News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-08
TRUE AND REPENTANT.

TRUE AND REPENTANT.
Betty sighed. Now why she should
have sighed at this particular moment
no one n earth could tell. And it was
all the more exasperating, because John
had just generously put into her little
shapely hand brand new $40 bill. And
here began the trouble.
whats the matter?" he said, his
face falling at the faint sound, and his
mouth clapping together in what these
who knew him but little called an sob
stinate pucker." SNOW what is it ?"
Betty, who had just began to change
the sigh into a merry little laugh rip
ping all over the corners of the red lips,
stopped suddenly, tossed her head with
small jerk, no ways conciliating, sent
out the words:
"You needn't insinuate, John, that
I'm always troublesome
''I didn't insinuate talking of
insinuating ?" cried he, thoroughly in
censed at the very idea, and backing
away few steps, he glared down from
his tremendous height in extreme irri-
tation. "It's you yourself that's for
ever insinuating, and all that, and then
to put it on ne-it's abominable u
"And if you think, John Peabody,
that I'll stand apd have such things said
to me, you miss your guess, that's all T
cried Betty, with two big red spots COM
ing in her cheeks as she tried to draw
her little erect figure up to It's utmost
dimensions. Forever insinuatingl /
guess 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 Z" 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 everything"
"And if you bear more than 1 do,
cried Betty, wholly beyond control now,
"why, then I'll give up" and she gave
a bitter little laugh and tossed her head
again.
And here they were in the midst of
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 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 see
it, "we1l have no mo 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.
don't know how you will change
it or help it, said Betty lightly, to con-
ceal her dismay at the turn affairs had
taken, "Tm sure - and she pushed
back the light waving hair from her
forehead with saucy Indifferent
gesture.
The hair that John always smoothed
when he petted her when tired or dis
!. heartened, and called her child" Her
gesture struck to his heart as he glanced
at her sunny locks and the C oil in
different face underneath, and before
he knew it he was saying
There is no help for it now, 1 sup
pose"
"Oh, yes, there is" said Betty, still
In 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 en-
dure it, John Peabody, if you don't
want to. I'm sure don't careP'
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 Mothers" said
Betty provokingly. "She wants me
any day, and then you live quietly and
live to suit yourself, and it will be bet
ter all round"
Instead of bringing out violent pro-
testation of fond affection and remorse,
which she fully expected, John drew
himself up, looked at her fxedly 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
sound.
With wild cry Betty rushed across
the room, first tossing the so bill saw
agely as far as she could throw it, and
finging herself on the comfortable old
sofa, broke into food of bitter tears
the first she had shed during her mar
ried life.
Chow could he have done it-oh,
what have / said z? Oh, John, John -
The bird twittered in bis little cage
over in the window among the plants.
Betty remembered like flash how John
and she filed the seed-cup that very
morning, how he laughed when she tried
to put it between the bars, and when
she couldn't reach without getting upon
a chair, he took her is his great arms
and held her up, just like child, that
she might fix it to suit herself. And
the "bits that he said in his tender
way, why they had gone down to the
depths of her foolish little heart, send
~, bor oLouf HOY uork ain 0ino for vorv