the Del
monico dinner at eleven o'clock and
stopped to tell him good night. AS
she approached him the acrid odor Of
cigarette smoke reached his nostrils.
"Whew!" he calculated, what a
smell Of tobacco! Have you had q
~cigarette?" he demanded suspiciously,
for he was SO old fashioned that he
d%isapproved Of women's smoking and
drinking in public places.
mo-" was the soft reply, but all
the men were smoking, and I sat near
Tom Nash, who had an awfully strong
cigar. That's why my hair and dress
smell Of it."
Her eyes did not meet her hus.
bands, and he knew she was evading
the truth. To prevent further ques-
tioning she bent hurriedly and gave
him the usual good night kiss. He
laughed roughly.
And I suppose Tom Nash had been
drinking, and the reason your breath