The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-08-29
A LESSON.

sighed at this particular moment no one |
on earth could tell. And it was all the more |
cxaspcrating because John had Just goner- |
ously put into her little shapcly hand a |
brand new ten dollar bill. And here began |
the trouble.
whats the matter ~ he said, his face |
falling nj the faint sound. and his mouth |
clapping together in what those who knew
him but little called an obstinate quicker ~
"now what is it l''
Betty, who had just begun to change the
sigh into merry little laugh ripping all
over the corners of her red lips, stopped sud
denly, tossed her head, and with small
Jerk. no ways conciliating, sent out the
words, "You needn't insinuate that I'm
always troublcsomcr'
&c didn't Observation-Disclosures talking of in
sinuating 20 cried John, thoroughly ncenscd
Mt the very idea, and backing away few
steps, he glarcd down from his tremendous
height in extreme irritation. ats you,
yourself, that's forever insinuating and all
that, and then to put IL on me--it's abomna-
BILE I"
The voice was harsh and the eyes that
that looked down into hers were not pleasant
to behold.
"And if you think, John Peabody, that
I'll stand and have such things said TO me,
you miss your guess-that's all !" cried
Betty, with two big red spots coming in her
cheeks, as she tried to draw her little erect
figure up to its utmost dimensions. Z" For
ever insinuating lguess you wouldn't have
| said that before married you Oh, now you
can, of course -
Didn't you say it first, I'd like to know ?"
cried John, in great excitement, drawing
| nearer to the small creature he called
wife," who was gazing at him with blazing
eyes of indignation; 81 can't endure every
thing
"And if you bear more than do" cried
Betty, wholly beyond control now, "why
then I'll give it up" and she gave a
bitter little laugh and tossed her head
again.
| And here they were in the midst of a quar-
| rel These two who but year before had
other through life.
"Now,' said John, and he brought his
hand down with such bang on the table
before him that Betty nearly skipped out of
her little shoes, only she controlled the start,
for she would have died before she had let
John sec it. "well have no more of this non
sense" His face was very pale, and the
lines around the mouth so drawn that it
would have gone TO any ones heart to have
seen their expression.
81 don't know how you will change it or
help it, said Betty, lightly, to conceal her
dismay at the turn affairs had taken, "Tm
sure,' and she pushed back with a saucy
indifferent gesture, the light waving hair
from her forehead.
That hair that John always smoOthed when
he petticd her when tired or disheartened,
and called her childie.' Her gesture
struck to his heart as he glanced at her
sunny hair and COOL indifferent face I'M
derncath, and before lie knew it he was
saying, "Therc is no help for it now, sup
pose"
"Oh, yes, there is" said Betty, still i'll
the cool, calm way that ought not to have
deceived him. But men know so little of
women's hearts, although they may live
with them for years in closest friendship,
"You needn't try to endure it, John Pea
body, If you don't want to. Pm sure don't
caren'
"What do You mean? ~ Her husband
grasped her arms and compelled the merry
brown eyes to look up to him.
I" can go back to mother's," said Betty
provolkingly. "She wants me any day, and
then you can live quietly and live to suit
YOURSELF and it will be better all around. -
Instead of bringing out n violent protesta-
ton of fond affection and remorse, which she
fully expected John drew himself up, look ed
at her iiXedly for a long, long minute, then
dropped her arm, and said through white
lips, very slowly:
eyes, it may be as You say, better all
around. You know BEST and was gone
. from the room before she could recover from
her establishment enough to utter q sound
With II wild cry Betty rushed across tn,
room, first tossing the ten-dOlar bill saw
agely az far az she could throw it, and fling
ing herself on the comfortable old sofa, brok,
into flood of bitter tears, the first she had
shed during her married life.
How could he have done it-oh, wha
have said-oh, John, joint"
The bird twitted in his little cage over il
, the window among tho plants. Betty re
! mcmbcred like n fash how John and sin
filled the seed-cup that very morning, how
7 he laughed when she tried to put it in be
tween the bars, and when she couldn't reacl
without getting upon u chair, he took he
in his great arms and held her up, just lils
n child, that she might fix it to suit herself
And the " bits " that he said in his tende
way, why they had gone down to the depth
of her foolish little heart sending her abou
her work singing for very gladncss of spirit
, And now
Betty stuffed her fingers hard into her ros
ears to shut out the birds chipping.
"If he knew why sighed" she moaned
= "oh, my Husbands Birthdays--nothin
I will make any difference now. Oh, VIII
can't die %
D How long she stayed there, croucled dow
on the old sofa, she never knew. Over an
over the dreadful scene she went, realizing il
e, worst features each time in despair, until
) voice out in the kitchen said
Betty'' and heavy footsteps proolaime
that some one was on the point of breakin
in upon her unlimited.
Betty sprang up, choked back her sob'
| aud triad with all liar might Ia rn "A hnI
self and remove all traces of her trouble.
The visitor was the worst possible one s
T. could have under the circumstances. Grow,
ing herself on terms of the closest ntimac
with the pretty bride, who with her husban
had moved into the village twelvemont
= previous, Miss Elvra Simmons had made IL
very most of her opportunities, and by dint
making great parade over helping her
some domestic work, such as house cleaning
dressmaling, and the like, the maiden lad
had managed to ply her other vocation, TIL
of news gatherer at one and tho same tim
pretty eilectually.
She always called her by her first nam
s. though Betty inwardy resented it, and 81
made great handle of her friendship {
every occasion, making John rage violentl
and vow a thousand times that the SO
maid" should walk
But she never lad-and now, suentiI
81 dimy, like carrion after its prey, tn
-. troubles might come to the pretty lit
- white house, the make mischief had COME
do her work, If devastation had really COZ
II menced.
~ :" Been crying p she said, more plain
than politely, and sinking down into Il
pretty chintz-covered rocking chair with
E- energy that showed she meant to stay, al
made the chair creak fearfully. "Only fol
M. do say that you and your husband don't Ii