Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1880-05-20

) SION. i uecilned II because yOi
: said the money would nese
: compensate yoa for the constan
? separation. After our censef
sal ion this morning Think sou.
only objection will hardly have
any weight; SO Ihase accepted
and leave, in an hour. l vii
write you every month, inclos-
: ing remittances. | leave the
i accompanying bank-note for the
+ dress you desire. 1 have sent
ior Aunt Cordelia, as usual, t.
stay with you. s
ERNEST MATHER." /"
i Not a loving word, not q
word of regret for the long sep
aration. Myra realized then
how considerate and loving her
husband had been an .er the
weary vexations of her Whims
and caprices. Great tears roll
led down her cheeks az she Bit
terly reproached herself.
1t was not an easy matter to
Ego to dinner and meet Aunt
Cordelia, but it must be done.
1t was no new thing for That
worthy spinster to see Myra in
tears when Ernest was away on
business, so she only expressed
a desire to see "any man. alive
Ishe'd cry for" and saidno more
about the little wife's red eyes.
The days passed very, very
YEARLY. Aunt Cordclia preach
ed only sermons to Myra upon
extravagance and various other
female Weaknesses, tilIt the poor
little woman wished she was as
homely and ill-looking as her
tormentor herself.
H"You never see me with such
a dress in the house as that, the
spinster would ray, with a COM
plaeent glance ather dyed skirts.
II buy clothes to wear" N ra
retorted. eff | had as much
money as you, Aunt Cofdetia,
I'd be ashamed to so aboat IN
such dresses. "
And the spinster would shake
her head and groan andibly,
pitvingly, ''poor, dear Ernesi r
lyon never see me" was her
ever opening address. And
Myra grew to hate the words in
the long months of be: enforced
companionship. For E-nest did
not return. s S1ring, summer,
autumn passed away, aodHDe-
cember was opening, yet still he
did not come. Every month a
formal letter reached Myra, IN
closing a check for expenses of
such liberal value as to prove
Ernest was making money; but
each one informed her that her
husband was just leaving the
place from which he wrote and
made no mention OF his next
destination. Heart-sick, pcni-
tent, and oh! SO lonely, lhelitlle
wife spent only what was
necessary for the house, and
fairly loathed the sight ot the
money that was accumalaiiag IN
her hands, Letter after letter she /
wrote and destroyed, not know
ing where to direct them She
was growing so pale and worn.
SO quiet and subdued, that Aunt
Corielia's most hateful speech
es went often unanswered She
was sitting in the dra wing-room
one cold December morning,
when Mr.. Agnew, Ernest's em-
.ployer, came in
II am sorry to disturb you.
Mrs. Mather," he said, "bnt l
wish to enquire of you if you
have heard from Ernest this
week.
"Not since the first" she re-
piled.
"Hc wrote us OH the fifth that
he would remain in Cumber-
land until the first Of the year,
and was to send some papers on
the seventh. These have not
come and we are embarrassed for
want of them. / telegraphe,t
yesterday but have no reply
However, if you have not.heard
he is i'll, he is probably better"
"Ill," she faliercd.
swell, / judged from his last
letter that he had not fully re-
covered from the fever that he
had, although he had resumed
business. III you hear to-day
will you be kind enough to send
lis word?"
Certainly" Myra managed
to gasp in u choking voice, ana
Mr.. Agncw was gone.
sIII! a feverl Sick at hotel
and she not near! Ernest, her
Ernest!" ~ 4
All the love in the little wO-
mans heart rose to protest. She
astonished Aunt Cordelia By
dashing into that lady's room
crying: m v3
Take care of the houscl Tn
going to Cumberland" and
dashed out again as abruptly.