Year: 1877

Ten years since the wedding day. Mrs.
Rowland was alone She had left her
husband in the little room where they
usually sat together through the evening,
while she put the children to bed.


Mrs Howland did not feel inclined to
return to the family sitting room, where
she had left her husband, but remained
within the chamber with her sleeping
little ones, in a musing, brooding, an
happy state of mind. Something of cold
ness and alienation had been growing up
between her and her husband for a long
time past. The old tenderness of manner
which had been so sweet was all gone
He was kind, thoughtful in regard to her
comfort, honorable and true, but getting
more formal and less affectiOnate in man
ner every day. His wife, who had loved
him very .tenderly, and still loved him,
had failed to give her life adequate re-
spOnses to his; had, in the fret and fever
of disciplinary existence, suffered herself
to work amid disturbing elements in
stead of taking her place sereneIy by his
side. And so, harmonious things had
been permitted to jar, where all might
have been peace.


1t was pressing upon the mind of Mrs.
Rowland that her husband had ceased to
love her, and this conviction was taking
all the sweetnes out of her life. 1t did
not once occur to her that she was herself
growing unlOYely, that she had laid aside
nearly all the external things by which,
when a maiden, she had sought to win
him: the sunny cOuntenanCe, the alluring
voice and manner, the sCrupulOus attire,
the Difference to his taste and opinions,
the guard upon her temper, the wOmanlv
elevation of character that made her seem
as one who ruled in the kingdom IF her
own soul. This was the being he had
loved, this was the woman he had taken
TO walk with him through life Alas, for
the fading idea. He had found, instead,
one who made scarcely an effort at self
government, whose feelings and impulses
were not springs of actions. Deeply, pas
sionately she loved him, but not wisely;
self-abnegating love Pleases both itself
and the object of its devotion. Without
some change on the part of Mrs. Rowland
1t was impossible for them to grow to-
gether again.


For nearly half an hour after her chill
dren were asleep, the mother sat in her
wretched mood, apart from her husband,
and feeling no inclination to join him.


All love has died" said she, g am
nothing now And as she said this her
heart shivered with an instructive reali-;
zation OF what her words involved. Then
fear for the loss OF a thing so precious as
a husbands love seized upon her soul
and inspired new purpose. A love
worth winning was surely worth an
effort to retain. And was not the way
to win, the way to keep? A new light
( brol-a nj Mrs ITnuy1o1I'S
began to see things in herself that were
very far from being in harmony with her
life when a undertakings that would
have certainly repelled Il lover, and were
they bonds for a husband?


These thoughts startled the awaken
ing wife. Then old memories were re-
vived, bringing back old states, pictures
warm with the hues OF love came out of
the dim past.


g Is the cup broken and the wine spill
/ ed ~ she asked of herself Good forbidp'
came from her lips in dueutterance. Then
| she left the chamber where her children
slept, and with silent feet went towards
/ the apartment in which she had left her
/ husband alone.


! ON the way she paused, stood still for
| q moment, then returned. The gas was
/ burning low. She threw up the light and
/ caught a reflection of herself in the toilet
| glass One glance sUfficed. That was not
/ the style in which she appeared before


her lover. Taking down her hair, she
applied comb and brush rapidly for some


moments, and then arranged the glossy


masses with taste and skill. Next the


soiled and tumbled wrapper was removed


and her person attired in a neatly fitting


dress, around the neck of which was laid
L.. &,


coral pin, her husbands gift of other days


Already her cheeks were filed with a glow
and her eyes filled with light. One Ions
glance at herself in the mirror revealed Z
wonderful transformation. How the ole
memories were cTOwding in upon her
How soft her heart was growing How
full of tenderness was every thought o


her husband! Her lips were athirst fOl


kisses


And now Mrs. Rowland left her cham


Der again. Her sIippered feet gave NJ


sound as they moved over the carpet, anC


she came to the open door of the sitting


room without betraying a sign of her ap


prOach. There she stood still. Mr.


Howland was not at the table reading


as she had left him. but at his secretary


which was open. He was reclining hi


head on one hand and gazing down upOI


something held in the other, and seemed


wholly absorbed. For more than min


ute he remained in this fixed attitude


his wife was as still as himself. Then
long sigh trembIed on the air, and ther


lifting the object toward which his gaz,


was directed Mr.. HOWland pressed it t
his lips, kissing it almost passionateIy


three or four times. A wild thrOb leap


ed along Mrs. Howland's veins. TheI


her heart grew still as if in the presenc,
Of some unknown but stupendous evil


Something impelied her TO spring for
, ward and read this mystery, and some
? thing as strongly held her back. As she
, stood, pale now, and in a tremor, the oh
! iect was kissed again, and then returned
? to the drawer in the secretary from
, which 1t had been taken. In this ac
for an instant, the miniture of a LADY
met the gaze of Mrs. Rowland. Lockiny
= the drawer her husband put the key il
2 his pocket, and then resting both arm
on the leaf of the secretary, buried hi
face in them and sat mOtiOnless.


Turning away as noiselesslv as she hat
approached, Mrs. Howland fed back I,


her chamber in wild fight, and sat dow


painting IN bewilderment. As soon a
r thought began to move in a determine,
, way, the first result was a flood of indig


nation, a burning sense of wrong, and !