THE OLD SERPENT At five minutes of eight o'clock he came in, with a lighted cigar in his mouth.

For the first few days after her marriage there had been a pleasant excitement in the scent of George's cigars in her bedroom.

Now, however, habit had dulled the excitement, and the smell of tobacco gave her a headache.
"Oh, George, you are late!" she exclaimed, sinking the lesser into the greater offence after the habit of wives.

As if he had all night instead of five minutes before him in which to dress, he stood in the centre of the room, blandly looking her over.
"You're all right," he said after a pause.

"I met a fellow at the club I hadn't seen for a year.