The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1872-01-30
Mr.. Melton bit his lin.

II might have know it known it would
have ended like this, if tried to rea-
son with you. Women can't be log.
ical if they try."
"If this is the way you are feeling,
Harry, I'm afraid you will disapprove
of what | ventured to do to day. Mr..
Liscombe VAS here to ask about the
reht of your little store in Sixth Ave
nue.. 1t was for that lame brother of
his, an honest, hard-working young
shoemaker, who was very ambitious to
20 into business for himself He has
scraped together enough to pay nine
hundred dollars, the first years rent"
"But raised the rent TO twelve
hundred"
81 know you did, Harry; but !
knew, at least supposed, you would
he willing to do charitable action
for one so piteously afflicted by Provi-
dence; so i told Mr. Liscombe that
Ioor Giles could have it for the for
mer rent Of nine hundred"
"Then you did foolish thing" said
Mr.. Melton. raising and beginning to
pace the room in evident annoyance,
"a very foolish and ill-cnnsidered
thing indeed. | must send my clerk
round to Liscombe's the first thing to-
morrow morning. can't afford to
make present of three hundred dol
lars year tn Giles Liscombe, Just be.
cause he's a cripple. pay my taxes,
| contribute to the charity funds Of
the church, and can't and won't do
any more p'
Nina listened in silence, to her it
seemed as if a strange transformation
had come unexpectedly over the whole
spirit and temperament of the man
she called her husband.
Presently she rose up.
81 will put little Mary to bed" she
said quietly, and stole away upstairs,
with the other children silently follow.
ing her.
Papa isn't nice tonight" said
JOHNNY as he took his spelling book to
the nursery table. Mama, what
makes him SD ?"
"Hush, Johnny" said Mrs. Melton,
whose wifely loyalty admitted Of no
doubt or question; papa is tired" "
Johnny vas not altogether satisiie 4
with the version Of affairs, but he fell
back on words of six sylables," r"
without asking any more questions I;
ana Nina returned downstairs, taking
up her needlework, and quietly seated
herself by the shaded gas burner, as
she saw that Harry lay on the sofa,
apparently asleep, with the newspaper
over his face.
Once or twice, as the clock ticked
softly in the stiffness, and the indis-
tin"t hum from the street below float
ed in through the halfopen window,
Nina let the work fall to her lap and
unconsciously dritjed away upon the
tide Of grave and troubled thoughts
which seemed to eddy round her heart.
They were making money, the firm
of Melton aud Chisdsle; she had
heard people say so, time and again,
She bad been congratulated upon the
success of her husbands business, and
had smiled back a pleased response.
Old Uncle Darwin Field, when he
had made his weeks visit in the city
two years ago, had contemplated Har-
ry Melton's luxurious home with grave
! wisttulness, and said to her
"Reinember, Nina, my gal that
riches have wings, and don't get too
sot on sich things"
SLo bnI tho old tnar, intar
fering, almost impertinent at the time;
now his words came to her like half
forgotten prophecy.
Can it he possible she thought,
as her sad eyes gazed out into the
starry firnament OF the summer night,
| that he too has caught the worst in.
lection of moneym0 king-that he is
growing avaricious aud mean and
graspiug? Oh, no, no; Harry never
could be that ="
The work lay unhceded on her lap.
She had no heart to sew now.
Up to the present moment, Nina
Meltun's life had been one of uniuter.
upted smoothness and sunshine.
Could it be that the shadows, so
long withheld that she had learned to
doubt their actual existence, 80 far as she
was concerned, were coming at last?
Suddenly Harry Melton started
from his slumbers, a..d sat upright,
gazing with Il bewildered air round
the room.
"Nina, wife, are you there?" lie said,
in strange, husky tone.
IL am here, Harry"
"Thank goodness Then it was only
dream"
"What was only dream?'
"Come here, aud | will tell you,
wife. Here, close to my side. Heav.
ems 7" lac multered beneath his breath,
as he passed his hand uneasily over
his wet forehead, chow real it seems
yet Where are the childrenl"
Upstairs. Mary and Nina are
asleep, aud Johnny is at his lessons.