A Bachelor Husband

s older th

end is oldest

im we longest

ing we

have liked to stay in bed, but not for the world would sh

her room, but she dressed early this morning and

ns with her hair. Tender-hearted and loyal as she was, Marie was tremendously proud, and she made up her mind that, if the effort ki

ived, and he looked at her in blank aston

ast! Couldn't y

xpressibly, for they showed that he had not been t

him with a

away." She forced herself to eat a good breakfast, though she was not in th

Marie's greeting, and a soon as the meal was ended she f

see you up early again! I do hop

think it's time I looked after my husband a littl

b of satisfaction to see the faint look of annoyance that crossed Mrs. Heriot's face, as she leaned back in her chair and twisted the long g

to the lounge

that last night's foolishness had been swept into the rag bag of the past and forgotten; he did n

. Heriot w

g but lounge about," she said. "And you . .

aised h

n't he?" she said quietly. "What a fortunate thing for

just the right shade of concern in her voice

s of his hair, and for a moment

ou! How brave of him! I advised him not to, you know. I thought 82

e la

had had to stay out there all night, wouldn't it?" She rose with a little yawn, as if the su

s were upon him, and he was furious because his crimso

d her then,

e into the garden; there were some children playing ball in the

no triumph-only a dull sort of misery

he mask of indifference fall

what i

you about

her head

ed. "Did Feath

uiet scorn. "Do you think that

ave told you," h

yes met his

o have told

ed again to hi

ate the woman. . ." He really thought he did at the moment. "But

rupted ve

to be left alone; you coul

excuse for me, I know, and you behaved like a brick j

e free to do as you like. We agreed that, didn't we? But I think, for your own sake, it would be better to tell me next tim

n angry e

ecret! You exaggerat

." She turned to move

ve me?" he asked wit

tears swam traitorously into

she said. "I think, perhaps, we h

gether, Chris silent and morose, w

d years ago when he had pushed her out of the loft, and she had taken t

ed, and after a moment he

wish it. She said that people in the hotel would talk, an

women as all this? But she did not say what was in her mind-th

d, hopelessly. "After 84 all, you've got a

y golf with her and bridge-that is

ey walked on a little way without

nk we could go home a

ed sharply. "You m

I'm rather tir

like; I shan't be sorry t

as more angry with himself than he was with her, for it was slowly dawning upon hi

e week," Marie said quietly. "I will write to

s fr

itely," he said at last. "We shall hav

a note of anxiety in Marie's voice. Just now there was nothing she

eemed the hei

Chris went on. "We ought to manage to have q

I thin

omplained. "I suppose you're still thinki

d not

g I 85 had gone out there with-with Mr. Dakers, for instance;

ghed unaf

d Lord, you'd have been

r be anything she could do or say t

lt about you and Mrs. He

laughe

you'd be jealous of h

n him with f

f her! How dare yo

at what I've just said-that I didn't think you we

re, and he was rather interested to discov

resently. "We don't seem to have gone about mu

s rather hot to go sight-seeing,

ked at he

l as you'd like me to beli

e fr

ersist in making me an

was of

r own good." His face changed a lit

e was going to receive, but Feathers behaved as if nothing had happened. He remarked th

n in?" Chris

ust co

oked at

d a dip," he sa

aid. "I can stay with Mr. Dakers

ked at hi

after her?" he

ight

n't be long." Ch

seat in the shade, and

pose, eh?" he asked smilingly. "I heard you we

being lazy. Did Mr

ieve s

e sm

very angry wit

on e

of last

e looked away f

ng boat, I mean." Her eyes wandered out to sea, to where

course." Feathers soun

hook he

ught not to have listened, but . . . well, I did! It's quite true that listeners neve

his eyes, and the rest of his

. "I did get up in 87 the pulpit a bit, I know! A

eak, and he re

arm in it at al

laughed with a little hyst

hose people who think I am jeal

up with sudden energy. "

ave a l

e," she said drearily. "

s looke

't care for women-I know for a fact that

he thought, she told herself, seeing

on Saturday," she said, ab

unds as if you w

ely, broke off, and she turned her eyes to his face. "No, that is not true," she said impulsivel

