"I saw the light in your room, as I came down street," he said. "What
on earth kept you up so late?"
"I was waiting," Edith replied, "to talk with you."
He came across the chamber, and regarded her a moment curiously; then
he turned away with a slight shrug of the shoulders.
"You will perhaps excuse me," he said, "if I make myself comfortable. I
am pretty tired."
He went to his dressing-room, coming back a moment later in smoking
jacket and slippers, cutting a cigar as he walked. The reaction from
the excitement of the evening already showed itself in the darkened
circles beneath his eyes, and the pallor of his lips.
"Do you mind my smoking?" he asked, carelessly. "We've been having the
deuce of a time at the club, and my nerves have all gone to pieces. I
tell you, Edith," he went on, a sudden spark of excitement showing in
his eyes, "I've had a tremendous row, but I've beaten. I made them pass
a vote of censure on the Executive Committee, and then Herman got them
to instruct the Secretary to send out a printed notice taking back that
vote of theirs; and then I offered my resignation, and they voted
unanimously not to accept it."
"I am so glad!" Edith responded warmly. "That censure was so
outrageous. Tell me all about it."
She was so pleased to find herself talking cordially and intimately
with her husband that she forgot for the moment what she had meant to
say to him.
Pages:
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304