The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton

his place in a third-class carriage in his customary train to Garden Green. Ned

demanded in amazement. "Have you robbed a bank and goin

His eyes seemed filled with some nameles

rmer style of dress," he replied

d exclaimed. "Strike me blind if I should have known

truth. It is one of those matters, I suppose," h

le dazed. "Come in and have some farthing nap with the boys. They

he was unable to keep the d

night, t

e platform. Good sports and excellent fellows he had thought them yesterday. To-day he had no words for them. He simply knew that they grated upon every nerve in his body a

ttering with paint, appalled him. The larger villas-self-conscious types all reeking with plaster and false decorations-set him shivering. He turned into his own street and his heart sank. Something had indeed touched his eyes and he saw new and terrible things. The row of houses looked as though they had come out of a child's playbox. They were all untrue, shoddy, uninviting. The waste space on the other side of the unmade

He's cut off all the hair from his lip and he's got

with some measure of good looks woefully obscured by a hard and unsympathetic expression. Burton knew these things also. It flashed into his mind as he stood there that her first attraction to him had be

Alfred?" his better half demanded. "What are you

r arms akimbo, disapproval written in her face. Her hair was exceedingly untidy and there was a smut

demanded. "And why are you dressed li

nsolation. A newly-discovered sens

clothes," he replied. "

eated, almost hysterically. "Do you mea

ike it," Bur

hat, no t

ook his h

ished, for the present, at any rate,

," Ellen ord

he had imagined. The suite of furniture which was the joy of his wife's heart had been, it is true, exceedingly cheap, but the stamped magenta velvet was as crude in its coloring as his own discarded t

. The distaste upon her face had rather increased. She looke

rying a man who looked like a gentleman, at least! Do you mean

Burton replie

el

a few words? You have given expression to your disli

got to say?" she de

your bun," Bur

ife shrieked, her hands fly

n repeated. "I don't like that brooch with the false diamonds, and

the moment she failed to express hers

but it makes you walk like a duck, and it leaves unconcealed so much of your s

rday," Ellen gasped, "and I wasn't go

her any one does not," Burton insisted. "Your own sense of self-respect should tell yo

mother faltered. "You're get

lain sailor-suit, or a tweed knickerbocker suit with a flannel collar, would be better than

ed sharply. "Haven't forgotten you'

urton admitted, "but I

ed towards

nished all that rubbishing talk. There's some tea in the

of the table for a few moments, gazing helplessly about him. Presently Ellen descended the stairs and called

hat!" he sho

hort upon her w

y you're coming out with us like that-coming t

his head. "You may not be quite used to it yet, but I can assure you that it is far more

h and closed it again

nts to hear the soldier music and we are

with whom he was occasionally forced to hold futile conversation. He hated the sly punch in the ribs from one of his quondam companions, the artful murmur about getting the missis to look another way and the hurried visit to a neighboring public-house, the affected anger and consequent jokes which followed upon their return. As they walked homeward, the cold ugliness of it all seemed almost to paralyze his newly awakene

jokes. What Mr. and Mrs. Johnson must have thought of you, I can't imagine, standing there like a stick when they stopped to be civil for a few minutes, and behaving as though you never ev

am

He thirsted to tell the truth, but a new and gentle kindliness ke

ed?" she again demanded. "Have you l

gh. His manner was so entirely non-provocati

ersisted. "What is it that you don't like a

to have been able to prevaricate, but he could n

ke you to wash your face thoroughly in plain soap and water and never again touch a powder-puff or that nasty red stuff you have on your lips. I should like you to throw away those fancy blouses with the imitation lace, which

ificial means of lending brightness to her eyes. What sh

?" she demande

ve all spread into little holes, and one can't help noticing it, especially as your shoes are such a bright yellow. That stuff that looks like lace at the bottom of your petticoat has

trembling lips. "What about m

r worst. It must be very uncomfortable to wear, too, with all those pins sticking out of it. Colored glass they are made of, aren't they?

nis

at her app

o things about the h

e more eloquent she became. When she had finished, Burton had disappeared. She followed him to the doo