The Happiest Time of Their Lives

to go to the hospital that night, and to be operated upon the next day. She reproached him for

sy. He saw a few people,-men who owed him money, his lawyer, his partner,-but most of the time he and Adelaide sat together in his study, as

at the outcome couldn't be fatal, yet despite her conviction that people did not

tain that Farron would die,-every one did,-but he had for some time been aware of a growing hardn

n like me is left." But this was not quite honest. In his heart he felt t

t the depth, the strength, the passion of her love for him without allowing it to add to the weight he was

r of doing or saying something unsuitable-something either too special or too every-day. She longed to evince sympathy for Mr. Farron, but was afraid that, if she d

ng by his study fire when Pringle announced that the motor was waiting. Vincent got up quietly, and so did she. They stood with their arms

the stairs, very erect, with one hand on the stair-rail and one on the wall, not only her eyes, but her whole face, radiating an uplifted peace. So angelic and m

lance at his wife, and went out. The front door ende

iosity as to how people contrived to live through such crises. If Pete were on the brink of death, she thought that

drawing-room, Adelaide

ttle earlier than usual. I might sleep if I could get to

tle more quickly than i

d at her own words, she burst into tears. Her mother put her arm

you must not cry. You know Vincent has

e one Mathilde did not want to appear to

strained, t

wiped h

en you are so ca

onally than our own. If it were your Pete, I should be in tears." She smiled, and looked across the girl's head at Mr. Lanley. "She

lity; he did not approve of enco

what she had been wanting all day, to see her own man, to assure herself, since death was seen to

the motor," said Mr. La

ight en

do you b

e you alo

I really

ll others that she desired would happen-he would come through it. And almost at once he did, looking particularly young and alive; so that, as he jumped in beside her on the back seat, both her hands went out and caught his arm and clung to him

ht it would be heartless even to suggest my having wishes

ot really going to o

twenty or thirty years of joy which they

ty or thirty years, longer t

one year, with you, I think I coul

at, for he had left his chauffeur at home, was dr

hing goes well with Adelaide and this child, I'd be content to live my full time-and a little bit more. Not many men are healthier than I am. Poor Vincent! A good deal more to live for tha

ctical, understanding better the limits put upon a driver, held them ti

Lanley, and reflected that it was not always

have turned enough to see," Pete

seemed so queer to be talki

f to your environment," he retu

reaked in strange curves, and the bare trees along the straight heights of the Palisades wer

to be so happy when Mam

lde b

," he answered-"to be happy wh

up-stairs and hardly dared to draw breath as she undressed fo

but it was nine o'clock when she was awakened by her maid's coming in with her breakfast and the announcement not o

, with that absolute neutrality of accent that s

e unknown fortress, and left in its place a hard, trivial, practical intelligence which tossed off plan after plan for the future detail of life. As she drove from her house to the hospital she arranged how she would

to tell her that all was going well; Mr. Farron had had a good night, and was taking the anesthetic nicely. A

ly bright," she said to herself. Bu

in the corner, his brushes were on the dressing-table, his tie hung on the elec

er word, by which she could have guided her life. She would have welcomed something imprisoning and safe. It was cruel of him, she thought, to toss her out like this, rudderless and alone. She wondered what he would have given her as a commandment, and remembered suddenly the apocryphal last words which Vincent was fond of att

anning little mind that had suddenly taken possession of her could not help her in the larger aspects of

ots. Then nearer, almost under her feet, she looked into a courtyard of the hospital and saw a pale, emaciated man in a wheel-chair. She drew ba

at Dr. Crew had sent her to tell Mrs. Farron that the conditions s

aide, fiercely, "that

ctor's meaning," answered the nurse. "B

h which he had removed his operating-garments. He had small, bright, brown eyes, with little lines about them that seemed to suggest hum

rron," he said, "that any danger that may

delaide. "Do you mean to say the

octor's eye

he best hands is always

Adelaide asked, aware of a growin

ed as just a

" he said. "Your husband ought to

ore Adelaide's eyes, and she sank slow

he glanced whimsically at t

, an omission which may

unwillingness to s

see him. But she wasn't, as a matter of fact, very eager to see him. The knowledge that he was to live, the lifting of the weight of dread, was enough. The maternal strain did not mingle with her

exclaimed, "these trays-they make me think of the nursery." But what she really hated was Vincent's submission to it

sband through other people's consent; it irritated her to see the girl's understanding of the case, and her competent arrangements for her patient's comfort.

h a rod of iron," she sa

d not rous

business," he s

ugh, there seemed to her an impertinence, almost an insult, in treating Vincent in such a way. The result was that her visits were exhausting, and she knew it. And yet,

made up her mind to leave him when Miss Gregory came in, and w

has had enough exc

up at the girl a

xcitement?" she asked. Miss

atest,"

ded to her ow

d, "I shan't st

if you went now, I

silly of him, she thought, to prete

g me away from you, d

s eyes and t

w early-as early as

she swept out into the hallway, saying to herself that i

ry had fol

for the present it would be better not to talk to Mr. F

ide l

Farron," she said, "if you th

r trifles when he is

The suggestion of Vincent nervously worrying over trifles was one of th