Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1884-06-27

little vito had q woman's shrewdness.
She knew that to step on his corns was
the surest way of distracting his mind
from every other misery, and his pride
would cause him to mut1e IN outburst
at the real nature of the latest suffer-
ing. From the dim recesses of the china
closet came the Milesian mandates:
''Take them peoples orders, Katie!"
John glanced at his wife. He for9ave
the pedal indignity, for he noted aquiv-
ering of that telltale chin. Still, the
masculine malice prevailed over silence,
and he muttered:
'Gcnus, mealers out; species, them
people, class third, "waiters-for-seats."
The Kendalls entered, and the mo-
mentary burst of feminine Joy at seeing
. remembered face (they had not
met since noon) dispelled the gloom of
the occasion.
From about the room came scraps of
wisdom, gossip and fashion news.
"Arthur's the man." sententiously
declared the pale youth, whose necktie
would persist in riding on the top of his
collar.
"Not at ALL" said the bald man;
"Blalne has"
"Three rows and then"
1.-The butter is always nice, for-''
"Wheat took a big tumble, and"
elias the measles dreadfully, but
..Take tea or coffee, sir?"
tMeasles-coffee, l mean," STAN
mered John, and the table was instantly
as silent as an ice-house.
A still Later conner than themselves
entered. She wore a widows cap, and
bloomed out under that sad aureole
with robust freshness. Sorrow. in her
case, must have had nutritive proper
ties, for she looked immensely well-fed
and comfortable. If incipient crows
feet had scratched a line or two in the
radius about her eyes it was scarcely
observable under the yellow luxuriance
of her Langtry wig.
She confronted the Skippings directly
upon her entrance. She gave a start,
turned pale, and lost her poise for an
instant, but q ready smile quickly con-
cealed her embarrassment, and she
bowed gracious "Good evening""
John also changed color and betrayed
SCuSlDIO pClU ~ OSkVIOu1 WACU1IC1 u IA
prise or some other emotion it was hard
to determine.
Maria was ~bewildered.
The widow seated herself opposite,
and opened a rafting fire of small shot
all around the table. She blew like a
fresh breeze in that heated, steaming
atmosphere. She made her salad with
. flourish of white hands; she clinked
her glass Of ice water; she peppered and
sailed and sugared her food as if spices
were life and sweets an elixir.
But throsggh it all Maria detected
something that no one else seemed to
perceive; aY atmosphere that only the
widow and John breathea together.
She could nos have put her finger on a
single point, yet S o palpabae was that
secret Interchange of-shal we say
electricity? hetween them,, that had
there been a Geographic clicking she
coald not have been more positive of an
u~Ddercurrent % understanding
John was usually the embodiment of
reserve in public places, but he began
an animated conversation witbMaria on
the most absur6 and irrelevantsubjects,
meanwhile answering the widow gayly
when she sent a shaft that way
Maria's appetite failed. ThsSood was
tssteless; the gensral conversation q
buzz of unmeariag sounds. She had
attention only for the forid faee oppo-
site, while the oognizance which we
usually call t'eyes in the back Of ones
head" was centered on John. And he
betrayed himself: in ways that only a
wife. could know-he sweetenedi his tea,
when he hated sugar; he alta. onions,
when his superciliehs nose wont to
curve upward liksea crescent adathe bare
mention of them5 he devoursd beets,
when he had repeatedly avowed that OF
all Natures deceptiveness- nothing
Eequaaed q beet in way of vulgar. texture
under delusive color.
Maria saw eve1y symptom. She could
even note IN unusual light in his eye:
and he laughed, tso-a n~ervoaSand, she
felt sure, a guilty laugh.
Dinner over, they went oua upon the
street, in the chill May twilight.
t%Pull your wrsp about you.s shoulders
Maria; you'll get a sore throst."
I She made no. response, and let hel
wrap remain where it was"
"That really wasn't a bad dinner
Maria"
An austere silence.
II see you .re disappointed in you,
expectations, aren't your Do you fee
sick? Does your head achs?"
mo; I am very WELL"
She walked rather faster than usual
and John had to increase his pace t.
keep up with her. They entered thei
house. Maria went with a firm, self
reliant step up the two long flights Q
stairs, whereas her playful habit was t.
make John do a good deal of carrying
Usually there were whispered STUN
blings, some tottering, and a genera
helplessness; but now she seemed sell
sustaining and independent. job
dragged on after her, with an "Al
HUMP at every landing.
"He unlocked the door for her an
then said:
maria, if you'll excuse me for abor
half an hour I'll step down to the Office
There's a matter l forgotto attend t.
I'll be back presently"
Not waiting for either dissent or al
prevail, he hurried down the stairs, an
she caught the sound of the front doc
r banging peremptorily after him.
She lighted the gas and passed a Ion