The Double Life Of Mr. Alfred Burton

There was no doubt about Ellen's being at home. The few feet of back yard were full of white garments of unlovely shape, recently washed and fluttering in

ess. "Good morning, Ellen," he said. "I am

he clothes-peg

er in her tone. "I don't suppose you've forgotten your way into the parlor.

e wall with elaborate care. Burton, hating himself and the whole situat

ing one foot in the passage. "I'm busy. You haven

," he said, gently. "I have something to

of fierce contempt mingled

anything to say to me you'll have to wait a bit, that's all. I've got some clothe

red, his hair shiny, his cheeks redolent of recent ablutions, more than a trifle reluctant. His conversation was limited to a few monosyllables and a whoop of joy at the receipt of a s

Her skirt was unpinned, a mauve bow adorned her throat, a scarf of some gauzy material, also mauve, floated around her neck. She was wearing a hat wi

et directly," she said

ind that the fewer words

rhaps noticed a certain change

heave and her eyes to f

ontinued. "I want you to, though, if you can. There have bee

e in. "What's that?" Burton c

ok, or whenever I listen, I can always see or hear truth. I know nothing about music, yet since this thing happened it has been a wonderful joy to me. I can tell a false note in a second, I can tell true music from false.

red at hi

dotty, Alfred

ok his

wiser than ever I was before. Only there are penalties.

o her waist. It was an unfortunate and inherited habit of her

nsisted. "Why has all this made you leave

or his last f

is hideous," he declare

urniture impossible, the

rong and so are Alfred

in the way we have be

ve a lit

are you doi

are things in life beyond the pale of our knowledge, things which we must accept simply by faith. The change which came to me came through eating a sort of bean, grown by an old man who was brought home from Asia by a great scholar. Th

litter in her eyes should have warned him. The greatness of his subject, however, had carried him away. Hi

he things?"

garden glowed and faded before his eyes. A wave of delicious perfume came and went. The girl-slim, white-clad-looked

he directed. "Keep the oth

top her she had thrown them out of the open window in

ly, "you can follow your-be

was indeed stirred to the very depths of her nature, but the emo

f debt, and I stitched my fingers to the bone with odd bits of dressmaking. Good enough for you then, my man, when I cooked your dinner, washed your clothes, kept your house clean and bore your son, working to the last moment till my head swam and my k

nd the excitement and were hanging down. The mauve bow had worked its way on to one side-very nearly under her ear. There was no deceit nor any pretence about her. She was the daughter of a washerwoman and

and the boy to understand. I wanted you to share the things whi

rselves and our own happiness,"

ands. I can bear it. Why don't yo

s hand. She frank

that rigmarole about tru

pretense. Outside, my

tears which were imminent. A little dazed, he still groped his way to the spot where Ellen had thrown the beans. A man was there with a fruit barrow, b

r?" the man asked, in a tone unusu

shook h

ing what you were

n hesi

underneath there-most of them a little going off. It was the only way," he added with a sigh, "that one could make a profit. I have made up my mind, though, to either throw them away

nything just lately?" Burton a

is questioner, for

plied. "Just a bite of bread and c

t anything at all

it, a few minutes ago. Queer flavor it h

glanced around at the neighborhood in which he had

u!" he murmured,