The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-11-15
A Husbands
Mistake

amples of which, are 80 rare now and
growing more and more so in this
fln-de-siecle epoch. A woman born for
the Olympian cothurne and the sim
pie drapery clasped upon the shoulder,
neither pretty, nor witty, nor marvel
GUS In any way, but Greek, plain
Greek from brow to instep-upon the
word Of her estimable husband, the
shrewd. far-sighted, and successful
fnancier, NJ. lie Baron and banker.
Alonzo de Givone.
The baron, moreover, was not
wrong; madame his wife reflected the
universal admiration as a polished re-
Hector ehrows back the light; they
always chose her to preside over those
functions that required additionally
statuesque patronesses; men bowed
before her as before an armed senti-
mel, and women never thought of such
thing as being Jealous Of her.
The age of this beautiful Greek,
however, announced by herself. was
of very vague character. like the age
of statue as given on the bill of
sale. Somewhere between nfne-and-
twenty and acknowledgement
AS for the baron's age, it was that
OF all husbands when they are loyal
spouses-ffty years. Very rich and
chi1dless, every evening saw them in
the social swim, but leading there, as
elsewhere, the solemn, ceremonious,
wellregulated, dignifed life Of the
rl1 ~, an1xN - c%o 4.s1F
old mansion in the outskirts Of the
Bots de Boulogne.
But-alas, that It should be- sol
trsnscendent Eirtues are always SUBJ
tect to thunder-clap relapses. One
day, ct the house of a diplomatic per-
sonage-a careless parYenu, who OPEN
ed his doors to all sorts of arts and
artistes through an affected democra-
Nine de Givone made the fatal
encounter. She trembled the
proud, distinguished Baronne de Gil
vone, trembled before comic singer
the vulgar star Of q cafe concert hall
He had come there, poor devil, TO
earn a~1oufs and his supper, without a
thought of terminating goddesses Of
the Parthenon, and was chiefly con-
cerned, while chipping out his "inimi.
table limitations" by suddenly dis
covered slit that striped with white
the sooty black Of his coat under the
arm, and the necessity for keeping his
hand clasped over his heart to hide
the fiery stroke of an unpaid laun-
dress iron, which spread itself out
in brownish tint upon an otherwise
snowy shirtfront.
The physique of this singer of comic
ditties perfectly corresponded with his
employment thick-lipped,
nose like ducks bill, awkward in
gait, and with only the knowledge Of
making a stage-bow fairly well-an
ungainliness, all the same, that mat.
tered little; Nine. de Givone was
caught by the epidemic that at times
seizes all too-perfect women Of vague
ly defined years.
She believed that she loved Caesar
Ibes. and fell upon him, like bolt
from clear sky, with all the notes,
flowers, invitations, ct cetera, that
women of the great world employ in
such cases as barometers, SO to speak,
of the condition Of their affections.
Caesar did not, however, return this
love, though touched a little, of course,
like all amiabIe animals to whom,
through an impulse Of pity, one speaks
caressingly as one passes. He did not
love her; and when she called him
the fray of sunlight in the autumn of
her life" instead of telling him, as she
might have done, of his "inimitable
tones" dull dislike rose up in his
heart against her
Caesar Ibes was not rich, either;
Herminie bankrupted him in cabs en-
gagged by the hour. and actually dared
to offer him on his birthday a cigar
case embroidered by her slim Greek
fingers, when he would have infinitely
preferred to the work Of the needle a
diamond scarf-pin,- or even good
imitation diamond, provided the
mounting was not too sham.
Still one can taste little Of love
and not become a drunkard. Caesar,
not knowing what else to do, permit
ted himself to go on being loved and
being ruined by cab hire, in obedi-
ence to the viii Of the goddess, who
made of this prosaic and useful vehi'
Gle their regular and not too comprom-
Using trystingplace.
1t went on thus-well, really, it does
not matter how long-when, one
morning at the breakfast-table. NJ. de
Givone. with frowning brow, announc-
ed a sudden departure, possibly
weeks absence, and a call to Lyons
on a serious banking errand.
Herminie saw him set out with the
10y of an emancipated schoolgirl, and
promptly dispatched note to her
dear friend to call upon her that
coming evening, closing with direo-
lions as to finding the servants stair
way.
"My husband deceives me- she de-
clared; 81 am sure that he deceives
me. because he has grown 50 cold to
me Of late. This voyage is but pre-
text to join some-some creature.
= Y Al - tn