COMMUTER'S WIFE 21 



oecause he will never have the money to buy any- 

 thing but an almanac, and that species of dissenter 

 moves about too much to carry a library if he had 

 one. But, Barbara, I very much dislike taking or 

 living in another man's house, even if he is your 

 father. Besides, the pity of leaving all this," and 

 he glanced around the garden. 



"If we only take the part that isn't filled with 

 father and books, we shan't be taking very much," 

 I ventured. 



Evan laughed, as the recollection of father's 

 pervasion of every nook and corner came back to 

 him. 



Then I squeezed my hands between his, because 

 Evan is always best content when he is protecting 

 something, and fairly begged him to take me home. 

 "As for a garden," I argued, "we will have a 

 charming one, and we will begin it with your god- 

 mother's fifty pounds that she gave us to buy some- 

 thing ' useful and instructive ' for a wedding present. 

 What could be better ? The use will be beauty and 

 the learning pleasure. I will be the only gardener, 

 and you shall have a buttonhole flower for every 

 week-day and two for Sundays." 



" And go in and out of town and be a commuter, 

 like the men of that hungry-looking crowd that I 



