The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1871-05-05
THE PASSING CLOUD.

"Do you want me TO get anything
for you in town."
Andrew Thurston spoke very calm
", and chance listener might have
thought that he spoke kindly. He
certainly spoke deterentially; but his
lips were compressed, and there We're
lines upon his brow which We're not
usual. Ordinarily he would have
said, as he was drew on his glove:
"Now, my love what can l get for
YOU in town." and he would have
spoken gayly and frankly, with spirit
9iness and sparkle; ; for they had been
married not year yet, and only the
day before Andrew had declared that
they would never outive their honey
moon. Ellie" he said with kiss,
"when we cease to love, we shall have
ceased to live for life could be moth
ing without love-" :. -
But now cloud had come-very
small at frst-not bigger than Il
mans hand-but yct.a cloud. Ellie.
had never complained of fatigue or
|Eeariuess, and YET he was far from
robust. On this particular morning
she had arisen with an aching head,
but she did not mention it,, She did
not smile as was her wont, and her
hu: band asked her what was the mat
ter. His question seemed to imply
that her manner had fretcd. him
there was almost an accusation in it
and she replied, rather shortly
'Nothing."
"But there must be something"
said he, "What is it ?"
This, to his wife, rendered over-sus-
-ceptible by her headache, seemed
.disputing of her words, and she an
swered; II tell you-nothin.."
GBut ElIie," he said, "l GU wouldn't
act so if there was nothing the mat
ter"
s.Act how?" demanded his wife,
flushing under this direct charge.
"What have I done2" g..
What could her husband reply to
this2 What single act Of hers what
word, even, could he point out?
Something in her manner had Jared
upon the sensitive chords Of his
heart, and cloud had come between
them; but how could he tell it? How
could he give to another an idea, Of
that which had no form nor substance
and which he had only perceived be-
cause it dropped a discord inte the cx-
auisite harmony Of his jealous love?
He could make no plausible answer,
and this fretted him still more.
"Oh, nothing, nothing he said,
drawing back. "lf you don't choose
to eonfde in me, all right"
His &ife's eyes flashed now, and
she spoke quickly-spoie SO quickly,
and so feelingly, that her husband
was. in turn, offended; AMI, with
hasty word upon her lips, he went
out into the hall, and made ready for
the city, which was but q few miles
distant frcm his suburban residence.
When Andrew Thurston re-cntered
the sittirg-room, with his hat in his
hand, be asked the question we have
already heard, "Do you want me to
get anything for you in town p
How cold his voice sounded to wife,
who sat, with bowed and aching
head, by the curtained window. 1t
did not sound like the voice Of her
husband, and she did not lo.k mp.
She would wait until he came to kiss
her, as ho always did before he went
away, and then she might be able to
speak-to speak upon his bosom,
where she could hide her face = but
che dared not trust her voice now.
She knew she should cry if she spoke,
and she would not have her husband
ace her do that if he were angry with
her. But he did not come to her.
He turned away without another
word, and was gone. :.
Andrew Thurs,on knew that his
wife must have heard his question, and
as she did not immediately answer, ne
allowed his anger to express itself IN
a slam Of the door as be went out.
He pulled on his gloves very vigorous.
}y, and stepped off with measured
strides But not so long. The fresh
morning air famed his brow with q
cooling influence, and he began to
think. He missed something. For
the first time since he had been mar.
ried he vas going away from home
without his wife's kiss: Surely a
cloud had arisen upon the domestic
horizon, and something like o storm
had come upon their peace. He was
unhappy and the more he meditated,
the more unhappy he became.
"Ellie was to blame" he said to him
self. But this did not heal the wound.
81 may have been hasty," he
acknowledged after further recoilec-
ton. "But still" he assured himself"
she irritatcd me"
Thus he reached point very tar
from soothing or satisfactory in Its IN
fueace. He was forced TO acknowl
edge that he had allowed himself, ~