ains, giving no sign. It was true that a
change had come over her, and that her mirror reflected smarter toilets,
a different carriage, and a fresher charm. For one reason, she looked
younger because she was much more cheerful. "I am a child with a new
toy," she would say to herself. But there is no question that she found
a pungent enjoyment in her new activity. One of the perpetual wonders of
life is how small a figure the stake cuts in the game. It is infinitely
more exciting to make money, for example, than to have it. To keep our
souls in repair they need exercise; and the vicissitudes, the emotions,
the excitement of a career, happily do not depend on the size of the
stage. The great stake, the large stage, count; but they count less than
their claims. What comes to more than the pomp of success (as the vulgar
name an intangible thing) is the elation of using all one's powers; nor
is there any tawdry applause comparable to the rich and fine content of
accomplishment. But often Myrtle caught Darius's pondering eyes and
wondered to herself what he was thinking. Really, Darius was
experiencing the rather piquant emotions of a man who discovers an
entirely new creature in his own wife. By a natural transition his
thoughts went back to the days when he was courting Myrtle Danforth, and
"couldn't make her out;" by an equally natural process of selection, he
fumbled through dim passages in his soul, striving to see the relation
between this assured and graceful woman of affairs and the joyous young
beauty that he had won, the high-hearted comrade of his poverty and
struggles, the tender comforter of his sorrows. A hundred little
trivial, affecting incidents rose out of the hazy years to gripe his
heart. He felt a novel shyness, however; and the only token of his
feelings (outside the check-book) was a habit he had fallen into of
watching his wife when she was not looking.

Of course, she was aware of it; she was thinking of it at this moment,
while the Massachusetts woman behind her unpacked her conscience on her
nearest Indiana neighbor.

"And how does Indiana stand?" said the evangelist, finally.

"Well, if you ask _me_," said the Indianian, wearily, "we have troubles
of our own; and we are not thinking much about it!"

At this, her companion (also from Massachusetts, but with a sense of
humor), giggled and essayed to cover her indecorum by asking Mrs. Hardy
if she had attended the industrial sessions. "I have tried