fall back on if his wealth should fail
him. Give every young man an employment of some sort, no matter how rich
he may be, and he will know what to do when his father 'busts'."

Marion, somehow, found herself agreeing with her husband's views. His
ideas had always seemed so restricted before. She wondered why he was
becoming so sensible.

Francois cleared the table and changed the glasses; the coffee was
brought and Duncan and Roswell lighted their cigars. Marion usually
remained during the smoking when the party was small, so the talk went
on uninterruptedly, Roswell continuing his easy flow of anecdote and
argument, and turning the conversation as one subject after another was
suggested to his mind. Marion caught herself occasionally looking at her
husband with a feeling of admiration, and wondered why she had never
before discovered his charm of manner. She felt that he occasionally
turned his keen eyes toward her as though he understood her thoughts,
and she was afraid that he might be able to see her heart.

"I read a case in the paper this morning which impressed me sadly," said
Roswell, putting down his empty coffee cup. "I knew the people and it
seemed but the outcome of my fears."

"What was it?" asked Marion.

"The wife of a man I have known in business has left him. The husband
went to Decatur on Thursday, and when he returned he found that she had
fled the night before with her music teacher."

"It was probably a good riddance, wasn't it," said Duncan.

Marion thought these words unnecessarily harsh and she found herself
looking appealingly at Roswell for a charitable reply.

"I can't say that," replied Roswell. "The trouble was that they had
nothing in common. He was a man who began life as a page on the Board of
Trade. By careful attention to business he worked his way up until he is
now a very successful broker. He has, however, absolutely no social
position, and no prospect of attaining one. When, two years ago, he went
East, and married a girl who belonged to a good Syracuse family and
brought her West, it must have been a bitter disappointment to the young
wife to find herself denied the recognition which she was accustomed to
receive at home. She was alone in a strange city. Her husband was away
most of the time, and he was so completely wrapped up in business that
his wife was left to her own resources. Can you condemn her entirely for
doing as she did? It is all very well to behave if we hav