Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1882-04-07
THE HOL DAY GIFT.


eyes, for since he was not angry with he
she did lot care to pry into his secrets
And yet, ifhe would only confide IN her
she would feel so relieved.
"Will you 90, Mark r
II think not" A curious smile part
ed his lips.
"Why r. in tone Of surprise.
II shall he otherwise engaged"
"Nonsense, Mark. You must not b.
such Il slave TO business. Few men arr
as prosperous III the world.
II have been prosperous, dreamlly
but"
He never finished the sentence.
"And the panic never affected you il
the least" innocently remarked Alice
who knew as much about the subtle
workings of the financial world as she
did about the mythical inhabitants c
the moon.
Mr.. shelton jumped up, slightly
flashed IN the face, and was cut IN the
cold, sanlit street before the little wo
man had recovered from her astonlsh
tightly together, MS he hurried down &
the dim, dusty Office, where so many
ardunus duties demanded his attention
Mark was good man, humane, char
table and generous in all things, and
until year back the world had gone
we'll with him. But the panic swamped
dozens Of his debtors, his business was
dead in IL financial sense; and his cred
itors we're cEtmorons for bills he could
not meet He had never been careless
unwise or extfaydgant in filling or dis
charging contracts, and his business
difficulties had come upon him SO swift
~ and lmperceptibly that the blow tel
heavier than II he had been expecting
some catastrophe.
But Alice Shelton knew nothing OF
this. The mental turmoil going on Ill
her husbands breast never found vent
IN the dissatisfied word or look, and I'M
I'll the previous day he had kept his
face mud manner free from Ill traces Of
care and anxiety. But the constant
worry and oxcltemant had been too
hard for him, and the dunning Of 4
creditor, VINO demanded the pupctual
paymentof note Of four thousand
that fell due on the first, together with
unforeseen debts had SO upset him that
he could not cover his mental distress
with the mark IL carelessness he had
worn for weeks past.
His greatest trouble was for Alice.
Never very strong and he had often
unierrated her strength-he had en-
deavored To surround her with every
comfort, and had carefully kept all har-
asring business details or care from
her ears He had gwen her money
with, III stint, and he supposed she
spent Ii like o.her women, for she was
always we'll dressed, and his home was
q model III order and good taste. Be
tna ~ it muy, lie never thought OF
tracing the cause OF his failure To home
extravaganza. For III woman was more
thoroughly economical than his wife.
Her party toilets were always in unex
eeptinnll tn-te, aud her dress for Mrs.
Austins party was not designed for M
usual dis Ivy OF elegance, although the
gathering WIS To he one Of unusual bril-
nancy.
The night of the twenty-ninth came
4 dark, stormy December night, the
alr filled with SNOW tl.kes. and the sky
overcast with heavy clouds
lit il going a. he u terrible night,
Mark, sald Mrs. shelton, ~ her hus-
band set before the library fire, evident
IL absorbed III the contents OF the even
ing paper. II have thought once or
twice since commenced dressing that
| would not 50 TO the party to
night"
Go hv MI means, Alice; the carriage
II close, he replied, glancing up nj the
little trim figure arrayed i'll dark silk,
trimmed with pale blush roses in her
purphsh black hair, and ut the white
throat hnlf yelled with tilmy lace. He
smiled bitterly as he saw her going cut
ill her happy, childIike innocence, a.
she might never 70 again among PEG
PIE who had no sympathy for failing
merchants, and who would not give his
wife thought il she were not rich ii
this worlds goods.
Il wish you could 20" she said, he,
seechingly, lingering 1t the door 10 ad-
Just her cloak. mir. Austin will ex.
poet you.
Mr. Shelton smiled, thinking. per
haps, Of the forhidding face OF man
Of whom he had begged loan that AZ.
ternoon, whose curt cannot spare i
dollar. sir, rang iii his ears yet. He
rose from his seat near the fire, and go
ing over III his wife's side fastened the
wraps closer ahou; her throat
Be careful Of yourself, little woman
lie said. With forced attempt nj gale
ty; land enjoy yourself, for it is impos-
sihle for me To SO.
He accompanied her 70 the carriage.
and, rs he closed the door on the placid
little face, he inwardly mathematical
the weakness that prompted him to
withhold the story Of his difficulties
from her. when she daily ran the risk
of hearing ii from lips less liable to
soften the details Yet lie still hoped
that that the morrow would bring some
chance of reaeeming his lost ere il I;
although his Efforts 10 raise the four
thousand dollars due on the LIST We're
yet unsuccessful He was almost worn
cut with physical ana mental labor,
yet he put on his hat and overcoat and
dragged himself weauly down town
through the fast-talling snow and murky
dalkoess, 10 spend the dreary hours of
MS wife's absence in pouring over ledg-
ers III his counting room.
Meanwhile Mrs. Shelton, not salts
fled with Marks str nge freak, as she
called her husbands refusal 70 attend
the party, was zealeusly trying To feel
at ease among the stylish guests. For
somehow she felt depressed and i'll at
ease among the fashiouables who had
hitherto welcomed h,r As the wife of a
prominent young merchant who was
steadily rising TO eminence in the COM
mprcial world There WAS An under
current of GOODNESS in their greetings
that her sensitive nature detected iu-
stantly. and an angry flush rose to her
cheeks when she overheard remark
relating TO Mrs. Shelton's old silk"
She slipped cut of the gay, over
crowded parlors into the library, where
she found refuge in the hangings of the
bay window She dropped into low
seat and sat watching the streams Of
gasIighss Pickering across the street,
now ankle deep with snow, wishing that
Mark would remember her orders and
send the carriage early. The heavy,
sensuous odors of the tropical plants
filed the rom with fragrance that al
most took her breath away, and in the
distance the music of q popular waltz
rose and fill, the soft, yoluptuous ca
dence soothing her mind into 3 calm
ness that was broken by the entrance
Of two ladies, whose first words IT once
n n. L.