The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-10-23

! TO give them up, not even for his sake.
Was she selfish and proud and obsti-
nate and-and high-tempered? Had
he been mistaken in her character and
in her regard for him?
| The wife meantime was recalling an
opinion, long ago expressed by friend,
who said that Philip Lyman possessed
a domineering spirit and was bound to
rule all connected with him. She her
self had never believed it, but this
looked like it-wishing her to give w
whatever he did not fancy, and limiting
that she would be obliged to. Indeed
He would find that she did not drive
well; no, indeed.
If her husband had observed the
glowing cheeks and flashing eyes Just
then he would have been justified in
concluding that she was "high-tem-
pered. - -.,-- g-r..r-
And now came break in this uncom-
Portable state of things in the shape OF
Mr.. John Lyman, on a business trip;
could only spend the night with his
brother. He was sorry to spoil their
evening together" He would have
been sorrier had he known they had
not spoken for just two hours.
Annette soon retired, leaving the
brothers to talk over home affairs
while she went to her room to indulge
| in the luxury of grief. How dark it
all looked. Philip was changing. Per
haps he was sorry they were married.
He had the same as said she was vul-
gar and coarse. He was fastidious;
She could never please him; they would
have dreadful quarrels. for she could
not submit to be ordered. And now
the tears that had been stored up all
these bright years fell in most surpris-
ing showers, until sleep had got the
better of them.
The morning was a hurrying time;
the brother must get down town for the
early train. 4 hasty good bye, with
averted eyes, and Philip was gone. As
he lunched near his Office. two miles
away, he would not be home again I'M
til night.
A long unhappy day before Annette!
She felt ten years older than yesterday
morning, when Philip had come all the
way back from the gate TO put = rose
in her hair. She wished she could see
her mother; she wished she could 90
Off where Philip wouldn't find her in
years; that is she thought she did. o,
what wretched world it was! Poor
foolish child! But she had only lived
Twenty little years.
Mr.. Philip Lyman, alone in his Office,
tried to settle himself to his usual du-
ties, but he felt i'll at ease and uninter-
ested. Finally he threw down his pen,
! tipped back in his chair, and locked his
head, favorite thinking attitude. His
eyes wandered out the window, resting
on white clouds sailing through the sky.
Perhaps the deep blue reminded him of
Nettie's eyes, or the wrapper she had
worn that morning. However it was,
he soon fell to confeSsing to those soft
clouds.
"What consummate idiot! She
thinks me tvrant, and rude and sell
fish. She ought to be veXed at me. AS
if should make over her tastes, and
try to control her. [ was rude and
hateful and unkind. Contemplate.
And with that he seized his hat and
dashed down stairs into the street. He
went straight to a market, bought q
peck of onions and ordered them sent
home. An unpoeticai peace-offering,
he reflected, but the most appropriate
for him under the circumstances. But
stop, those were red onions. This fact
was brought TO his consciousness by OBJ
serving on the sidewalk basket of I'M
usually fine white ones; and she had
specially wished white onions. lmme-
diately he stepped in and bought peck
of those.
As he walked along, filled with the
peaceful consciousness of having made
some atonement, he spied wagon
filled to the top with clean, shiny
skinned, white onions. They really
look attractive" he said to himself.
Then there darted into his mind new
idea. What if he should prove to An
nette what magnanimOus, self-deny-
ing being he really was, and take to
eating the obnoxious things himself just
to please her; be philosopher, stole
and will to like what he detested!'
There must be no halfway work
about this act of self-abnegation; he
would provide generous supply. Now
that he thought of it, autumn was just
the time to lay in a supply of vegeta-
bleS. What had he been thinking of,
buying only peck? Now how many
was good quantity-enough to last all
winter? That was Il .cOnundrum. He
had dim memories of ten bushels of this
and that stored in his fathers cellar
True, his father had a large family.
But then, they should have great
many visitors. The proprietor OF the
wagon stared when he heard the order.
but his business was to sell onions. If
Philip Lyman was complacent before he
was iubilant now in contemplation of
his virtues. He bounded up the stairs,
resolving to 90 home at noon, surprise
Nettie and make up" He was 4
monster to have left her in such cold
way. He was obliged TO abandon that
plan though, having already lost SO
much time.
Annette meantime had been aroused
from her respondent moot by the first
installment of onions. Onions have
healing properties, everybody knows.
They began TO prove ellicaciouS in this
case. Philip wanted to show her that
he was sorry, she reasoned, and had
taken this way to do it. 1t was just as
delicate and kind as if the onions had
been flowers ignored the fact that
they were red. While her spirits were
being thus soothed and comforted. the
second peek of onions arrived. This
was perpleXing. Why had he done
that? All, these were white. and he
had recollected that she liked white
ones. How thoughtful and good! How
unselfish and candid and noble to own
himself wrong, and she-had been
foolish and wicked to get angry ut
nothing.
She MaS inst hnrinn;nnr To fool +l,nt