The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1885-10-30
THE FIRST CLOUD.

at vas to meet such difficulties as
this that confines" Bother" |
wrote the first sitting at my desk, and
said the last aloud, impatiently-well,
there, angrily-for Matte had bounced
into the room, run to the back Of my
chair, and clapped her hands over my
eyes, exclaiming:
"Oh, Dick, what a shame! Andyou
promised to come up and dress"
81 do wish you would not be so
childish" 1 cried, snatching away her
hands. There's a blot you've made
on my manuscript"
"Don't be cross, sir" she said, laugh
ing, as she gave a waltz around the
room, making her pretty silk dress
whisk over one of the chairs, which she
merrily picked up, and then, comingto
any writing table, she took a o S out
of a basket of flowers and beganto ar
range it in her hair.
81 am not Cross said, coldly,
sfbut engaged in a serious work of a
mercantile and monetary nature.
You seem to think men ought always
to be butterflies"
tfNo, don't Dick, dear" she cried.
Tnere, viii that dor"
She held her head on one side for me
TO see the creamy s nesting in her
crisp. dark hair: but after a glance at
Il. / LET my eyes fall upon my desk,
and went on writing my pamphlet. !
saw that she wAslooking wistfully at
me. but / paid no heed and then she
came and reste6 her hands upon my
shoulder.
@Are you going to be o with me,
Dick" she said. softly.
Gross? Mo-" / jerked out impatient
ly. a40nly / thought / had a married a
woman, and she has turned out to be
acliid.n
There was silence thenfor a few min
utes. broken only by the scratching of
my pen. The little hands twitched a
little as they lay upon my shoulder,
and Inearly wrote down, instead of
srThe calculations arrived by the pro-
fectors on tontines," Orchard Mar
low, how can you be such a disagree
able wretch?n But, of course, I did
not writeit-only thought it-and then
I felt wonderfully disposed to turn
around, snatch the little figure to my
breast, and kiss away the tears which ]
knew were gathering in her eyes.
Somehow or other, though, / didnot
do it-only went on glumly writing
for / was cross, worried AID annoyed.
i had set myself q task that necessi
tated constant application, and / was
not getting on as | could wish; so, like
many more weak-minded individuals
Of the male sex, instead of asking fol
Che comforts and advice of my wife,
visited my disappointment upon tn,
first weak object at hand, and that OBJ
ject wasthe lady in question.
please, Dick, dear, don't be angr,
with me. / cant help feeling verl
young and girlish; though / am you
wife. do try, oh, so hard, to b,
womanly; but, Dick, / am only eigh
teen and a half"
srThirteen and a half / should say
Isaid scornfuily, just as If some sou
spirit was urging me to say biting, sar
castle things, that / knew would pair
che poor Cir; but for the life of me,
could not help it.
There was no a~nswer-only a littl
sigh--and the hands were Withdrawn
4 went on writing-rubbish that
knew should have to cancel.
HAD you not better get ready
Dick. said Matte, softly. sYou sal
you would come, when Invent upstairs
and the Wilson's won't likeit ii we al
Late
"Hang the Wilson's / growled.
There was another pause, filed u
by the scratch. scratch of one of I'll
noisiest pens l ever used, and anoths
little sigh.
Matte was standing close benin
nc, but, did not look around, ar
ct last she glided gently to achair an
sat down.
"What are you going to DOR / sal
roughly.
Watt for you, lick dear, she I
piled.
stYsou need not wait. Go on,
o. ~MA+