COMMUTER'S WIFE 183 



"Do you ever read these books?" quoth Evan, 

 who was momentarily becoming aware that, accord- 

 ing to the habit with book lovers, as far as the 

 the shelf room was concerned we were expecting to 

 have more than a cat in her skin. 



" Of course I haven't recently." 



" Do you ever expect to again ? " 



" I'm not sure that is, I may wish to. I used to 

 like them, and I do now, though I can't tell why." 



" I will give you an idea," said Evan, as he saw 

 my expression. " Range them along the attic 

 shelves and call them the garden of remembrance, 

 where you may stray for memory's sake, just as we 

 keep in an odd corner of the outdoor garden some 

 old-time flowers whose use is gone, whose beauty is 

 questionable, and yet the remembrances they bring 

 entitle them to life." 



It was slow work, this arranging ; for almost 

 every volume had something to say or a reason to 

 give why it should be planted in a particular nearby 

 case. * It was noon before we had more than made 

 a beginning. 



Then there was a temporary interruption caused 

 by the appearance of a man who lived far up the 

 road. He was first seen coming zig-zag along the 

 stone fences steadying himself with a pole. He 



