Her Husband's Purse

ct of her betrothal to Daniel Leitzel, she realized that the "turn for the worse," as she called it, had come to her upon

man and tender and self-forgetful; and he had exhibited a cleverness in entertaining and f

l's countenance of vivid pleasure as, from his place on the floor, unable to rise because of the children sprawling all over him, he had gazed up at her. But when, after watching him play for a half-hour with the babies, sh

garet was astonished to find herself blushing; to discover

, as on the previous night, left on her hands, she could not be indifferent to the novel experience of finding herself the object of

aux pas did not break the peculiar s

shelves near him. "Here are about twenty books all by one man-James

liam, the novelist and the psychologist, you know; only, Uncle Osm

than about the other two. Jesse was an outlaw, yo

liam James? I'm sure they wou

ngly. "Bad blood al

member Uncle Osmond used to say," she added, a reminiscent dreaminess in her eyes which held Daniel's breathless gaze, "that only in a very primitive or provi

ce say "damned," even though quoting. Why, one would think a nice girl would be

e a Christian?" h

!" she

ous a question? Daniel was finding Miss B

aved?" he as

al theologian would

't influence you

r have lived so long with his devilish disposition, or, as he used to call it, his 'hell of a temper.'" ("If he's going to fall in l

two vices, Mr. Leitzel

ou are different from any girl I ever met. As a conversation

they are n

for instance, about 'respectability,' I'm sure I never heard our New Munich young ladies say things like that. However," he added, his face softenin

dren, aren't you, Mr. Leit

ike to have a large family

had a moment's doubt as to the maidenly modesty o

a doubt, and he therefore curbed, somewhat, the expression of his real self, adapting his discourse, though vaguely, to the evident tastes of the woman whose favour he sought. Also, his genuine interest in her made him less obnoxiously egotistical. Indeed, all his most offensive traits were, at this time, and unfortunately for poor Margaret's fa

y expenditure he considered necessary for the accomplishment of his courting. If he had known that it was only the attention, the thoughtfulness, the devotion showered upon her c

fatally, into the arms of Daniel Leitzel, her conscience f

he sort of love that would make marriage a madness of ecstasy! Too great, indeed, for a human soul to bear! And even if one did not presently discover one's mate to be a delusion with an Adam's apple, who said 'Yes, sir,' to a negro,

e, and now, what could be more prosaic than their jog-trot rela

t of a loveless marriage th

ad an Adam's apple. Better, it seems to me, to marry with eyes open and not blinded by love.' Then, at least, one would not have to suffer a dreadful flop afterward. The higher one's ideal in marriage, the more certainly does one seem doomed to bitter disillusionment. Probably the jo

at spiritual passion, given and returned--" Her face turned white, she closed her eyes for an instant upon the too dazzling light of the vision. "But then," she resumed her self-justification, "if the highest ideal of marriage is unrealizable, should one compromise with a lower

conduced to make her walk blindly into such a marriage as this with Daniel Leitzel, nothing in her whole life had in t

sal of marriage assumed obviated any necessity on

at least several months longer. But I can spare so little time away from my business. And to court you by correspondence-well, I am certainly too much of a gentleman to send typewritten letters, dictated to my stenographer, to a lady, especially one so refined as you are and one whom I want to make my wife. And to write out letters myself, that's something I have neither time nor inclination for. And something I'm not used to either. So, I thoug

yer's brief, Margaret thought, as, sitt

iduous attentions, that my suit was agreeable to you and that you would accept me wh

hat could have made you think so? They h

rsistently put themselves in the way of my seeing you alone, and thus tried to interf

sounding" her? Perhaps it was that she, on her side, was so persistently reticent not only as to her own property but with regard to his possessions. Never had she even hinted any curiosity as to his income, though he had several times led up to the subject in order to give her the necessary opportunity. The mat

aginary, she received her first glimpse of the notorious obstinacy of the little lawyer, and she recognized, with some conste

ould not only save me the expense of another trip South, but would avert any further plotting on the part of your family. I'm afraid to leave the spot," he affirmed, "without taking you with me. Anyway, I ca

niel, his cold-blooded dissection of his penurious motives in

a matter-of-fact tone, "I agree with

going ahead too fast, am I? My feelings ran away with me, Margaret, for the moment because it's simply unthinka

ight as well. But if it is to be done, we sh

make her a mother, if it is not a sacred and ennobling relation, must be a degrading one, and no experiences of life, however embittering, can ever wholly obliterate this profound intuition. Cynical as were Margaret's theories of love and marriage, she could never have given herself to Daniel Leitzel had she not felt goaded to it by her unfitne

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