The Washington critic., 1886-10-19
over The furnace fire." she exclaimed,
srringing TO her feet.
BItt MIR CIicuprlv npnin iniprDOscQ,


Fanny crimsoned as she remembered
how often in the course of the last
month or two, she had solemnly
promised herself to devote day to the
much needed renovation of her hus.
bands shirts. She looked around for
her thimble.
II left 1t down stairs last night. I'll
get 1t in a minute"
The housemaid had just kindlod
fire in the sitting.room crate 1t was
blazing and cracking cheerily among
the fresh Goals, and Fanny could not
resist the temptation of pausing II mo.
ment to warm her chilled fingers, and
watch the greenish purple spires of
fame shoot morrily up the chimney,
until she heard her husband voice call.
ing her imperatively,-
Fanny, Fanny what are you
doing 2"
"Oh, dear" thought the wife, as she
ran up stairs, 81 wish Frank wouldn't
be so cross. He's always in a hurry"
Little Mrs Chickerly never stopped
TO think that the real reason was that
she, his wife, was never "in hurry"
The needle threaded, the thimble
fitted on, an appropriate button was
next to be selected.
"Oh, dear, Frank, haven't one the
right size %
"stw on what you have, then; but
lie quick -
But Fannie was quite Gel tain there
was just the right button somewhere
in her work basket and stopped to
search for it.
There, told you sor' she cried,
triumphantly, holding II up on the end
of her needle.
well, well. Sew It on, quick"
said Mr.. Chickeily, glancing at his
watch, nervously
That's just your worrying way,
Frank as If anybody could sew but
ton on well in hurry. There My
needle has come uuthreaded."
ooh, Fanny, Fanny" sighed her
husband, fairly out of patience at last.
why didn't you do it last night, as |
begged of you? shall miss the train,
and what little chance we had of a
place in Aunt Elizabeth's will will be
sacrificed to your miserable habit of
being always behindhand.
Fanny gave him the shirt and began
to whimper little, but Mr.. Chickerly
had neither the time nor the inclina-
tion to pause to soothe her petulant
manifestation of grief lie finished
his dressing, caught up his valise with
a hurriedly spoken "good bye" and
ran down stairs, two steps at time,
into the street.
There he goes" murmured Fanny,
"and he's gone away cross with me,
and all for nothing but miserable
button. / wish there wasn't such
thing as q button In the worldp'
"a wish which, we doubt not, many
another wife than Mrs. Chickerly has
echoed, with perhaps better reason).
Mrs. Chickerly was sitting down to
her little dinner, with daintily-
Drowned chicken, tumbler of currant
jelly, curly bunch of celery ranged
before her, when to her surprise the
door opened and in walked her lord
and husband.
"Why, Frank. where on earth did
you come FROM" cried the astonished
wife,
"From the office" very coolly an.
swered Mr.. Cbickerly.
"But thought you were off for
Scenersville in hurry"
II found myself just five minutes too
late for the train, after having run all
the way to the depot"
"Oh, that was too bad"
Chickerly smiled little as he began
to carve the chicken.
Yes, was little annoyed at first,
1t did seem rather provoking to be
kept at home by only a shirt button. 1"
Nv hat are you going to do?"
"Why, l shall make second start
to morrow"
"lll see to it that your breakfast is
ready this time, to the second, and all
your wardrobe in TRIM" said Fanny,
rather relieved at the prospect of q
chance Of retrieving her character.
You need not. | have engaged a
room at a hotel near the depot. | can t
run any more risks"
He did not speak uukindly, and yet
Fanny felt that he was deeply dis
pleased with her.
"But, Frank"
owe will not discuss the matter any
further, my dear, if you please. l
have resolved TO say nothing more to
you about reforms. see 1t is useless,
and only tends to foster an unpleasant
state OF feeling between us. Shall !
help you TO some more maccaroni?'
Fairly silenced, Fanny ate her din.
ner with what appetite was left her.
Three days afterward Mr.. Chickerly
once more made his entrance, just at
dusk, valise in hand, while Fanny sat
enjoying the ruddy light of the coal
fire and the consciousness of having
performed her duty in the mending
and general renovation Of her hus-
bands drawerful of shirts-a job
which she had long been dreading and
postponing.
"Well, how is Aunt Elizabeth"
questioned Mrs. Chickorly, when her
husband, duly welcomed and greeted,
had seated himself in the opposite easy
chair.
Dead" was the brief reply.
"Deodl Oh, Frank OF her old
enemy, apopleXy?'
"Yes."
"Was her will m0de?"
ut was. Apparently she had ex-
pected me on the day she herself ap.
pointed; ana on my non-arrival on the
only train that stops, she sent for the
village lawyer, made her will and left
all her property to the orphan asylum
in Scenersvile, with few bitter words
to the effect that the neglect of her only
living nephew had induced her, on the
spur OF the moment, to alter her orig
inal intention of leaving 1t to him. She
died the next morning"
"Oh, Frank, how much was it,"
"Ten thousand dollars"
There was moment or two OF
silence, then Mr.. Chickerly added
composedly:
you see, Fanny, how much that
missing button has cost mel"
Mrs. Chickerly sat like one con
demned, by the uttGrance Of her owr
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