Argosy, Vol. 1 (1882) — page 341: what you’re looking at

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

332 some, well dressed women, who took life easy, and he took no trouble to ex- plain why his own wife was never in evidence. . * * * * One summer John was called to Lon- don on business. Annis might have gone with him, but he never thought of that. Affairs at home could have been arranged, and the trip would have satished one of the great longings of her life, but she was too proud to mention it. If he had asked her to go she might have refused, for she had grown mor- bidly sensitive as to putting her hus- band to shame on her account, and she had a feeling that after all these years she could not bring herself up to date, as it were, so that his pride might not be hurt at her appearance. So the opportunity slipped by and John went alone, feeling that he was doing his full duty in leaving his wife comfortable in her home. He had been gone but a few days when Annis received a letter from her old friend Eleanor, She had not heard from her for more than five years. The letter told of the gay life she was lead- ing, of the many places she had seen in her travels, and of the brilliant peo- ple she met, until Annis Denham’s heart ached with envy and loneliness. If she could make a dash for liberty, if she could snatch a bit of some other life than the one she was living, she would be content afterwards to bear patiently her humdrum existence. The wish grew to a longing she could not control. In the midst of her longing came a thought that almost took her breath— but the thought grew and strength- ened. The boys were away, one at college, the other traveling on business. She had a cousin in Washington from whom she had not heard in many years, but she would take this occasion to make her a visit It would be some- thing ! THE ARGOSY. Triie, the cousin lived quietly in the outskirts of the city, but there would be the travel, the sight seeing, which she had not enjoyed for years; she might rejuvenate and freshen her life, her looks, her feelings, her ideas, so that when John came home he would not be ashamed of her; he might be will- ing to take her out into his own life Once more. She would try it! * * * * John Denham was enjoying himself fully. He had written several letters home, but they told little of himself or his doings. He was combining much pleasure with business, and he wrote briefly of the business, saying little of the pleasure. He had been invited to the homes of friends, and had met many agreeable people. He was greatly pleased and surprised one evening at a dinner to meet his wife’s old friend, Eleanor Bray. He had not seen her for nearly twenty years, and he did not recognize her at once, but she knew him. He was surprised at the brilliant, handsome woman before him, and could not help contrasting her with An- nis, yet in their young days Annis had been the prettier, the more charming in many ways. He wondered at the change. “ Mr. Denham,” she said to him, “T have had a long letter from your wife recently. JI wrote to her a few weeks ago. I have been so remiss lately, but I wanted to know how my friend was faring. She appears to be quite her old self.” “ Yes,” he answered, but in his heart he felt it was not true. “ I have had but one letter since I left home,” he went on; “she has not answered my letters regularly, but I suppose she 1s busy.” “Oh, she is having such a gay time in your absence—she can hardly find time for letters. Come and dine with us at the Langham tomorrow.” “What could she mean?” he asked himself, when he found time to think over her words. GOmMiGooe SS CO