He had thought her wonderful then, refined, and oh! so rich in life's gifts.

His love had almost throttled her.

She was warm and bountiful and full of temperament.

So it went for three years, and then slowly he drew away from her until at last, returning from the backwoods, he had gone to another room, and there had stayed.

Very occasionally he had smothered her with affection, but that had passed, until now, middle-aged, she seemed to be not a room away from him, but a thousand rooms away.