e and one bed which were already
provided. The necessary curtains for the bath and kitchen windows she
cut, decorated and hung for herself. She went down to the storage
company where the unsold and undisplayed portion of Eugene's pictures
were and brought back seven, which she placed in the general living-room
and dining-room. All Eugene's clothes, his underwear and socks
particularly, received her immediate attention, and she soon had his
rather attenuated wardrobe in good condition. From the local market she
bought good vegetables and a little meat and made delightful stews,
ragouts, combinations of eggs and tasty meat juices after the French
fashion. All her housekeeping art was employed to the utmost to make
everything look clean and neat, to maintain a bountiful supply of varied
food on the table and yet to keep the cost down, so that they could not
only live on nine dollars a week, but set aside a dollar or more of that
for what Angela called their private bank account. She had a little
hollow brown jug, calculated to hold fifteen dollars in change, which
could be opened when full, which she conscientiously endeavored to fill
and refill. Her one desire was to rehabilitate her husband in the eyes
of the world--this time to stay--and she was determined to do it.

For another thing, reflection and conversation with one person and
another had taught her that it was not well for herself or for Eugene
for her to encourage him in his animal passions. Some woman in Blackwood
had pointed out a local case of locomotor-ataxia which had resulted from
lack of self-control, and she had learned that it was believed that many
other nervous troubles sprang from the same source. Perhaps Eugene's
had. She had resolved to protect him from himself. She did not believe
she could be injured, but Eugene was so sensitive, so emotional.

The trouble with the situation was that it was such a sharp change from
his recent free and to him delightful mode of existence that it was
almost painful. He could see that everything appeared to be satisfactory
to her, that she thought all his days had been moral and full of hard
work. Carlotta's presence in the background was not suspected. Her idea
was that they would work hard together now along simple, idealistic
lines to the one end--success for him, and of course, by reflection, for
her.

Eugene saw the charm of it well enough, but it was only as something
quite suitable for others. He was an art