Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-04-30

once she was gone all the afternoon,
on some errand, she said; and foolish
as he knew it was, he suspected that
she fingered longer than she need on
purpose; and he feigned to be asleep
when she returned, and felt angry,
though her kisses were more tender
than ever as she bent over him.
A change Of some sort had come
to her. Did she care no longer for
him? was she weary of nursing him?
He never would have changed to her.
That thought once in Charles mind,
it weighed upon it until it seemed a
truth
Matte came to him one evening,
and said, in half-abashed whisper,
"My dear, you are SO much better
now, that perhaps you would not
mind my leaving you for a little
sometimes. have one or two nnvl-
tations for evenings, and would like
to accept them"
He answered, not so much sur
prised as hurt, "Go Matte; never
mind me. A sick man is poor COM
pany," and turned on his pillow with
a sigh that had as much bitterness in
it as sorrow.
Matte heard it; but perhaps she
did not read its meaning. She went
to her wardrobe, and took down her
treasured black silk dress, and put it
on. She coaxed her hair into be-
witching curls upon the temples, and
knotted pink ribbon at her throat.
She unfolded from their wrapper her
long-hidden wedding gloves. With
what a pang Charlie saw that, for
they had made compact to keep
them forever. She looked at herself
as one looks who wishes to appear
well. Then she said, "Good-night,
Charlie"
He did not answer. She thought
him asleep, and only touched his hair
softly with her lips. His medicines
and cooling drinks were at his hand,
and the room was orderly and fresh.
Matte looked back at it with little
sigh, as she went. He did not hear
the sigh; and, being very weak and
ill, absolutely shed a dozen such tears
as amount to bucketful OF these
women let fall.
But he was really asleep when
Matte came back, and took off her
finery, and donned the PLAIN gray
wrapper, and sat beside him Until the
dawn broke, taking only a few mo-
mcnts' doze in her chair.
He awoke from dreams in which
Matte had been doing a thousand
cruel and improper things, angry and
hurt, and bitter as ever. Truth and
reality seemed mixed inextricably.-
He had dreamt that she kissed that
abominable puppy, Tom Trufit; and,
after tying him to a tombstone, danced
over it with Capt. Corbet, with whom
she had firted in her girlhood. That
seemed as true as her leaving him
alone all the evening. He huffed
her, and scowled at her. He refused
attentions that he needed. He would
not take the cool drink from her
hands. He would not let her read to
him. Not until two days had passed
did he relent little, on seeing Mat
tie wipe her eyes by stealth, when
he had been unusually cruel to her.
"She is sorry" he thought; "and it
was only once, after all. There may
have been some reason for it, and
he said, "Nlattie, come here, dear, and
sit down by me-"
Then she came and held his hand
in her own, fondled and petted it,
and he called himself, mentally, a
fool, and was growing very happy,
when she said, 81 must go out again
tonight, dear. l have made an en-
gagement to do So"
1t was all to do over again, then.
He took his hand out of hers.
"Why apologize?" he said coldly.
eff you wish to 90, do So"
And she replied, as sweetly as
though she had not been making his
heart ache, eyes, darling, it will be
as we'll for me not to talk about going
so much, but Just to 60, if have to. y
And then came the dressing, and
the "good-by," Just as before.
Only sick man could suffer as
Charlie did that night. The mind
seems to have more capacity for
agony when the body is worn out.
"She does not love me-" he said to
himself, and he believed it from his
soul. 1t seemed impossible that a
wife, truly attached to her husband
could delight in gaietyat such time
He was suffering. He was even in
some danger-it mioht be, very easily
That was night not to be forgotten
In all the time to come, he never did
forget it. And Matte, did she guess
what she was doing? 1t seemed
strange that she should not; but per-
haps she really was as cold and tickle
as he thought. This was but the
commencement Of the lonely even
ings poor, helpless Charlie passed
upon his sick couch. Two or three
times week she left him, and did
not even tell him where she went
He would not ask. Indeed, he did
not care. The fact that she could be
happy in such conduct was enough
for him.
Three weeks had gone by since
that first absence, when, lying alone
in his room, Charlie heard rap al
the door, and called, "Come in!" sum
moned across the threshold thcil
landlady, in state of excitement
which seemed irrcpressible. She
rubbed her hands, and courtesied
and chopped Mr.. Cheviot was better;'
but that was evidently not the objec,
of her visit. That seemed to tind
difficulty in manifesting itself; but
finally she broached the subject IL
} the following terms:
"Your good lady is out again sir?'
eyes," said Charlie, shortly.
"She goes out a great deal" said
the landlady.
"Yes," said Charlie again, 'is tha
: anything to you?"
"WelI, sir" said the landlady, "m'
and the other dodgers in the house
we think it il. She's but Young, anC