The Snowflake herald., 1917-09-21

husband did not send for her, AIa1ro
did not presume to offer her services as
nurse. AS a matter of fact, she con-
sidered this quite unnecessary, for she
felt sure that he was either suffering
the customary after-effects of a visit to
the city or else that he lacked the
moral courage to undertake an expla-
nation of his hurried flight from the
ranch. In either event she was glad
he kept to his room.
When Austin made his appearance,
on the day following his return his
bleared eyes, his puffy, pasty cheeks,
his shattered nerves, showed plainly
enough how he had spent his time. Al
though he was jumpy and irritable, he
seemed determined by an assumption
of high spirits and exaggerated friend
liness to avert criticism. Since Alaire
spared him all reproaches, his efforts
seemed to meet with admirable sue
cess. Now Eds opinion of women was
not high, for those with whom he ha-
bitually associated were of small in
telligence; and, seeing that his wife
difference to his past actions, he de-
cided that his apprehensions had been
eroundless. If Alaire remembered the
Cuzman affair at all, or if she had sus-
pected him of completely in it, time had
evidently dulled her suspicious, and he
was a little sorry ne had taken pains
TO stay away so long.
Before many days, however, he dis
covered that this 1ndinerence or nerS
was not assumed, and that in soIOe
way or other she had changed. Ed
was accustomed, when he returned eX-
hausted from a debauch, to seeing IN
his Wife's eyes a strained misery; ne
had learned to expect in her bearing
sort of pitying, hopeless resignation.
But this time she was not in the least
depressed. On the contrary, she ap-
peared happier, fresher, and-younger
than he had seen her for long time.
1t was mystifying. When, one morn
ing, he overheard her singing in her
room, he was shocked. Over this phe-
nOmenon he meditated with growing
amazement and a faint stir OF resent
ment in his breast, for he lived a self
! centered life, considering himself the
pivot upon which revOlved all the af-
fairs of his little world. To feel that
he had lost even the power to make
his wife unhappy argued that he had
Overestimated his Importance.
At length, having sufficiently recov-
cred his health to begin drinking again,
he yielded one evening to an alcoholic
impulse, and, just as Alaire bade him
good night, clumslly sought to force
an explanation.
'See herey" he shot at her. "Whats
the matter with you lately" He saw
that he had startled her, and that she
made an effort to collect her wander
ing thoughts. you're about as warm
and wifely rs a stone idol"
"Am | any different to what have
always been?
''Humph You haven't been exactly
sympathetic of late. Here 1 come home
SICK and you treat me like one of the
help. Don't you think l have feelings
JOve! I'm lonesome"
Alaire regarded him speculatively,
then shook her head as if in answer to
some thought
In an obvious and somewhat too mel
low effort to be friendly, Ed continued /:
Don't let's go on like this, Alaire. You
blame me for going away so much, but
when I'm home l feel like an inter-
loper You treat me like a cow-thief. !"
'Tm sorry. I've tried to be every
thing l should. I'm the interloper."
Nonsense! If we only got along
together as well as we seem to from the
! outside, it wouldn't be bad at all. But
you're too severe. You seem to think
man should be perfect Well, none
of us are, and I'm no worse than the
majority. Why, 1 know lots of fellows
who forget themselves and do things
they shouldn't, but they don't mean
anything by it. They have wives and
homes to go to when it's all over. But
have /? You're as glad to see me as
if l had smallpox. Maybe we've made
a mess of things, but married life isn't
what young girls think it is. A wife
must learn to give and take"
''Ive given. What have I taken?"
she asked him in voice that quivered.
Ed made an impatient gesture. "Oh,
don't be so literal / mean that, since
we're man and wife, it's up to you to
be little more-broad-gauge in your
views"
"In other words, you want me to ig-
more your conduct Is that it? I'm
afraid we can't argue that, Ed"
"All right; don't let's try to argue
it, he laughed, with what he consid.
cred an admirable show of magnanim
ity. Il hate arguments, anyhow; I'd
much rather have a goodnight kiss.''
But when he stopped over her Alaire
held him off and turned her head.
mo p she said.
"You haven't kissed me for"
II don't wish to kiss you"
"DOn't be silly" he insisted. "Come,