concerting stranger, of whom he caught only occasional
glimpses.

About the first of May, I returned home. They were all at the station to
meet me; my fiance had even broken into his office hours to be there
too. We had seen each other seldom during my absence from home, for New
York was a long way off, and he was saving his pennies religiously for
the great event. When we married, our income would be a tight fit in
any case, and I could not help rejoicing that my singing might add
considerably to it. There were no $1000 church positions in our town,
but one or two of the churches paid respectable salaries to their
quartets, and I hoped soon to begin to make a concert career.

For a little while after my return I was very happy. Every one was so
nice to me and seemed to think I had done remarkable things already. Our
church asked me to sing a solo the Sunday when the bishop was expected,
and I held a sort of reception afterwards and heard many pleasant things
about my progress. After my hard work and self-denial, the rest, the
gentle flattery, and the comfort of home surroundings were very welcome.

Only with my fiance things were not so satisfactory. Something, I did
not know what, was the matter; but it all culminated one evening in his
saying that no married woman should follow a profession, that she should
find "occupation enough in her own home." This was really a great shock
to me, as he had promised me his support in my work so often. Imagine my
surprise after a three years' engagement, when he had his family tell me
just three weeks before the wedding that I was to give up all hope of
singing professionally after encouraging me in it during the entire
time. I knew by then that I could never be happy nor make him happy if
I gave up all thought of singing professionally.

I asked him very quietly if those were his convictions, and, on his
affirmative answer, I took off his ring, returned it to him, and went
upstairs without one more word, feeling as if I had been awakened out of
a nightmare, and though still palpitating from the shock was
experiencing relief at finding it over. In my own room I stretched my
arms above my head and said, "_Free!_" A marvellous vista of freedom
opened to me after the months of strain. I could hardly bear to go to
sleep; it was so wonderful to plan how I could go ahead and study,
study.

The next morning I saw my mistake in supposing the affair to be over,
for there ensued many t