Year: 1872

putting her hand upon his arm, and
then her lip quivercd.


Of course it was Wills wife who
spoke. She was just as pretty, and
just as good, and just as fascinating
altogether as the girl Will had courted
three years before. And she was as
neatly dressed, and her hair was as
carefully arranged. There was no ex-
cuse fer the alteration, which made the
man who had thought no happiness so
great as that Of sitting beside little
Lofty Hunter, Of walking with her OF
singing with her, Or being in any way
in her society, fly from her presence
now that she was Lofty Weed the
very moment lie had swallowed bis
dinner.


Putting it to VIII as a serious qucs-
tion, he would not for worlds have
admitted that he was or ever could be
tired of his wife, or that he did not
love her. As for being good hus-
band, why he paid the markct-Lil!s,
gave her an ample allowance of pin
money, and was willing she should dc
as she pleased in most things.





But a man could not be tied to his
Wife apron-strinss for ever, and Lofty
bad no business to make fuss if he
spent the evening out.


That was what he said and evening
after evening Lofty shut up in her COL
den cage alone-she who had had So
many sisters and brothers and so many
admirers once, and, best of all, kind
parents, who petted her as though she
were baby.


.Will Weed had taken her from all
these.to strange city, where she had
only him besides month-old baby, and
in measure, deserted her. Out all
day, as needs be, at his business ling
ering for chat before he went hume to
dinner; eating as though life depended
on speed, and out again for the even
ing At twelve or so home in an odd
mood quite incomprehensible to Lofty,
and in the morning late, headachy and
cross-he who, when he proposed, bas.
ed his offer upon the theory that, once
married, they " should never be separ.
ated for moment"


Mrs. Weed was unhappy. She
could not help it. Will was just az
much to her as when he wooed her. A
compliment from hinl-now and then
he did give her one-brought just as
pleased a light to her eye. Her love
had outlived the marriage ring, and she
could not see why, if his had, he should
not care as much for her society,"
Sometimes she feared rival. Had she
known the truth-had she guessed that
her rival was the bottle-she would
have suffered more but she did not
Men who drank, Lofty thought, were
poor bloated creatures, with red nose.
and husky voices, and always out al
elbows. She knew nothing of gentee
tipplers whose resorts are the bar-room
Of the first hotels; who would never
be suspected Of being Incorporate
who attend to business, and only rec
after midnight. Women don't know
much of these, and yet there are sucl
hosts of them. Merchants and pro
fessional men, and gentlemen of elegan
leisure, men of mind and men of mon
ey, who are really given to the practic,
to an insane degree. -. .-... ....-.
Yes, it was the unhappy truth-tL'
temptation which dragged gcntlemanly
brilliant Will Weed from wife and fire
side was the bottle.


To take a glass with this one, an,
that one, and the other one-to grow
merry over it and find more friends t,
treat, and by whom to be treated; Il
be introduced to new friend, an,
drink because Of that, and to 60 OF
drinking until the way home was rathe
doubtful and the latch-key a dificul
thing to mannage, and the creates
| st fitness and solcmnity necessary t