Ladies Must Live

erted house was not much of an improvement. Ahead of her in the darkness

ght connected

n't k

re lamps in

n't k

d I find so

he thought; and for the

n't k

and then he called back: "You'd better stay wher

r voice seemed to be saying, in parody of Charles Francis Adams's historic

cles might arise. He might be secretly engaged for all she knew to the contrary. But now she felt quite sure of him. With Fate playing into her hands like this-with romance and adventure and the possibilities of an uninterrupted

Fenimer as a winter residence, when he had an opportunity of going to Aiken or Florida or California at the expense of some more fortunate friend. In summer it was much the same. "My dear," he would say to his daugh

ughter would only meet by chance on some unexpected

hristine would say languidly. "I r

er back to dine; and he would come on board, very civil, very neat, very punctilious on matters of yachting etiquette;

speculated with it, or immediately spent it on himself. So that he was always able to say with perfect truth, whenever his daughter asked for it, that he had none. The res

nt friends who offered her the most opportunity for amusing herself, enlarged year by year. Besides, she a

l, do you know, I've just had a bill of almost three thousand dollars from your infernal dressmaker? Ho

h; for she suspected that he was deeply in debt. Not having been brought up in a sentimental school she was prepared to do her share in arranging such a marriage. In the world in w

was in her own hands. She had only to do the right thing-onl

the laundry, where he had collected some candles:

kitchen range be b

urned on,"

ween fire and water. But, rather characteristically, she was disinclined to ask. She walk

iss Fenimer was idle-learn a variety of methods for keeping other people at work, and probably the most effective of these is flattery. Christin

the gentle flow of her flattery soothed him as the sound of a hidden brook in the leafy month of June. Nor,

n away with you," she said. "There isn't another man of my acqua

"this isn't really what you'd call prim

laska?" she echoed in the tone of a

ing to eat. She knew no more about the kitchen than he did, but she advanced toward a door and ope

d. He rushed to her side. It was cereal. He found other sup

she murmured, and he felt as if he had invented

itchen. "I wonder if you'd ge

d like, but she went away to find it, and came back pres

it?" sh

ed, and then laughed. "You're not

they can never for an instant get their minds off the most tiresome things in the world like bills, and how the servan

fter a second. "Perhaps you'll think me old-fashioned,

capitally. But let me give you a test. Think of the very best housekeeper you ev

nt with his head on one side. "She'd

, as much as to say

after all I would rather do the work and have you. But it isn't b

n't interfere, and let you do things your own way, and think you so wonderful to be able to do them at all. Now if I knew how to do

d I ought to like you ver

sure you like me better than that other girl you

her quit

ink she'd mak

ood wife to any man who

ful way to talk o

ry, I admire h

you are eng

as you are

describe her," she said, "I believe

much too go

em to think I'll d

s much better

you'd rather have

her waited for his next words, "I think I shall

e was gone, "I should not feel at all ea

at that moment probably searching for them in ditches, and hedges. The marks of the sleigh would be quickly obliterated by the storm. No, she thought comfortably, there was no escape from the fact that

peared at the head

ase," he said, "and se

King A

for that pitiful little dab of f

eside the laundry clock a pinkish purple paper novel, called: "The Crime of the Season." Its cover depicted a man in a check suit and side-whiskers looking on in astonishment at the removal of a drowned

n her heart suddenly sank as she realized that the cereal was burning. She recognized a peculiarly disagreeable flavor about wh

the cellar stairs. "M

drowned her voice. "Oh, dear, what a noisy man he is," she t

ard. "What is i

ll I do? The cereal

ere." He sprang up the stairs and snatched the pot from

didn't

did yo

t tell me

tainly

aid just t

ing like a spoon. If I were a really just man," he went on, "I'd make you eat that burnt mess for

were irritating to one not u

or that sort of

re of having

as if I were a child t

e so bad if yo

me because that wretche

ticall

sense of bitter injustice seethed within her. "Why i

lain it to you," Riatt answered, "but I pro

s really quite a disagreeable young man, she thought. How true it was, that you couldn't tell what people were like when everything was going smooth

meal is ready," h

had found the kitchen knives and forks-the bacon was sizzling, the tin o

uline bad temper; her father's irritability whenever anything affected his personal comfort: and from other men all forms of jealous

eal couldn't be much drearier

ilingly, "that then it woul

he answered. "I should leave you

irst left you

ing the

ernally irrespon

burnt food any better than you do, but I have some self-control. I wouldn't spoil a whole evening just becau

at least at the back of her long neck, and the twist of

t she had just as much effect upon him when h

crying? Or perhaps I ought to sa

on to the latter pa

o overdo a sob. "You don't seem to understa

way is it

to a girl as long as she lives? That among t

not se

am. This will be something I shall have to live d

g her eyes hard enough to make the

of time and trouble, if he could just see th

is mind did not

it?" he said. "

he'll feel she has a right to compensation. And that worm, Wickham; it will be his fa

y you

ceal his own social triumphs for the sake of my good name. Can't you hear him, 'Curious th

said. "What a bore! Is t

ere is on

a man's eyes, she saw it then in his. Her hear

tool-house, only about half a mile down the road. Couldn't yo

" he said, "that you're

) "I should be terrified in this great place all by myself. Still, I think you ought to go. It's not so very far. You go down the road a little way and then turn to the right

ll sleep here to-night, and to-morrow as soon as it's light, I'll go to this co

," she said. "How kind you are!

