The Red Cloud chief., 1884-08-15

through my wife looked quite serious.
Clara merely biz her lip between ..sh"
and yes" and At length bade rs good
night
There u but one drawback In the
whole matter" said | when Clara had
gone; Elf we bad only known IL . little
sooner' We might then have been
saved the espease Of this parior set
What can We do with two suits II fur
niture.
Il suppose" said my wife. .-,ha, We
can manage TO find room for both in
the house. II not we can take ths
back-exchange it for other goods"
Iopened the blind and looked across
the street Mr.. Bathurst. he chief
salesman in the establishment which we
had patronized. lived over the Way. As
! had supposed. and as was his wont At
this time Of the evening. be sat on the
veranda smoking. took my hat and
went across. Don't bs too harsh in
your judgment, my friend; you have
the joke by my voluntary confession.
Remember, too. Whom the gods
destroy they first make mad went
across.
Bathurst. do you suppose that your
folks could tie persuaded to take back
some Of the goods I bought the other
day. and let me trade it out in some
other line?'
..You see. ] have . good hearted old
uncle who has taken il into his head To
send me q parlor set" etc, etc. Thus
l n on in my folly.
We were up for an early breakfast,
after which I few in fast haste TO the
Office. l laid hold Of Sam. who does
the draying for our house. thrust S4.sj
into his hand to pay the charges. and
directed him TO proceed at once TO the
freight department OF the &. Il NJ. IL
was a very busy morning with NE;
there were q thousand and one things
pressing for immediate attention.; it
was out Of the question TO think Of go
ing home before dinner. But what can
a man do with an inheritance Of six
hundred pounds resting on his mind,
l added a column of figures and. being
conscious Of a slight wandering Of
thought. went down the column for n
test As the result vas different, |
climbed the ladder again. only TO light
upon a third value; and then down
down again. only to find q fourth. Oh,
shocking. resorted to the backing
brush and applied it to my boots vigor-
Ously for ten minutes. 1t is a capital
for when one
hasn't the time for q ride or a walk.
But the mental disturbance Of this
morning was out of the reach of boot
blacking. So | took my hat and
pressed holly for home. l wished to
home before the goods arrived.
In this | wa successful. l found my
wife posted at a front window, and
there | also took my stand. We waited
for a half-hOur. very cheerful, very hap
py. and As serene a eager expectancy
permit.
At length--at length-there was the
rumbling and heavy grating of slow
wheels on the stone pavement. W.
crooked our heads out of the window
and caught the first possible glimpse of
the horses noses and then their full
lengths as they turned the corner And
there was Sam. Enthusiastically Sam.
oh. well. wife," l said, .'let us not be
childish" So we took in our heads.
but stood watching just within. Il say
We stood watching, for we could not
Tor ONE moments do otherwise than
stand and watch. We could not look
1t each other. but stood mute and mo-
our eyes fixed ~intently on that
to swell. Then came a hot surge
at my cheeks and temples and
creeping through the roots of my hair,
Town the back OF my neck, down.
Town, to my heels-tO my toes; end
hen another hot sucge. and then an
'ther, while the perspiratiOn flowed
Oh. 1t was painful! And that
irayman - that drayman ! - having
down his lines. sat on the end
If the high seat with his feet hanging
,ver the wheel, while with his whip he
mt of the leaves of a weed that grew
~ the curbing; at the same time his
ace beamed with malicious mirth.
Now and then he stole a furtive glance
It the wares behind him and then went
IN cutting the weed, his face wearing
a smile and a squint Of in
errogation. OF course. l bolted out
lpOn the porch. As | shut the door
heard one of the upstairs shutters on
Jlara's side close gently.
WELL" said Sam. with a painful
'ifOrt to compose his features. al guess
here u be something wrong about
Take the stuff around by the back
l shouted, hoarsely. | slipped
Trough the house. and noticed on my
way that my wife, who had recovered
rom her modification and disappo;nt-
nent, had dropped down in a corner
md WAS laughing Historically. l was
provoked enough. but my chagrin gave
way t. \ smile as Imet Sam at the back
.ate. A smile was all that was needed
o touch him off. He fairly roared.
Ind, As abOminable luck would have it,
hat alley was full of people-my neigh
'ors-going and coming. 1 have never
cen sucn a concOurse of people in that
'lley, before or since. Boys climbed
'ver fences and ranged themselves
bout, girls peered through chinks and
whispered TO one another. and toddling
cried to be lifted to some place
{ vantage.
Yes, there was something wrong"
TO my wife's expectations
here was a kitchen-stove. And the
.itchen-stove had been used: in evil
ence of which. there We're elaborate
rescoes of grease ranging in more or
SIS detached flakes around the oven
oors and on the edges of the hearth
nd along the overlapping margin of
he top. There was Il bundle contain
~ two or three joints of pipe whose
nds were raveled by rust and wear.
md there were chairs. several of them;
one Of your efcminate rockers. but
concerns, built to stand firm
: on four legs; not plush. no.; not cane
eat: no walnut; but sound. straight
poplar. splint-bottoms. In