The Argosy — page 314: what you’re looking at

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

' A Marriage in the Dark. 291 my arms round his neck and looked at him with pride and wonder. How could he say he was ugly and commonplace ? ‘Why did you tell me such stories ?” were my first words to him, My husband laughed. “You see, darling,” said he, ‘‘ you had got an idea into that pretty little head of yours that I was making some sort of a sacrifice. By running myself down a littlh—not much—I thought to make matters easier. But come with me. I want to show you the kind of sacrifice I made.” And my husband slipped my arm within his own, and piloted me carefully out of the room and along the passage: for I was at first very uncertain about distances, and sometimes even shut my eyes in order to move about more confidently. We entered a cozy little chamber in which a bright fire was burning. <A carefully-shaded moderator lamp stood on a small table, and not far from it were placed two magnificent cheval glasses. ‘* Now, Conny,” said my husband, “I want you to look straight in front of you, and to give me your candid opinion of what you see there.” I looked obediently, but the sense of sight was too recently acquired for me to perceive, at once, the nature of the things I gazed at. The reflection I saw in the glass seemed to me a mysterious kind of picture. I recognised my husband’s figure, and beside him stood a tall, handsome girl, with fair hair and brilliant eyes. His arm was round her waist, and she leaned upon him confidently, apparently very much at home. “She is exceedingly pretty,” said I, startled into admiration. ‘“ But who ” I stopped short, for as I turned half jealously towards him the figure in the glass turned too. ‘‘ Why, it is my own reflection,” was my wondering exclamation. “Little Vanity,” said my husband laughing. ‘‘ As if you didn’t know who it was!” But I protest I didn’t. C. H,. PALMER. comicooolks (SO) mn