Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1871-03-31
The Leisure Hour.
JOH.v' R.E.N'D.fLL'S TROUBLE;
.s.v'D IEOIy' TT R.N'DED.
"Will you let me have it, John?"

"Will you let me have it, John?'
mo, Georgy, I can't"
John Randall uttered the refusal of his
wife's request very decidedly, as if he felt
the request was unreasonable, and yet
there was an undercurrent of grieved i'm
patience in his voice, look of perplexity
and self-dissatisfaction in his eyes. He
proceeded very slowly to button his over
coat. He wanted to see his wife rise from
the breakfast table, and thereby signify
her acquiescence in his decision, before he
went Off for his mornings work at the
mill.
Gcorgy, however, did not rise. Her
looks did not express acquiescence. She
was pretty woman-very pretty; tall,
slight, very fair, with large, clear, sandy
eyes, and profuse brown hair. Besides
her beauty she had an air ofdelicatc, grace
ful composure rather peculiar, and n voice
that suggested alto flute-notes. For all
this she was simply the wife of a master
machinist in the great Halliburton Print
Works OF Millville, and mistress Of one of
the small, white factory tcnements, whose
long orderly rows constituted Millville
proper.
But Gcorgy did not belong to the factory
clement, although she had married into it.
She had been brought up by relative up
on whom she had been left dependent, and
whom she called Aunt Appleton. Aunt
Appleton lived at the other end of Apple
ton-the west end-among the ITaliburtons,
and the Dilloways, and the Veres.
,I,, -;
gy might have looked a little higher than
John Randall. But then John was good as
gold; strong, steady, manly, true. Aunt
Appletons pretty protege had the sense to
see it, and Aunt Appleton had the sense to
rejoice at her perception, and the generosi-
ty to give her liberal outfit--her furniture,
a complete wardrobe nice wedding.
1t had been very agreeable to Georgy to
have these things. She was fastidious to
the core. She enjoyed advantages of posi-
tion-her good clothes, her prestige among
the wives of the other officials in the Print
Works. She was fastidious-perhaps only
a little too fastidious for her place.
John Randall had reached his last but
ton-a somewhat shiny button on some
what shabby coat. He had neither time
nor pretoXt for lingering. At this last mo-
ment his wife raised her eyes clearly, un-
flinchingly to his face.
"Why not?" she asked in her cold, sweet
voice.
1t is never pleasant to a man to be called
to an account-to an account about money
and of course it was money Georgy want
ed-by woman, and that woman his wife
Johns face flushed little; a hot retort
pricked the very tip of his tongue, but he
did not utter it. lie was patient man nat
urally, and then he had that deep, sure
love for his pretty wife which overreaches
all slight shocks.
81 have exceeded my salary every month
since we were married Georgy," he said.
"rhe first of January will be here in few
weeks, and | shall not be able to meet all
the bills that are due. l don't feel that we
ought to trifle away penny of money. |
don't believe you do either, dear"
81 shall not say any more about it," she
returned. 81 ought to wear now pair of
gloves to call on Pauls bride. But if you
can't give them TO me, must do without
Them"
John Randall's grain was fine enough to
understand that this was not the acquiesc-
ence he wanted. lie would have liked to
indulge her, but there was the fact, that if
he begun it, he should be always behind
hand, always poor.
This was.his fact. Georgy had hers, also
that she was always to he denied and dis
appointed. She didn'tmind so much wear
ing the old gloves on this particular occa-
sion; that which troubled her, which was
wodging itself painfully into her convic-
tions, was, that she would have to give up
all the little luxuries and elegances that
she so craved that her future was to be a
plain, matter-of-iact routine, deprived of
those qualifications in whose absence she
felt sort of moral starvation.
at don't seem AS though YOU ought TO he
disappointed, Georgy," said the husband
finally. "You know just what my salary
is, and just how far it will go. We used
| to talk about saving something every year,
so that might better myself one of these
days. | don't like to deny you"
"No matter" she answered, rising.
She was one of those women who say too
little, rather than too much, any time.
John went of to his work. Bridget Uhe
| girl of all work. came in to clear the table
| Georgy busted the parlor, and made the
| pudding iod the canary, and then placed
her sewing machine In the window, facing
| the dull loadon light of the November day
| and sat down to stitch wristbands. She