Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1885-07-11
be better all around

luStedu VI UIlDSiuS Out iOiohe
protestation of fond affection and re-
morse which she fully expected, John
drew himself up, looked at her fixedly
for long, long minute, then dropped
her arm, and said through white lips
very slowly
Eyes, it may be as you say, better
all around. You know best" and
was gone from the room before she
could recover from her establishment
enough to utter a sound.
With wild cry Betty rushed across
the room, first tossing the ten dollar
bill savagely as far as she could throw
it, and, finging herself on the COM
Portable old sofa. broke into food of
bitter tears-the first she bad shed
during her married life.
"How could he have done it-oh,
what have I said? Oh, John, Johnp
The bird twittered in his little cage
over in the window among the plants.
Betty remembered like flash how
John and she filled the seed-cup that
very morning, how he laughed when
she tried to put it in between the
bars, and when she couldn't reach
without getting upon achair, he took
her in his great arms, and held her
up, just like child, that she might
fix it to suit herself. And the "bits"
that he said in his tender way, they
had gone down to the depths of her
foolish little heart, sending her about
her work singing for very gladness of
spirit. And now!
Betty stuffed her fingers hard into
her rosy ears to shut out the birds
chirping.
eff he knew why sighed" she
moaned "Oh, my husband! Birth
days-nothing will make any differ
ence now. Oh, why can't I Gle ?"
How long she stayed there, crouch
| ed down on the old sofa, she never
knew. Over and over the dreadful
scene she went, realizing it's worst
features each time in despair, until
heavy footsteps proclaimed that some
one was on the point of breaking in
upon her unlimited, and a voice out
in the little kitchen cried
Betty"
Betty sprang up, choked back her
sobs, and tried with all her might to
compose herself and remove oil traces
of her trouble.
The visitor was the worst possible
one she could have under the circum-
stances. Crowding herself on terms
of the closest intimacy with the pref
| ty bride, who with her husband had
moved into the village twelvemonth
previous, Miss Elvira Simmons had
made the very most of her opportuni-
ties, and by dint of making great pa
rade over helping her in some domes-
tic work, such as housekeeping,
dressmaking and the like, the maiden
lady had managed to ply her other
vocation, that of newsgatherer, at one
and the same time, pretty effectually.
She always called her by her first
name, though Betty resented it; and
she made great handle of her friend
ship on every occasion, making John
rage violently and VOW thousand
times the sold maid' should walk d!
But she never had-and now,
seeming dimly, like a carrion after it's
prey, that trouble might come to the
pretty little white house, the make
mischief had come to do her work, if
devastation had really commenced.
"Been cryingH she said, more
| plainly than politely, and sinking
down into the pretty chintz-covered
rocking chair with an energy that
showed she meant to stay and made
the chair creak fearfully. "Only
folks do say that you and your hus-
band don't live happy-but la (! I
wouldn't mind-I know faint your
fault
Betty's heart stood still. Had it
come to this :? John and she not to