The Little Rift Within The Lute.

" What secret 1 " " The Masonic secret . " He laughed out , and replied : * ' You absurd woman . " " No , but George , I ' m in earnest . " " Mary , do be reasonable , " he said . "I am reasonable ; you should not know anything you cannot tell your wife . "

He leaned back , humming a low tune . " George , tell me , I won ' t tell . " " I have nothing to tell you . " There was a long pause , Mr . Winter looked into the fire . Presently the stillness was broken by a sob . He threw his arms around herand said : " WhyMary

, , , you are not crying 1 How foolish I " " I am not foolish , you won ' t do anything I want you to , and you are a Mason , and I hate it . " " But it is a noble Order , my dear , and it does a world of good . It may save my

life sometime ; it has done such things scores of times . Just think , away back in the Indian warfare of our country , during a battle in which was the celebrated chief Brant , an officer in distress threw up his arm , and accidently made the Masonic sign

of clanger . He was not a Mason , but Brant took him for one , and spared him , though an enemy . So , you see , that is one instance . " Oh , yes , 1 know , you have told me all that before , but you will never need their

help , —and besides , that man was not saved by being a Mason , " she said triumphantly . " He became one afterwards , though . " " I do not care whether he did or not . I want to know the secret . George , you ought to tell me ; you know I would keep it . "

" Mary , there is no reasoning with you . " He withdrew his arm from around her and leaned back impatiently . She arose , stood by the fire , and petulantly said : " You refuse me then 1 " " I told you before I had nothing to tell : now , for goodness sake , let the

subject drop . " " Very well , " was all she said , but her eyes were unusually bright , and two red spots burned on her cheeks . She was thinking , as she stood there , "I have made his home bright and pleasant . I have lived only for him ; and he cares nothing at all for my wishes . For the future , it shall be the world . I shall give myself

up to society ; there at least , I can be ap . predated . " * * * * ' It is the little rift within the lute , That by and by will make the music mute . " sang Clarice Grantly . Mr .

Winterturn-, ing over her music , gave a slight sigh . Miss Grantly would have been pleased to attribute it to her own fascinations , but , casting her dark eyes up at him , at the words , —

" Trust me all , or not at all , she saw an absent , wistful look on his face . Clarice Grantly was an unconscionable flirt , and Mr . Winter was fair game , especially when his wife was by to follow them with her eyes . But the young lady had sense enough to perceive that the zest was all on her side . Mr . Winter was but

a passive participant in this flirtation . Her song finished , she let her fingers wander carelessly over the keys of the instrument , striking light chords and bringing out touches of harmony . It was an excuse to watch him furtively . His thoughts were far enough from her . They

had gone back over the months in which " the little rift within the lute" of his domestic life had been slowly widening . He could trace it clearl y to the nig ht of their conversation about Masonry . Since thenneither had ever alluded to the

sub-, ject . He had trusted , at first , that the iciness of his wife ' s demeanour would wear off ; but , as the weeks went on , and it seemed to become a part of her nature , he gradually resigned himself to it . He never told her how he missed her little caressing

ways , or how her scrupulous politeness wounded him , he simply accepted the situation as fate . He failed to understand her unconquerable thirst for society , but always accompanied her . This summer he inwardly pronounced Newport a bore ,

although in his outward demeanour he was as great an idler as any there . " Mr . Winter , " said Miss Grantly , and her voice aroused him ; ' You are in a brown study . " " Not at allMiss Grantlyyour music

, , set me thinking . " " Then I'll not sing to you any more ; you completely forgot me . " " Do let me retrieve my error . " Yes , take me out on the balcony , " she said rising , " it is so warm in here . "