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

know leetle the most about every
thing. The young Teller likes onions.
s'poSe, and she don't. and she's tar
mined he shan't have EN-. I'm glad
she's got boss. She needs it.
/ By the time the tenth bushel was de-
posted all Annette's late estimates and
decisions had been reversed. OF all
despicable acts this was the climatic
send whole load of those horrible
things, as if to say: ''Groveling crea-
ture, can't live without onions: Take
themr' 1t was just simple exhibit
ton of spite and sarcasm. She would
never have believed he could do so
cruel a thing. Since she was a child
she had not been so angry. 1t was a
lofty. scornful anger that did not vent
/ itself in tears. Besides, the tears were
all used up.
Snatching her hat and mantle, she
went out into the air to try to calm her
self. On and on she went, out into the
country. dreading to return. Finding
! herself within half mile of her cousin 5
house, she decided to call in order to
! get away from her thoughts. 1t proved
the right place for that purpose. Little
Harry had become suddenly i'll, and
/ the distracted mother welcomed her
gladly. The two worked over him all
! the afternoon. As night came on An
nette felt that it would be cruel to leave
until there was some ray of hope. So
she wrote note to her husband,
briefly and coldly, explaining her alb
sence. A passing boy agreed to de-
liver it, but it never got beyond his
own pocket.
Toward evening Barbara began to
wonder what kept her mistress, and
! decided to take matters into her own
hands and get ny dinner. Seeing the
large bin of onions in the cellar, she
! said within herself: ssThis is what she
I all time want; l will cook some - Dur
| ing the process o. cooking she made
many trips to the front door to watch
for her lost mistress. Each time she
left all the doors open behind her, and
so thoroughly perfumed the whole
| house with the door of the dinner.
In the city Philip had picked up an
old college friend and persuaded him
to stay over train and dine with him.
As he ushered his friend into the pretty
house, with pardonable pride, it was
somewhat taken down by the unmis-
taxable odor that greeted him.
Onions. as live" he said to him
/ self, land Merwin is such fastidious
! fellow! However, wait till he sees An
nette"-so he went in haste to bring
her.
| Upstairs and down and in the gar
| den he searched. She was not to be
! found. This was new departure-to
| be away on his return. He told his
friend she had probably been detained
would be in presently.
Chagrined and mortified almost be-
yond his power to conceal, after wait
ing an hour, he was obliged to invite
his friend to table without a hostess.
The fist cover he removed disclosed
dozen huge specimens of that obnox-
ious, ill-odored vegetable that had
caused their unhappineSS. He forgot
his heroic demand and shut it with en-
phasis-not tonight would he eat
onions. 1t was unlike the delicate tact
of his wife to have ordered them cooked
that night, while she was still ignorartt
of what had passed in his mind.
Barbara was not yet perfect. The
dinner both in cooking and serving
missed the supervision of the mistress.
The host was i'll at ease and absent, and
was not sorry that his guest soon babe
him goodbye.
And now Philip grew positively I'M
easy, and proved himself not 3 whit be-
hind woman in the power to conjure
up dire probabilities. Perhaps she had
slipped from that high bank where they
sometimes walked along the river!
And he rushed out through the garden
and over the fields till he stood on the
bank amidst the gathering shadows
and peered remOrsefully into the dark
waters. What if somebody had alb
Quoted her, had brought word that he
was i'll and carried her off! That
thought was maddening. Then he re-
membered her one relative in the city,
her cousin. No public conveyance
went that way, and in hot haste he
started on foot His speed astonished
himself. Breathless and painting he
arrived and was about to ring, when,
obeying an impulse, he stepped to the
side porch and looked through the vine
covered window. Yes; surely, there
was Annette. A little group near the
open fire, she kneeling by low chair,
her bright head bending over little
Harry, who lay in his mothers lap.
The first feeling was of relief and
gratitude. She was safe. And then,
it was his turn. There came surging
over him, like hot breath from fur
mace, a wave OF anger, and he strobe
away. His hasty glance had not shown
him the death-like pallor on the baby's
face, nor the anxious expressions of the
others His conclusion was that the
baby was being made ready for bed.
and the two were admiring his pretty
pink toes.
On he went in the darkness, his re-
sentiment gathering force at every step.
Here she had deliberately planned to
put him to torture. "How little she
must care for him when she would al
low him to spend whole night in
anxiety. He had supposed her nature
to be gentle and forgiving, and here
she had treasured up few hasty words
and was intent on revenge. He had
made concessions, and she had scorned
them. (AlaS, he had not the dimmest
Suspicion that those ten bushels of con-
cessions were just what widened the
breach He walked the floor for hours,
then flinging himself on lounge. to-
ward morning dropped into a heavy
sleep.
The result of the nights meditations
was decision that the next advance
toward reconciliation must come from
Annette herself. just as he was about
f,r- ho oE3soo tbo