The Argosy — page 140: what you’re looking at

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

On and Off. 123 ant, and been wise ; but even the most improvident of men likes to have an idea where he is going to sleep to-morrow night.” ** And have you no ideas on your own account ?” “Plenty, but I’ve been waiting for you to emerge from your aunt’s boxes before I could propound them. One does not feel encouraged to discuss one’s future destinies, when the partner of them lives with her head in a cupboard.” “IT don’t know that I feel encouraged to be the partner of your future destinies.” “What on earth do you mean ?” “Do you think your prospects are cheerful ? ” “IT don’t see that they are so bad. We've got something in hand, and something coming in, and I bring home something every evening Iget a game. We can go into lodgings for a little, and look about us. I think of going into the army. They haven’t enough men for their vacancies now, so there will be no trouble. ‘You would like a military life, wouldn’t you ?” “When we had to live on your pay! It would be simply genteel starvation.” “I suppose that must be the word forit, for it’s exactly what had occurred to myself. But what elseisthere for us? We may as well put the best face we can on it.” “Yes, there is something else for us.” “What, then ?” ** Separation.” | Wilfrid jumped up from his chair with a force that knocked it down, and began to walk about. Ada, having launched her torpedo, stitched nervously at some wretched little bit of work, rather frightened about the effect. “You don’t mean that?” he said presently, stopping at the mantel- piece again. “IT do,” she replied, growing bolder; and she laid down her work and looked at him. ‘‘ The poverty, and the worry, and the wretched struggle of keeping up appearances all belong to our keeping to- gether. Each of us can get on much better alone. You would do very well in the army without a wife. I have a little money, I have friends, and I have wits ; I can support myself.” “And what about getting married, and taking each other for better for worse?” ‘““Why, you know we never meant it in the least. We agreed to take each other for worse, because we were quite sure that it would turn out for better. That was a condition understood. It has not been fulfilled ; and circumstances alter cases.” “Well, you ave the coolest little piece of goods I ever heard of!” declared Wilfrid, half angry and half amused. There was Ada pro- posing the straight course out of all the ignominious miseries which had been afflicting his imagination, and yet he was vexed with her EOmMmicbooks (E(©) m