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FIDELIA

David. I'm so glad we're married and I can talk to you about her. She's so thin, David; I'd like to see that she has delicious things which she'd like."

"Oh, she gets enough food," David objected.

"But she is so thin! Couldn't we hire a maid for her?"

"Mother," exclaimed David, "with a maid!"

"I mean to cook for her and do the housework. I love her already, David; and I want her so to love me!"

"I want her to!" muttered David and his throat felt choked. He gazed away from his wife and then, looking at her, he bade, suddenly: "Put up your hair."

She obeyed him and he could see that he had puzzled her by his tone; for his father and mother, and the thought of bringing his wife to his home, were in his mind and had made him order an end to abandon. He could not explain this; he suggested: "Shall we go out in the canoe now?"

She arose, giving him her hands, warmly clasping his.

When they were upon the water, there fled from Fidelia's mind all concern over what his father would want her to do; but David did not dismiss it so easily. He thought how he had discussed this identical matter with Alice, when he had explained to her his father's idea that man and woman ought not to marry for the gratifying of desire for each other but only for the purpose of together working the pleasure of God. He thought how Alice had comprehended this idea; and he thought, as he watched his wife drawing her hand through the warm water beside the canoe, how bewildered she would look if he started to tell her that he