al? Oh, yes, on

She was still

wash the

his ears. Had he seen t

sh in my life," she

er done anyt

he replied, not boastfully, but as one

her. "I wish," he said, "if it isn't too much trouble that you

f you were studying the man

of an unkn

l, let me see," she said. "I wake up about nine or a little after if I

u ring for your maid. W

e always has. Last winter my time was immensely occupied by two friends of mine who had both fallen in love with the same man-one of them was married to him-and they used to come every day and confide in me. You have no idea how amusing it was. He behaved shockingly, but I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for him. They were

vens!" sa

on, and get a walk. I'm rather dependent on exe

or wo

nd then I like to be at home by tea time, because that's, of course, the hour every one counts on f

and after a moment he added:

me as much as doing thing

ort of

don't really take any interest in.

he said. "What would you do if

tofore she had been fairly candid, she thought on this point a little dis

u fell in love

happen to one," she said. "I've had two friends who did

happened

know. She's living in the suburbs so

the o

ten years older than he was. That provided for him, you s

ow

n love with thi

fe, you

e it! Men ar

that you real

appreciate the

ngs are among decent

imagine it is," she said, "only the

d, strangely enough, she had ne

the standards that you describe will attach the slightest i

y are the very

nse

of always believing the worst,

pre

"I have a terrible suspicion that there really isn't an atom of harm in any of them-that

that suspici

t then sometimes," she went on brightly, "one

of your age to talk like this. It's a silly ha

id she, "like

ut you haven't yet answered my question. You've told me what your friends ha

military country, I'd love the greatest soldier; and if I lived in a savage country, I'd love the strongest warrior; but here to-da

tied-down creatures I ever saw are

ed. "Why, what is there

eems to me to cut them off from most forms of human endeavor. But no matter about that. You say you wou

was a young artist two years ago that I was rather interested in. He was very n

imulated you

cour

d, "do you always want to take away any ma

"whether or not I have anything else to do, but of course the idea alw

always fin

as a newcomer one has the advantag

ppened about

scently: "I found he wa

just wanted to pa

e would have want

e as a present, and then

si

did

may have given him the impression that I cared about him more than I really did. Anyhow, after I actually had the portrait hanging in my sitting-room, I told him I thought it was better for us not to meet any mor

ems to me the one spark of spi

der her lashes. "What

a year or so, and let you find out

by discipline, I'm afraid. But," she stood up, "I'm perfectly open mi

lled cuffs, and begin with her long, slim, inefficient hands to take up the dirty plates. Suddenly, much to his surprise, he

clean towel, he deliberately dried her hands, finger by finger, wh

o reform me?" she

answere

y n

ed. "Now you have every charm except goodness.

goodness was a ch

hat I hope you wil

"I think I shall go on being wicked and mercenary and selfish

n I hope you won't

are you s

use you as a terrible exa

will remember me

o doubt a

"As a matter of fact, I shall probably run them down in my motor as they go to work with their little dinner-pails. And as I ta

oo, will remember

ink I'll go to bed-unless there's anything more you want to know about our tribal custo

dle. "I'll leave your breakfast for you in the morning before I go. And by the way, if

really as b

ead as if he d

mingled horror and amusement at her candid revelations. Holding up the candle she looked at her own image

before the kitchen fire, he kept repeating to himself, as if in a last ef

and went down to find the kitchen empty, and the track of footsteps in the snow leading away in the direction of the tool-house. Her coffee w

early as this," she

gh bells reached her ears, and running to the window she saw that U

imum time had elapsed during which all three talked at onc

re's

Paul-and-Virginia expression, as she answe

ord, Christine, I thought you had more sense." And he strode away to the back door. "Ye

ward?" said Christine, for she had never

ne," he said, "there's one thing I don't unders

Ned, even if h

op snowing until four

hough she was willing to use scandal as a weapon over Riatt, s

ard, and then

back for his breakf

ead: "They only lea

ss of hard facts, Christine d

s so much to be done. Look at all these dirty plates. What ought to be done with them,

el. I'll do it." And he felt more than rewarded wh

en seemed suddenly to have melted away, fo

she compared his slow gestures very unfavorably with Riatt's def

tally over a coffee-cup, "I shouldn't ask anything be

nk I should ask something a g

her and Riatt entered, and th

d, I see," he said in

eople to do something usefu

t you offer almost every

ything, but he caught the

e would ask Miss Fenime

No one who had e

fuming in the backg

was like a vault. It was madness to ask an

the tool-house?" said Hick

s than the tool-house,

to the cellar to put

stine. "The fellow did

none of your business, Edwa

d with you is my bus

hat a dreary o

Did or did not this man

rd, h

happ

l lecture and, judging by you, my

y amusing you

f very much, Edward, i

said and stamped away

e up from

ward doing

urned Christine, "but I thoug

a rescuing party (and I needn't tell you, Christine, we none of us had much sleep last night), and now that he is

, Christine," Hickson said

temperament is usually given as the explan

ood directly i

hat did happe

would ever allay it. She knew that a few sensible words would put Hickson straight, and Hickson would be a powerful ally. On the other hand, if he came back plainly weighted with a terrible doubt, no one would ask any further e

istine said in a low shaken voice, "

ned away wi