been strange to her up to the time she
was cast into it by a disgusted mother-in-law, and it is still more
interesting to find that she nourished a sly hope that some day George
would kick over the traces in a very manly fashion and marry her all over
again!

Be that as it may, the bereft and humiliated George favoured his mother
and sister with innumerable half-hours in which they had to contend with
scornful and exceedingly bitter opinions on the iniquity of marriage as it
is practised among the elect. He fairly bawled his disapproval of the sale
of Anne to the decrepit Mr. Thorpe, and there was not a day in the week
that did not contain at least one unhappy hour for the women in his home,
for just so often he held forth on the sanctity of the marriage vows.

He was connected with a down-town brokerage firm and he was as near to
being a failure in the business as an intimate and lifelong friend of the
family would permit him to be and still allow him to remain in the office.
His business was the selling of bonds. The friend of the family was the
head of the firm, so no importance should be attached to the fact that
George did not earn his salt as a salesman. It is only necessary to report
that the young man made frequent and determined efforts to sell his wares,
but with so little success that he would have been discouraged had it not
been for the fact that he was intimately acquainted with himself. He knew
himself too well to expect people to take much stock in the public
endeavours of one whose private affairs were so far beneath notice. Men
were not likely to overlook the disgraceful treatment of the little
"mustard girl," for even the men who have mistreated women in their time
overlook their own chicanery in preaching decency over the heads of others
who have not played the game fairly. George looked upon himself as a
marked man, against whom the scorn of the world was justly directed.

Strange as it may appear, George Tresslyn was a tall, manly looking
fellow, and quite handsome. At a glance you would have said that he had a
great deal of character in his make-up and would get on in the world. Then
you would hear about his matrimonial delinquency and instantly you would
take a second glance. The second and more searching look would have
revealed him as a herculean light-weight,--a man of strength and beauty and
stature spoiled in the making. And you would be sorry that you had made
the discovery, for it would t