ouble about his wife."

"What was the trouble?" asked two or three anxious voices--anxious for
some racy scandal.

"Couldn't learn any of the particulars, only that he took his wife from
a gentleman's arm in a rude kind of way, and left the party."

"Oh! that accounts for their not coming home in a carriage," broke in
one of the listeners.

"Perhaps so. But who said they didn't ride home?"

"Mr. Craig. He and Mrs. Craig saw them as they came to the door,
covered with snow. They were walking."

"Oh, you were at the party, Mr. Craig? Did you see or hear anything
about this affair?"

"Nothing," replied Mr. Craig. "If there had been any trouble, I should
most likely have heard something of it."

"I had my information from a gentleman who was there," said the other.

"I don't question that," replied Mr. Craig. "A trifling incident but
half understood will often give rise to exaggerated reports--so
exaggerated that but little of the original truth remains in them. The
general may have done something under the excitement of wine that gave
color to the story now in circulation. I think that very possible. But
I don't believe the affair to be half so bad as represented."

While this conversation was going on Mrs. Abercrombie sat alone in her
room. She had walked the floor restlessly as the time drew near for the
general's return, but after the hour went by, and there was no sign of
his coming, all the life seemed to go out of her. She was sitting now,
or rather crouching down, in a large cushioned chair, her face white
and still and her eyes fixed in a kind of frightened stare.

Time passed, but she remained so motionless that but for her wide-open
eyes you would have thought her asleep or dead.

No one intruded upon her during the brief afternoon; and when darkness
shut in, she was still sitting where she had dropped down nerveless
from mental pain. After it grew dark Mrs. Abercrombie arose, lighted
the gas and drew the window curtains. She then moved about the room
putting things in order. Next she changed her dress and gave some
careful attention to her personal appearance. The cold pallor which had
been on her face all the afternoon gave way to a faint tinge of color,
her eyes lost their stony fixedness and became restless and alert. But
the trouble did not go out of her face or eyes; it was only more active
in expression, more eager and expectant.

After all the changes in her toilette had been made, Mrs. Abe