Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1874-10-14

hei, abu lHIOMlAS nerSell OH the
sofa, she gave vent to her feelings
in an hour of weeping.
Alton sat still for few moments
after Edith left the room, and then
went to his work with q burdened
mind. When he returned with his
men at noon he found the dinner
awaiting them, but Edith did not
sit at the table as usual. Once or
twice she came into the room and
served the tea, but she scarcely
spoke, and Immediately retired
Such was their first quarrel, and it
made both parties completely mis-
erable. Both were half inclined to
seek o reconciliation, but were re-
strained from it by pride and OBJ
stinacy.
Alton returned to the field and
tried to work off his i'll feelings, but
vain was the effort. At length he
thought Of plan which he hoped
would effect a reconciliation be-
tween himself and his wife, and at
the same time save him the humili-
ating task of making @ confession,
or asking for pardon. He would
bridge the difficulty over by taking
Edith into company, and getting
her to forget the incidents of that
morning. Returning to the house,
he found her engaged in her usual
routine of duties, and in the bland
est manner he said:
edith, / am going to drive over
to VIM. Ellenton's, wouldn't you
like to go with me 3"
"Yes," said she, 81 should like to
go, provided you can engage to re-
turn by supper time"
"Yes, that will be all right, so
get ready at once. will have the
carriage at the door in about fif-
teen minutes. We can take tho
children just as they are, and leave
them with mother as we go by"
Mr.. Ellenton's residence was
about five miles off. The road was
well made, and for nearly the whole
distance the road was lined on ell
ther side with naples and elms,
which cast a cool shade over the
track and made it splendid rid
ing park. Alton and his wife had
enjoyed themselves grandly onmany
previous occasion while making,
the same journey, but on this occa-
sion the place had lost its charms.
AS they rode along, Alton tried to
introduce pleasant conversation,
and Edith tried to be pleasant in
return, but they both felt restrain
ed, and the ride yielded them less
enjoyment than any one they had
ever taken together. Mrs. Ellen.
ton was a cousin to Edith, and tho
two families were on very familiar
terms, so Alton and Edith entered
the sitting room without ringing
the bell. No one was in, and Edith
was about to call Atoms attention
to the untidy appearance of the
room, and ask him if he did not
after all think his own wife COM
paratively good housekeeper, when
the attention of both was arrested
by loud conversation going on in
an adjoining room. They did not
fancy the idea of being eves-drOp-
pers, but they. could not well help
it, and so they listened.
81 say" said Mrs. Ellcnton, "thero
is no use in doing that plowing yet
for two weeks. You ought to be
trimming the orchard now"
"The field is always very hard
when dry weather sets in," meekly
responded Mr.. Ellenton. "And it
must be plowed now while it can
be plowed at ALL"
"wcll, if you had not done the
foolish thing you did when you sold
your oxen, you might have doubled
teams and done your plowing in
spite of a drouth," retorted Mrs.
Ellenton.
ayes, of course, but then, the
oxen were getting old, and"
"Oldl oh, fudge Age would
not have hurt them for three years
yet" interrupted his wife.
81 think differently. Besides
was satisfied when sold them that
should be short of feed before
spring if l kept them, and the re-
suit proved the correctness of my
conclusion"
swell, then you might have sold
some of your sheep. / don't like
your breed Of sheep any way, and
my Judgment is, you had better get
rid Of them"