Life — January 5, 1911 — page 44: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

Ne A Commonplace Affair sHE wife of the twelve-hundred-dollar-a-year clerk—the little lady who has nothing to do between meals but fritter away her time looking at the shop windows, walking along the avenues, attending an occasional mati- game of cards with kindred spirits—was lying on the lounge in her up- town flat one afternoon reading the Journal, when a friend came in, rushing on her like a new kind of animal with a desire to play. Certain people in d animals, jumping around for ex- cities are, indeed, like © ercise, brushing themselves off with their paws, or dozing idly in the imermittent rays of sunlight flickering through dusty windows. “My dear,” said the visitor, “what do you say to a real motor trip—along the river for ten miles or so—and then a i rm supper and return by moonlight?” “With our husbands?” “Certainly not. How would they get enough money to pay for it? I know the loveliest chauffcur in the world, and he wants us to come—everything is arranged. You must be at the entrance to the Waldorf at four o'clock. You can wear anything light. He has fur coats for us all.” Confronted by this adorable temptation, the lady on the lounge reflected as much as she ever did over such a repre- hensible thing “If John should discover it?" she said tentatively. « Resides, he has half promised to take me to a table d’héte on Sixth Avenue. I should have to make an excuse.” “You can say that you are visiting me for the night. It would be perfectly plausible. In fact, that is what you can do. You can come back to my flat.” “But your husband——" “Ts out of town. You sce, it is perfect hurry.” In a moment all was bustle. An old gown was ex- changed for a new one, the other adjustments made, a note written and in half an hour the friends were hurrying to the rendez-vous. The car was waiting for them, with two chauf- feurs instead of one, and in another half hour they were speeding along the Hudson thoroughly enjoying the crisp air. The supper was a grand success. But longer than was ex- pected. everal hotles of wine were consumed. At midnight a merry party, laughing and singir along a dark and tortuous way. Then there was a crash. Come, we must . returned Something had happened. The stecring gear had broken. The whole party was precipitated down the side of an embankment. Shouts in the distance. An ambulance. And then to the hospital, The car belonged to a prominent millionaire. He appeared the next morning and testified in the usual manner that he knew nothing of the occurrence. The driver of the car, badly injured, was placed under arrest pending his recovery. His companion was held as a witness. The two ladies were also detained. It was said that they would be out of the hospital in two or three days. John, the lady's husband, reading of the affair in the papers the next morning, suspected something, although he failed to recognize the printed names. He went to the friend's flat and from there to the hospital, where his injured wife embraced him with tears of repentance. He forgave her temporarily, EXTRACT FROM A COMING NOVEL “TREMBLING WITH EMOTION, SHE SANK INTO HER LOVER'S OUT- STRETCHED ARMS. pending future developments. voree. The chauffeur, who served thirty days, has another job with the same pay he always got. The millionaire has a new motor car. The little lady is a hard drinker. The inn where they got their supper is still doing a thriving business. The Hudson still rolls on. T. LM. Six months later he got a di- comicbooks.com