The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1877-03-07
MARK SKELETONS WIFE.

One cold morning in December, Mark
Shelton ESQ, and his wife Sat down to
breakfast in one OF the contest of din
ing-rooms Mark with cloud on his
naturally pleasant face, and his wife's
placid conntenance wearing a puzzled
and sorrowful look, for. when had he
been angry at her before?
He had scarcely spoken to her the
previous evening, and he looked sui
len and gloomy still. What had she
done! She had pondered the thought
over and ever, yet she had not dared
to ask him.
The morning sunlight streamed into
the room us they silently drank their
coffee, and abstractedly nibbled their
mullins; and the broad strips Of yellow
gold lay on the sea green ground on
the carpet, mingling softly with the
sprinkling it, and Tightening ur the
pictures on the vanished walls, until
they stood out wildly into life-like
perfection in the mellow light. The
fire burned cheerfuily in the polished
CRATE, the canary chirruped blithely in
his gilded cage, while the trailing
vines that festooned the recesses OF
every window turned each delicate
tendril to the warm sunlight, as if
thankful for the warmth and comfort
and hallowed glow that filed that
pleasant room.
Mr.. Shelton finished his breakfast
and took up the morning paper. Mrs.
Shelton, a pale little woman Wise
chief beauty lay in her eyes, which
were 50 true ands blue and trustful
that one could rot help but loving
their owner, watched his moody face
uneasily. Her smooth, purplish-black
hair was cOiled up in a loose double
twist. with here and there tiny curl
creeping out, giving her girlish look
that Mark had often admired. Her
morning dress of navy-b blue cashmere,
with snowy lace at the throat and
wrists, was simple elegance itself; and
better than all was the work of the
slim fingers that were nervous]y twirl-
ing the silver teaspoon in her dainty
coffee cup.
But Mark was too much engrossed in
his own moody thought, to find any
interest in wife or paper, for, after a
vain attempt at reading, he laid the
latter down and sat silently staring
into the fire.
"Alark," burst out his wife, who felt
as if she was under the influence of a
nightmare, "What on earth is the mat
ter with you?''
And Mark answered with that SEN
sible masculine evasion "Nothing."
81 know there is something wrong
somewhere" went on Mrs. Shelton,
desperately. care you angry with me,
Mark =
mo. Alice, I'm not angry with
YOU
''Then tell me your trouble. I never
saw you so depressed before, and we
have been married five years ago to-day,
Mark %
''Bless me! so we have. l had en-.
tirely forgotten it, Mr.. Shelton look
ed up for the first time, and glanced
across the table at the little woman in
blue, whose cheeks had lost the peachy
bloom they had worn that day five
years ago. But the dear face was as
fresh as ever in his partial eyes, and
his heart achel more for her than for
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 think
ing of the two little graves, "they
would have been a comfort to her."
But he kept his thoughts to himself
and said instead:
.'Will you attend Mrs. Austin s party,
Alice %
''On the Goth g
s'Yes.''
"The uneasy light left Alice Shell.
tons loving eyes, for since he was not
angry with her she did not care to pry
into his secrets. And yet, if he would
only confde in her she would feel so
relieved!
s'Will you go, Mark
Il think rot" A curious smile
parted his lips.
"Why?" in tone of surprise.
II shall be otherwise engaged"
'Nonsense, Mark. You must not be
a slave to business. Few men are as
prosperous in the world.''
81 have been prosperous" dream.
lily, ''but' never finished the sem
tence.
s"And the hard times haven't affect.
ed you in the least,'' innocently re-.
marked Mrs. Shelton, who knew as
much about the subtle workings of the
financial world as she did about the
mythical inhabitants of the moon.
Mr.. Shelton jumped up, slightly
flushed in the face.
"What idiots women are - was the
complimentary exclamation that met
his wife's ears as he went hurriedly
from the room needless of her excited
ssMo ,,