The Innocents: A Story for Lovers

was a good one," said Father, i

a cap," said Mother, "but

ced that they needn't ever do any more work, and were ever so welcome-and then she had started to reform them. It may seem a mystery as to why a woman whose soul was composed of vinegar and chicken feathers, as was Lulu Appleby Hartwig's, should have

d at dinner, then banged his fist and laughed rollingly. He seemed surprised when Father merely flushed and tightened his tie. For

an electrolier made of seven kinds of inimical colored glass, and a plate-rack from which were hung department-store steins. On the parlor table was a kodak album with views of Harry in every stage of absurdity. There was a small c

d to tell which afflicted them more-sitting all day in their immaculate plastered and varnished room with nothing usefu

forefinger at them and bubbled, "No, no! What would the neighbors think? Don't you suppose that we can afford to have you dear old peo

aching for activity, the Applebys would be dragged out, taken to teas, shown off

ss man in New York for many years, you

nged to be sitting on a foolish sto

l cash Mother and he had less

egan to let Mother do the sock-darning-huge uninteresting piles of Harris Hartwig's faded mustard-colored cotton socks, and she snapped at Father when he was restlessly prowling about the house,

usicale she was to give, come Saturday evening. Mother was to be in a "dear ducky lace cap" and Father in a frilled shirt a

an cat and a pet mo

m not much older than your precious dumpling of a Harris." It was the snarl of

d them in their position as refreshment ornaments. Father had boldly refused to

ulu, "but you will

rm or tears on him, but he was gloomily certain that she wo

d. Lulu was acutely curious regarding it; she almost smelled it, with that quivering sharp-pointed nose of hers that could tell for hours afterward whether Father had been smoking "those nasty, undignified little cigarettes-why don't you smo

of their furniture. The agency had, they wrote, managed to break the lease, and they had dispose

left from their capital the Applebys were

d run away and start again in New York, and not let Lulu ma

Lulu has become, but I do wish she hadn't gone and set her heart on my wear

ain," complained Father. "I never did hear of such a thing before; they making us ol

ed that looked as though no one had ever dared to sleep in it. He kicked at one of the dollar-ninety-eight-cent rugs and glared at the e

like this room. It's too-clean. I

ike I never could loosen my stays and read the funnies in the last night's paper. Oh, you needn't to look at me

ender tears. He came to sit on the

us, I guess! We're going to sneak right smack out of this house, this very day, and run away to New York, and

d like to. But what-uh-wh

about lying? He'd up and jam his halo down over his ears and he'd say, 'You can't come in h

d being sacrilegious. I sh'd think you'd be ashamed, man of your age that ough

ring. Don't forget to

lively old-dame wrath and, shaking her head with a pretense of disgust, she said, comfortably, "I declare I never did see such a man, not in all my born days." She let him take her hand again, and their expression, half smiles, half musing, was like the sunshine

we have met him since you were married, writes us from Boston that he is sick, and we are going to him, we are stealing out this way because we don't want you to trouble about it, with party coming on to-morrow even'g

d only a suit-case and a steamer-trunk, the highly modern steamer-trunk which Father had once bought for a vacation

s going calling that afternoon. Father hired an expressma

aken a fancy to dusting the living-room, where the telephone lived. In all her domest

maid was polishing the silver in the dining-room, which was separated from the living-

ted in whispers. Upon which conspiracy Lu

tried on the coat and frilled shirt for to-morrow evening yet, papa? You know there may have to be some alterations in them. I'm sure mama won't mind mak

, and I ain't sure I'm a-going

n't ask very much of you, and when I do ask just this one little thing that I'm sure a

o New York. He was glad enough to escape up-stairs w

g and puffing, the two domestic anarchists lifted the steamer-trunk, slipped it under the bed and kicked th

her was highly elaborate in his descriptions of how he had tried on the tail-coat and found it to be a superb fit. As the coat was the personal theatricals-equipment of Mr. Harris Hartwig, who was shaped like the dome of the

unged into a tremor of rebellious plotting. They sat in their room, waiting for th

d at the door, unmoving, till the house was quiet, while Mother nervously hung their farewell note on the electric light, and

en have to put on an overcoat-he hadn't any worth putting on. His old overcoat had finally gone to seed and was the chief thing abandoned with the steamer-trunk. He t

bundle. It was an early November evening, chilly, a mist in the air. After their day in the enervating furnace heat the breeze seemed biting, and the garage roof was perilously slippery. Mother slid and balanced and slid

ther. "They'll hear

ade a common gallivanting old hex out of myself this way, I wouldn't come back not if Lulu and Harry

-flu

t. She had jumped from the roof without once hesitating, and she picked up her b

. Lest Lulu or the lordly Harris Hartwig descend on them, they nervously lurked in the

. You have seen old folk, quite simple and rustic old folk who are apparently unused to travel, sit motionless for hour after hour of train-travel, and you have fancied that they were unconscious of life, of speed, of wonder? So sat Father and Mother, but they were gloriously conscious of each other, and now and then, when

it's our rea

hour did she demand, "Seth, what

omething. I guess if we can bamboozle a modern fash'

N

on row of apartment-houses that mean New York no youngster first seeing the infinitely possible c

to co