Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-05-02
HOW TWO LEARNED a LES
SON.

Shapely hand brand-new $40 bill. And
here began the trouble.
"What's the matter?" he said, his
face falling at the faint sound, and his
mouth clapping together in what those
who knew him but little called an COB
Stinate pucker." "Now, what is it?"
Betty, who had just begun to changS
the sigh into a merry little laugh rip
ping all over the corners of the red lips,
stopped suddenly, tossed her head and,
with small jerk noway conciliating,
sent out the words:
"You needn't insinuate, John, that
I'm always troublesome !"
81 didn't insinuate-who's 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 irrita-
ton. cts you yourself that's forever
insinuating and all that, and then for
you to put it on me-it's really abomin.
able !"
The voice was harsh, and the eyea
that looked down into hers We're moi
pleasant to behold.
"And if you think, John Peabody.
that I'll stand and have such things said
to me, you miss your guess--that's all 7"
cried Betty, with two big edspots com.
ing in her cheeks as she tried to draw
her little erect figure up to its utmost
dimensions. Forever insinuating
guess you wouldn't have said that bcfora
l married you. Oh, now you can, OIL
course "
"Didn't you say it first, I'd like to
know" 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 I do,
cried Betty, wholly beyond contro
now, "why, then I'll give up" and sh
gave bitter little laugh and tossed he
head again.
And here they were in the midst of
quarrel These two who, but year be
fore, had promised to love and protec
and help each other through life
CHOW" said John. and he brough
his hand down with such bang OH tn
table before him that Betty nearl,
skipped out of her little shoes-only sh
controlled the start, for she would hav
died before she had let John see it
"we'll have no more of this nonsense |
His face was very pale, and the line
around the mouth so drawn that it woul
have gone to any ones healt to have see
their expression.
~ don't know how you will chang
it, or help it," said Betty, lightly, to con
ceal her dismay at the turn affairs ha
taken, "I'm sure! !" and she pushed bac
the light, waving hair from her forehca
with saucy, Indifferent gesture.
That hair that John always smoothe
when he petted her when tired or di
heartened, aud called her "child." HI
gesture struck to his heart as he glance
at her sunny locks and the cool, indiffe
ent face underneath, and before he kne
it he was saying
"There is no help for it now, SUI
pose"
con, yes, there is" said Betty, sti
in the cool, calm way that ought not
have deceived him. Bat men know 6
little of womsn's hearts, although the
may live with them for years in close
friendship. "You needn't try to endul
it, John Peabody, if you don't want t.
I'm sure 1 don't care !"
"What do you mean?"
Her husband grasped her arms an
compelled the merry brown eyes to loo
up to him.
81 can go back to Mothers" sa
Betty, provokingly. "She wants II
any day, and then you can live quiet
and live to suit yourself, and it will
better all around"
Instead of bringing out violent pr
testation of fond affection and remors
which she fully expected, John Dire
himself up, looked at her fxedly for
long, long minute, then dropped h
arm, and said through white lips We,
slowly:
= "Yes, it may be rs you say, better {
around. You know best )" and was gol
from the room before she could recov
from her establishment enough to utt
J a sound.
With wild cry Betty rushed aero
the room, first tossing the $40 bill sa
agely as far as she could throw it, an
finging herself on the comfortable O
q sofa, broke into flood of bitter tears
the first she had shed during her mi
ried life.
y elbow could he have done ito
what have said? Oh, John, John p
The bird twittered i'll his little ca
over in the window among the plant
2 Betty remembered like flash how Jol
: and she filed tho seed-cup that We
: morning, how he laughed when she tri
4 to put it in between the bars, and VIII
r she couldn't reach without getting up
!, a chair, he took her in his great arm
and held her up, just like a child, til
t she might fix it to suit herself. And t
I "bits" that he said in his tender VIZ
they hadgone down to the depths Of /