imply, but Feathers' big hands were suddenly clenched into fists, and there wa

kind," he sa

now what I should have done without you-" She spread her han

d try and forget

e up 88 crying and struggling, just as if it had all happened

you away from the sea long a

sn't kn

Feathers ech

nking. "But we're going on Friday, and then I hope I shall forge

you going

; you know he

s, very

absent, as if his th

asked anxiously. "You will come and stay wi

up with a

am not very good company, you know-I

id that he had done more to pass the dreary hours of th

" Feathers said presently. "He asked ver

he has written to

t does Chris

, for Marie gave a scornful little laugh as she answered: "Oh, he

know, Mrs

e no secrets from one another," she broke out with shrill nervousness. "Chris and I are going to be

ilence, then Feathers

fter your accident-you said you were sure that you could never be a modern wife

ve a lit

hopelessly. "But I suppose we can

ainly, but it seems a pity to ch

like the mo

this hotel! They think of nothing but clothes and amusement and

pted, I hope," said Marie wi

hat sort of woman at all,

ou, Mr.

f the conversation bored him, an

nonsense," she said apologetically. "I

ailings and looked d

" she asked, suddenly. "Af

with the tide, and if a wave casts me up on the shore, as it did when I cam

up at him i

she said suddenly. "You don't like the hotel, or

here to

see

what sort of a woma

question with wistful anxiety, very sure that if

d you would be empty-headed and golden-haired- perhaps a little older than Ch

uch of a compl

but that is wh

candid as this to e

tly why I am so unpopular

other

imly, lookin

face,"

st. "Oh, you are not ugly! I will

ht him ugly when they first met, and th

tionally, his eyes fixed on the sea, "a woman in the crowd made

an I g

r like an old man of the sea-wet clothes are not becoming-to anyone," he added,

e said!" Marie cried hotly. "She m

ow-I think I ra

? How qu

ged his

the ugliest clothes she had ever seen." He glanced down at his baggy tweed suit. "Do you know

e la

ast,'" she said, "the Beast turned

e railings and stood lookin

aid," he said, quietly. "Shall we g

once, and turned back

and sunburnt, and his hair had crinkled up into little waves wit

een doing?" he asked

g Mr. Dakers that we are goi

d so have I," Chris said. "Why not come a

ette, which perhaps was why h

ame," he said rather curtly. "Later on, if

le upset of last night; unpleasantnesses passed over his head 92 very

he went on. "Or perhaps a flat would be better, as it'

said Feathers chaffingly, though his eyes were serious. "I thou

aughed

people, are we, Marie Celeste?" he asked, rather maliciously, wit

ook he

ven't buried the latchkey, because I shall

looked triumphan

up-to-date wife,

usband," Marie ad

," Feathers said bluntly. "Excuse me, there's a man I want to

at his wife

tick, isn't

y kind to me,"

eed. "I hope I shall not lose sight

shoul

, and he thought I was; he was fur

s h

her, you see, and I suppose he thin

not be,"

"I told him 93 you were not an exacting woman; I to

a little

why you married

s fl

u mean? Is

as it was only just a sor

till and look

altered a great deal late

herself to

mean m

thinking this morning that you seem absolutely different t

ed sharp

great deal has ha

to be conside

sed to flatter myself that you were

ade no answer, and he persis

I was!" she s

the same," he went on. "You had a funny little way of look

s desperately in love with yo

used to think you had a sort of sneaking affect

anyway!" she sa

a marriage,"

to her throat as

re getting along

at you mean by well! I suppose i

queer lit

ove with me!" The words seemed forced from her and her

out a second

h any woman, but if there ever has bee

and yet it was comfort to know t

even Feathers noticed that her eyes were bright

wless," he said to her during the evening. "It

hands to her ch

she said, "and no

yes searche

I could have told yo

eautiful evening gown, cut rather unnecessarily lo

must compliment you. You always seem to be able to make Mrs. L

she always liked to be th

e said suddenly. "It's clouded ove

needed," Feathers

a littl

I suppose you mean! Do you know that

se me," said F

out her w

Mr. Dakers!" She gla

e to-night?" she

that Chris was-he had asked her permission first, and the little attention had pleased

Heriot said with enthusiasm, when presently he had wal

ind," Marie a

woman went on sympathetically. "Or

going back with

Feathers stood talking to some people, a

m, she knew! She was a