The Rose-Garden Husband

m door stood Wallis, wh

blind-not to speak ill of the dead-till you were fair beat out fighting it. Then you'd settle down to it-and next day there be another one, with Mrs. Harrington rooting for it just as hard, and you, with your mouth fixed for the

him, and he was talking to Phyllis as man to man, but she was v

course, he couldn't get away, and the old madam, she'd sit by his couch by the hour, and he nearly wild, making plans for him. She'd spend weeks planning details of things over and over, never getting tired. An

quiet's sake! ... But he said now he didn't mind. She was somehow sure he wouldn't have said it if it had not been true. Then Wallis's other words came to her, "He was always laughing then," and suddenly there surged up in Phyllis a passionate resolve to give Allan back at least a little of his lightness o

ed his hands to doze a little, an innocent and unwary Crusader. He did not know it, but a Plan was about to rise up and hit him. The bride his mother had left him as a parting legacy had gone out to

y. And the discreet Wallis said nothing (though he k

Allan," he

nd. And she wanted it as near and as soon as possible. By the help of Mr. De Guenther, amused but efficient, Mrs. De Guenther, efficient but sentimental; and an agent who was efficient merely, she got very nearly what she wanted. Money could do a great deal more than a country minister's daughter had ever had any way of imagining. By its aid she found it possible to have furniture bought and placed inside a fortnight, even to a list of books set up in sliding sectional cases. She had hoped to buy

ep, my dear?" asked Mrs. De Guenther gent

her seems to have omitted," said Phyllis daun

we know! And dear Angela did discuss moving often, but she could never bea

The country-house doesn't need any more than a cook, a chambermaid, and outdoor man. Mrs. Clancy is getting them. I told her I didn't care what age or color sh

Phyllis sitting in the identical pluffy chair where she had made her decision to marry Al

t was Heaven that inspired Albert and myself

lushed in

If I can only make that poor boy forget some of those dreadful

earnestly-and, most unexpectedly,

were going to do for yourself to make up for being tied to poor Allan

g crimson. Elderly people di

ly for me. And-I can't help being good to him. It's only common humanity. I was

g that she did not realize, for Mrs. De Guenther only laughed her little

deed, my dea