Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes Co., O. [Ohio]) 1870-1895, 1874-02-05
John RandaH's Trouble.
An English Story.

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''Will you let me have it, John ?"
| "No Georgy, I can't" ....
John Randall uttered his refusal o
his wife's request very decidedly, as 4
he felt the request was unreasona BILE
and yet there was an under-current o
grieved impatience in his voice, and s
look of perplexity and self-satisfact tiol
in his eyes. He waited to see his wifi
rise from the breakfast table, and there.
by signify her acquiescence IN his de
cision, before he went off for his morn.
ing walk to the mill. r
Georgy, however, did not rise. Hel
looks did not express acquiescence. She
was pretty woman-yery pretty tall
slight, very fair, with large, clear
steady eyes and profuse brown hair
Beside her beauty, she had an air of del
icate graceful eomposure rather pecu-
liar, and u voice that suggested alto
flute notes. For all this, she was SIM
ply the wife of master maehinist in
the great Halliburton Print Works, OF
Millville, and mistress in one of the
small, white factory tenements, whose
long, orderly rows constituted Millville
property.
But Georgy die not belong to the fac
tory element, although she had married
into it. She had been brought up by a
relative, upon whom she had been left
dependent, and whom she called Aunt
Appleton.
Aunt Appleton lived at the other end
of Appleton-the west end-among the
Haliburtons, the Dilloways and the
Verses. 4i.
Perhaps, under the circumstances,
Georgy might have looked little high
er than John Randall. But then John
was as good as gold, strong, steady,
manly, true. s.....t,..,vs
Aunt Appleton had the sense to re-
joice at the perception of her pretty
protege, and the generosity to give her
liberal outfit-her furniture, a COM
plete wardrobe, a nice wedding.
1t had been very agreeable to Georgy
to have these things. She was fastidi-
GUS to the core. She enjoyed the ad-
vantages of position-her good clothes,
her prestige among the wives of the
other officials in the print works. She
was fastidious--perhaps little too fas-
tiGious for her place.
John Randall had reached his last
button-a somewhat shiny button on
somewhat shabby coat. He had neith-
er time nor pretext for lingering. At
this moment his wife raised her eyes,
clearly, unfiinchingly, to his face.
"Why not 2" she asked, in her own
sweet voice.
1t is never pleasant for a man to be
called to an account--to an account
about money (and of course it was
money Georgy wanted) by woman,
and that woman his wife. Johns face
finished little; hot retort pricked the
very tip of his tongue, but he did not
utter it. He was patient man, natur-
ally; and then he had that deep, pure
love for his wife which over reached all
light shocks.
81 have exceeded my salary every
month since we were married, Georgy,',
he said. "The first of January will be
here in a few weeks, and / shall not be
able to meet all the bills that are due.
don't feel that we ought to trifle away
penny of money. don't believe you
do, either.'
81 shall say no more about it," she
returned. 81 ought to wear new pair
of gloves to call en- Paul's bride, but if
you can't give them to me must do
without them" Jfii.
John Randall's brain was fine enough
to understand that this was not the ac-
quiescence he wanted. He would like
to indulge her, bu. there was the fact
that, if he began it, he should be always
Door. .sss 1@z q zz8HNl
This was his, fact. Georgy, had hers
also-that she was always to be denied
and disappointed. She didn't mind so
much wearing the old gloves OH this
particular occasion !; that which was
wedging itself painfully into her COLI
victiOns, was that she would have to
give up all the little luxuries and ele-
gancies that she so craved; that her fu-
ture was to be a plain matter-of-fact
routine, deprived of those qualifications
in whose absence she felt sort of NOR
al starvation.
'It don't seem as If you ought to be
disappointed, Georgy,'' said the hus-
band, finally. "You know just what
my salary is, and just how far it will
GO. We used to talk about saving some
thing every year, so that might better
myself one Of these days; don't like
to deny you."
"Never mind" she said, raising.
She was one of those women who say
too little rather than too much.
John went off to his work. Bridget,
the girl-of-all-work, came in to clear
the table. Georgy busted the parlor,
and made the pudding, fed the canary,
and then placed the sewing-machine in
the window, facing the dull leaden light
of November day, and sat down to
stitch Wristbands. She had been mar
ried more than year, and was making
her first shirt for John. She was very
thoughtful, a dogged pain on her face all
the while.
"Perhaps shall stay at Aunt Apple
toms to tea," she said to her husband at
the dinner table. "If / do You will
come for me, won't your"
He reflected a moment.
81 told you last night, Georgy, that
should have to be from home an hour
or two this evening. There is meet
ing of the officials of the mill at half
past seven.a / should be too tired ia
dress and go up to your aunt's alter
! wards" ~, 4Tt 2-h 'n