The Republican journal., 1885-03-19
Two Dozen Buttons.

SN'NiI
hand a brand-new ten-d dollar bill. And
here began the trouble.
whats the matter ?" he said, his face
falling at the faint sound and his mouth
clappng together in what those who knew
him but little called an obstinate pucker.
"Now what is it?"
Betty, who had just begun to change
the sigh into a merry little laugh ripping
all over the corners Of the red lips, stop
ped suddenly, tossed her head, and. with
a small jerk no way conciliatory sent out
the words:
You needn't insinuate, John, that |
am always troublesome"
81 didn't insinuate who's talking of
insinuating ?" cried he, thoroughly incen-
sed at the very idea, and backing away
a few steps, he glared down from a tre-
mendous height, in extreme irritation.
Its yourself who is forever insinuating
and all that, and then for you to put it
on lne-it's really abominable."
The voice was harsh, and the eyes that
looked down into hers were not pleasant
to behold.
''And if you think. John Peabody, that
III stand and have such things said to
me, You miss Your guess-that's all ~
cried Betty, with two big red spots com
ing in her cheeks, as she tried to draw
her little erect figure to its utmost di
mensions. "Forever insinuating. guess
You wouldn't have said that before
T1lT1,inI (li1 ff
course"
"Djdnt you say it first, I'd like to
know 2" cried John, in great excitement,
drawing nearer the small creature he
called "Wite," who was gazing at him
with blazing eyes Of Indignation; 81 can't
endure everything,"
"-And if YOU bear more than do, cried
Betty. wholly beyond control now, 'Why,
then, III give up" and she gave bitter
little laugh and tossed her head again.
And here they were in the midst of a
quarrel. These two who, but a year be-
fore, had promised to love and protect
and help each other through life y.
"NoN," said John, and he brought his
hand down with such a bang on the table
before him that Betty nearly skipped out
of her little shoes-only she controlled the
start, for she would have died before she
had let John see it, I'VE will have no
more OF this nonsense"
His face was very pale and the lines
around the mouth so drawn that it would
have gone to any ones heart to have seen
their expression.
Il don't know how you will change it
or help it, said Betty lightly, to hide her
dlsmay at the turn at1'tirs had taken, ''lm
sure and she pushed back the light,
waving hair from her forehead with a
saucy, indifferent gesture.
That hair that John always smoothed
when he petted her, tired Or dishearten-
ed, and called her 'child." Her gesture
sunny locks, and the cool, indifferent face
underneath, and before he knew it he was
saying:
There is no help for it now, sup
pose
"Oh, yes there is" said Betty, still in
that cool, calm way that ought not to
have deceived him. But men know so
little Of womens hearts, although they
may live with them for years in closest
friendship. "You need not try to endure
it, John Peabody, you don't want to.
I'm sure don't care :"
"What do you mean ?"
Her husband grasped her arms and
compelled the merry brown eyes to look
up to him.
Il can 90 back to mother's," said Bet
ty, provokingly. "She wants me any
day, and then you can live quietly and
to suit Yourself, and it will be better all
around"
Instead of bringing out violent pro-
testatioE of fond affection and remorse,
which she fully expected, John drew
himself up, looked at her fixedly for a
long, long minute, then dropped her arm,
and with white lips said slowly:
''les, it may be as you say, better all
around. You know best - and was gone
from the room before she could recover
from her astOnishmcnt 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
tlnging herself on the comfortable old
sofa, broke into a food of bitter tears
the first she had shed during her married
life.
GLOW could he have done it! Oh, what
have | said ? Oh, John, John !"
The bird twittered in his little cage
over in the window among the plants.
Betty remembered like flash how John
and she had filled the seed-cup that very
morning; how he had laughed when she
tried to put it in between the bars, and
when she couldn't reach without getting
upon a chair he took her in his great arms
and held her up, just like a child, that
she might fix it to suit herself.
And the 'bits" he had said in his ten
der way, they had gone down to the
depths Of her foolish little heart. sending
her about her work singing for very glad
ness of spirit. And now
Betty stuffed her fingers hard into hel
rose ears to shut out the birds chirping.
"lf he only knew why sighed" she
moaned. "Oh, my husband Birthdays
nothing will make any difference now
| On, why can't die 2"
How long she stayed there, croucheC
down on the old sofa. she never knew
| Over and over the dreadful scene she
went, realizing its worst features eacl
time in despair, until a voice out in the
kitchen said: Betty :" and heavy foot
falls proclaimed that some one was on the
point Of breaking in upon her unlimited
Betty sprang up, choking back he
sobs, and tried with all her might to com
pose herself and remove all traces of he
trouble.
The visitor was the\Worst possible ONT
she could have had lkpder the circum
stance. Crowding hefSelf on terms o
the closest intimacy With the prett.
bride, who, with her husband, had movet
into the village a twelvem6Qth previous
Miss Elvira Simmons had made the yer.
most of her opportunities, anNby dint o
making great parade over helping her il
some domestic work such as house. clean
ing, dress making and the like. themaid
en- lady had managed to ply her othe
vocation, that of news-g -gatherer at ont
and the same time, pretty etfectually.
She always called her by the first name
though Betty resented it; and she mad
great handle of her friendship on ever,
occasion, making John rage violently ant
VOW a thousand times the cold maid
should walk.