ne
pleasures. Each had been known to lie awake many nights before their
marriage summing up the situation, and putting two and two together;
but, as they were both liberal in their political views, and had no
conservative opposition, the two and two always made four without a
decimal remainder, and the house voted for marriage with an overwhelming
majority. So they became legally united before they were morally mature
for love, and before they had formal introduction to the great things of
the world. After the solemnization of their marriage they adjourned to a
beautiful little home which had been made to order; and it was guarded
by a beautiful garden of Eden.

For a short time everything went merry as the Ashcroft curlers' ball.
Her happiness was all he lived for, and his comfort was the only excuse
she could find for living. Nothing was too good for his Maud; no man
was like her Manfred. They each congratulated themselves that they had
hooked the best fish from the Thompson. There was nothing in the world
outside of their own sweet lives. How others could live outside of
_their_ sphere was a mystery to them; and the hugs and kisses which they
did not treat themselves to daily would be of no commercial value as a
love asset.

For the first few weeks they spent their evenings with their tentacles
wound around each other so tightly that they would have passed for one
animal; but they had not been welded by that permanent binding quality
which is essential to perpetual happiness. Their natures seemed to
blend, but it was only a case of superfluous friendship between them.
They had no reason to fall out, no excuse to quarrel. They had one mind,
one ambition, and they had agreed, mutually, to salt down a few "plunks"
each payday for their anticipated gray days. In fact, they seemed better
"cut out" for each other than many who marry loving desperately and
savagely.

In a few sweet years they had a few sweet children, and life was one
sweet dream. But they did not love each other, and without oxygen the
lights ultimately became extinguished. But this was only because the
ironies of fate had discovered that they were too happy, and that
something must be done to damage their heavenliness.

The honeymoon might, otherwise, have lasted all their long lives without
interruption. But fate decreed that the clouds should gather from the
north, south, east and west to obliterate their sun. It happened in the
shape of two monste