His Second Wife

there were people coming. Amy had taught her to do that; and after the death of her sister she had always made a point of "keeping up" for Joe's sake, although often i

for pretty clothes, and she had been wearing all the things she had bought when she first came to town. Last year's clothes, for they still smilingly called the

's chiffonier-still subtly by degrees it had changed. Some of Ethel's clothes were lying about, her work-bag and a book or two; the dressing table at which she was sitt

n the glossy black hair, smooth and sleek, in the flushed cheeks and the red of her lips and the gleamin

ll her. There had been many of these small surprises. . . . Now her pulse beat faster, for he had come behind her. A sudden bending, a quick laugh, a murmur and

e a large family carefully. It had been like a small girl thinking of dolls. And like a small girl she had been in her panic on the night of her wedding, she thought. How silly, ignorant, funny! No-she frowned-it had been real, pretty ugly while it lasted. But like a bug-a-b

awake and alive to everything worth living for! No laziness for you, my dear, no soft, cos

not say, "with Amy." She frowned a little and cut herself short, as she so often did in her thinking, these days

ere we're go

formed the idea (she did not say from his first wife) that if a man is in love with a woman he must express it by loading her down with things which cost a lot of money, that he must work for her, slave for her! But Ethel was putting an end to that. They had taken back Susette's old nurse, for it was unfair to one's husband to be a child's slave if there was no need. But she had refused to get other servants. Emily Giles was still in charge, and thoug

u know," she had gone on more earnestly. "I want you to work and do, oh, so much, all the things you dreamed of doing-over there in Paris. But I'm

the guilty look in his eyes. This kind of thing would cause a decided coolness, no doubt, between Joe and his partner. So much the better, she had thought, for she detested that man Nourse, and in his case she could quite openly admit, "I'm jealous of you and your business devotion! Your time is c

we going th

the present they had each other-enough! "Yes, and for some time to come!" But there always came to her a

er-later

ard Ethel had vanished. Still there were signs now and then of a sneer which said, "You'll soon be paying no more attention to this poor

ers of galleries reaching up into the dark; or again with eyes glued on the stage feasting upon Paris, art, "Bohemia," youth and romance; squeezing her companion's hand and in flashes recollecting dazzling little incidents of the fortnight just gone by-her mind

! To be

queer and funny old rooms? Did he live alone or with somebody else? Something was clutching now at her breast. (Farrar had sung "Mimi" that night). "Don't be silly!" she told herself. "Oh, Joe!" she said, and she looked

And I sat at a drafting board-with

ou poo

a bull pup. And along toward morning

ust have been," she cried, "so much besides! Joe Lanier, you are lying! There wer

d solemnly, "the city o

them-from pl

Lan

t foot forward, then th

r goodne

u know what I wan

She did know, precisely, and it

et rooms in the Quart

mbou

you perfec

where she must surely see "Louise." They began excitedly planning ways and means, expenses, his business and when he could get

arious group down the room. And Ethel saw him speak to them and she felt their glances turned her way. Joe had grown suddenly awkward, his face

ey hearts, just clothes and food, late hours and wine! They had been decidedly bad for him, had drawn him off from his real work and plunged him into the rush to be rich! A voice within her, from underneath, was asking, "Or was it Amy?" But she paid no heed to that. It asked, "Are you sure they are all so bad? Have you taken the trouble to find out?" But angrily she answered that she w

mentioning Amy's name keep growing up between you and your husb

ome people Amy used to know?" And she grew rigid all at once. Her throat contracted and felt dry. Angrily she bit her lip . . . But the habit of silence w

and "styles," things she was quite vague about, but she did not have to listen now. That was always so safe, she told herself. She was even a little jealous of this puzzling,

need them, too. Oh, how I need one woman friend! And where shall I find her? Somew

saying aloud in a lazy

ing, Joe, if there isn'