South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1875-10-29

sv OLIVE srAt.


usually pleasant face and his wife's pla.
CID countenance wearing q puzzled and
sorowful look. for when had he been an.
cry 1t her before?
! He had scarcely spoken 10 her the pre-.
vious evening. and no looked sulien and
gloomy still. What had she 6oneS She
had pondered the thought over and over,
yet she hail not dared to ask him.
The morning sunlight streamed into
the room as they silently drank their
coffee and abstractedly nibbled their
mullins; and broad stripes Of yellow
gold lay on the sea-green ground of the
carpet mingling softly with tho bright
tints OF the Autumn leaves that sprink.
led 1t; and lighting up the pictures on
the vanished walls, until they stood out
vivified into life.like perfection i'm the
mellow light. The fire burned cheerful.
iy in the polished crate, the canary CHR.
rupcd blithely in his gilded cage, while
the trailing vines that festooned the re-,
! cesses OF every window turned each del.
icate tendril to the warm sunlight, rs il
thankful for the warmth and comfort
and hallowed glow that filed that plea.
SAINT room.
Mr.. Shelton finished his breaks and
took up his morning paper. Mrs. Shell.
ton, pale little woman, whose chief
beauty lay in her eyes, which were so
blue and trustful, one could no. help
loving their owner, watched his moody
face uneasily. Her smooth purplish
black halo was coiled up in loose dou.
bic twist. with here and there q tiny
curl peepiag out giving her n girlish
look that Mark had often admired. Her
morning dress Of navy blue cashmere.
with snowy lace ut the throat and wrists.
was simply elegance itself; and better
than all, was the work of the slim fingers
that were nervously twfrling the silver
teaspoon in her dainty coffee cup.
! But Mark was too much engrossed i'm
his own moody thoughts to find any i'm.
terest in wife or paper. for. after vain
attempt at reading. he laid the latter
down and sat silently staring into the
| fire.
Mark" burst out his wife, who felt
as ii she were under the influence Of a
nightmare, what on earth is the matter
with you?"
And Mark answered her With that sen.
sible masculine evasion. Nothing"
81 know there is something wrong
somewhere" went on Mrs. Shelton des-
perately. Are you angry with me,
Mark?'
NO, Alice. I'm not angry with YOU"
"Then tell me your trouble. | never
! saw You so depressed before, and we are
married five years to-day, Mark"
BLESS me! So we are had entire.
/ l,rf IA
for the first time and glanced across the
table at the little woman in blue. whose
cheeks had lost the pcachy bloom they
had worn that day five years ago. But
the dear face was rs fresh rs ever in his
partial eyes. and his heart ached more
for her than himself, for he knew she
would suffer keenly in the crisis he was
dreading so much. IF the children had
been spared to u.s." he said mentally.
thinking ofthe two little graves in Green
wood. they would have been a comfort
to her" But he kept his thoughts to
himself. and said instead:
"Will you attend Mr.. Austin's party,
( Alice?"
"Op the 90thp Yes" The uneasy
light left Alice Shelton's loving eyes.
! for since he was not angry with her, she
did not care to pry into his secrets. And
yet, IL he only could confide in her she
would feel so relieved? Will you, 90
! Mark"
81 think not" A curious smile part.
cd his lips.
! "Wby?" in tone OF surprise.
81 shall be otherwise engaged"
Nonsense. Mark. You must not be
such slave to business. Few men are
rs prosperous in the world
have been prosperous" dreamily,
"buC'-he never finished the sentence"
And the panic never affected YOU in
the least, innocently remarked Mrs.
Shelton, who knew rs much about the
subtle workings OF the financial world
rs she did about the mythical inhabi.
tants OF the moon.
Mr.. Shelton jumped up slightly flush.
cd in the face.
what idiots women are - was the
complimentary exclamation that met his
wife's ears rs he went hurriedly from the
room, needless Of her excited MARX
But Mark was out in the cold, sunlit
street before, the little woman had re-.
covered from her astonishment his white
even teeth clenched tightly together. ms
he hurried down town 10 the dim. musty
office. where so many arduous duties de.
manded his attention.
Many OF his business friends who met
or passed him on the streets looked GU.
riously at his downcast face: for his
mind was too much pre-occupied to take
any interest in passing occurrences. lie
heard nothing. saw nothing but the blue.
numb hands Of street beggars, who seem.
Ell to beset his path every few rods, for
his Characteristic charity was well known.
and few we're the palms that did not
close on n coveted penny.
For mark was good man. humane,
charitable and generous in all things.
and until a year back the world had
gone well with him. But the panic
awamuad dozcna nf HE IoIfcra. L.. L..