The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1880-09-16
Almost Parted.

Betty sighed. Now why she should
sigh at this particular moment no enc
on eartn could tell. And it was all the
more exaspe.ating because John bad
lust generously put into her little shapely
hand a brand new ten-dollar bill. And
here began the trouble.
"What's the matter q he said, his face
falling at the faint sound, and his mouth
clappins together in What those who
knew him but little called an obstinate
pucker"-"now what is it =
Betty, who had just begun to change
the sigh into ii merry little laugh, rip
ping all over the corners of the red
lips, stopped suddenly, tossed her head,
and with IL small jerk, no ways concili-
ating, sent out the words, "You meant
insinuate that I'm always troublesome"
81 didn't insihuate-who's talking of
insinuating T. cried John, incensed at the
very idea, and backing away a few steps,
he glared down from his tremendous
height in extreme irritation. "It's you
yourself that's forever insinuating, and
all that. and then to put it on me, it's
abominable !"
The voice was harsh, and the eyes
that looked down in.o hers we're not
pleasant to behold.
"And if you think, John Peabody,
that I'll stand and haze such things said
to me, you miss your guess-that's all :"
cried Betty, with two big, red spots
coming in her cheeks a she tried to
draw her little, erect figure up to its ut
most dimensions. "Forever %insinuat-
ing! | guess you wouldn't have said
that before | married you On, nov
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-I
can't endure everything"
"And if you bear more than / do"
cried Betty, wholly beyond control now,
"why then I'll give up" ard she gave a
bitter little laugh, and tossed her head
again.
And here they were in the midst of a
quarrel These two who but a year
before had promised to love and protect
and help each other through life.
"Now," said John, and he brought his
hand down with such q 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 let John see it, tive will
have no more Of this nonsense !" His
face was very pale, and the lines around
his mouth so drawn that it would have
gone to ones heart to have seen their
expression.
~ don't know how you will change
i. Or help it," said Betty, lightly, to con-
ceal her dismay at the turn affairs had
taken, "I'm sure" and she pushed back,
with a saucy, indifferent gesture the
ligh., wavy hair from her forehead.
That hair that John always smoothed
when he petted her when tired or dis
heartcned, ard called her "childie." Her
gestures struck to his heart as he glanced
at the sunny hair, and the cool, inditfer-
ent face underneath, and before he knew
it he was saying, "There is no help for
1T now, 1 suppose.
''Oh, yes, there is" said Betty, still In
the cool, calm way that ought to have
deceived him. But MN know so little
Of women's hearts, although they may
live with them for years in closest friend
ship. "You needn't try to endure it,
John Peabody, if you don's want to. l
am sure | don't c.re."
"What do you meaar Her husband
grasped her arms and compelled the
merry brown eyes to look up to him.
81 can 60 back to mothsr's," said
Betty, ~provokingly. 'She wants me any
day, and then you can live quietly, and