The Washington herald., 1915-02-07
Copyright, rl5J
ER. COOMBES was sick of life.

everybody else's, turned aside down
Gaswork Lane to avoid the town, and,
crossing the wooden bridge that goes
over the canal to Starling's cottages,
was presently alone in the damp pine
woods and out of sight and sound OF
human habitation. He would stand
it no longer. He repeated aloud with
blasphemies unusual to him that he
would stand It no longer.
He was a pale-faced little man,
with dark eyes and a fine and very
black moustache. He had a very
stiff, upright collar slightly frayed,
that gave him an illusory double chin,
and his overcoat (albeit shabby was
trimmed with astrachan.<F His gloves
were a bright brown with black
stripes over the knuckles and split at
the finger ends. His appearance, his
wife had said once in the dear, dead
days beyond recall-before he mar
ried her, that is-was military. But
now she called him-It seems a
dreadful thing to tell of between
husband and wife, but she called him
"a little grub" 1t wasn't the only
thing she had called him, either.
The row had arisen about that
bcastly Jennie again. Jennie was his
wife's friend, and, by no invitation
of Mr.. Coombes, she came in every
blessed Sunday to dinner, and made
a shindy all the afternoon. She was
a big, noisy girl, with taste for loud
colors and a strident laugh; and this
Sunday she had outdone all her pre-
vious intrusions by bringing in fell
low with her, chap as snowy as
herself.
And Mr.. Coombes, in a starchy,
clean collar and his Sunday frock
coat, had sat dumb and wrathful at
his own table, while his wife and her
guests talked foolishly and undesira-
bly,, and laughed aloud. Well, he
stood that, and after dinner (Which,
"as usual" was late), what must Miss
Jennie do but go to the piano and
play banjo tunes, for all the world
as if it were a weekday! Flesh and
blood could not endure such goings
on, They would hear next door; they
would hear in the road; it was pub
lie announcement of their disrepute.
He had to speak.
He had felt himself go pale, and
kind of rigor had affected his res
piration as he delivered himself. He
had been sitting on one of the chairs
by the window-the new guest had
taken possession of the armchair. He
turned his head. Sun Day!" he said
over the collar, in the voice of one
who warns. Sun Day. What people
call d nasty" tone it was.
Jennie had kept on playing; but his
wife, who was looking through some
music that was piled on the top of
the piano, had stared at him. Whats
wrong now" she said; cant people
enjoy thcmselves?'
81 don't mind rational 'njoyment, at
ALL" said little Coombes; "but l amt
a-going to have weekday tunes play
ing on a Sunday in this house"
"What's wrong with my playing
now" said Jennie, stopping and
twirling round on t,-c music stool
with a monstrous rustic of founces.
Coombes saw it was going to be a
row, and opened too vigorously, as
is common with your timid, nervous
men all the world over. Steady on
with that music stoolr' said he; "it
amt made for 'cavy weights"
Never you mind about weights"
said Jennie, inccnsed. What was you
saying behind my back about my
playing?"
Surely you don't old with not hav-
ing a bit of music on Sunday, Mr..
Coombes?" said the new guest, lean
ing back in the armchair, blowing a
cloud OF cigarette smoke and smiling
in a kind of pitying way. And stimuli
taneously his wife said something to
Jennie about Never mind i'm. You
go on, Jimmy"
81 do" said Mr.. Coombes, address
ing the new guest.
May l arst why?" said the new
guest, evidentl,' enjoying both his
cigarette and the prospect of an ar
gument. He was, by the by, lank
young man, very stylishly dressed in
bright drab, with a white cravat and
a pearl and silver pin. 1t had been
better taste to come in black coat,
Mr.. Coombcs thought.
Because" began Mr.. Coombes, at
don't suit me. I'm business man. l
ave to study my connection. Ra-
tional 'njoyment-"
"His connectionP said Mrs.
Coombes, scornfully. That's what
he 5 always a-saying. We got to do
this, and we got to do that"
"If you don't mean to study my
connection" said Mr.. Coombes,
what did you marry me for?"
"I wonder" said Jennie, and turned
bart- IN the Diano