The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-04-23
nEb LETTER DAYS

':doments make Tie year, and triaes life"
"Wait just minute. Frank" said
Carrie Dean, as her husband drew on
bis ovefcoat in preparation for his
nightly two-hours' trip to the "post Of
lce," Uhree minutes walk from the
door).
"Well," said he, for she hcsitated.
"What is 1t now?"
20, nothing, but have you remem.
bcrcd." paying little unnecessary Ut
tcntion to the clasp Of her bracelet.
tomorrow will be our sixth anuivcr-
sary?"
Let's see-thc twenty-first No. I
hadn't thought of 1t. Why?"
why. I've been thinking and wish
ing we might plan some little celcbra-
ton, just to recognize the day."
Didn't VIC celebrate our fifth. last
ycar3 There's nothing now until the
tenth. Are you getting out of wooden
nutmcgs?"
'Oh, l don't mean anything Of that
kind"--with little faltering Of the
voice. unncticcd by Mr.. Dean. who is
already i'll the hall-'just little some-
thing to make it in some way different
from other days"
why. what ails other days?" he in.
CURED dryly. II don't think we want
to make any fuss. Ill send down an
extra course or two for dinner, and I
hope ycu'll see that they come on all
right, or get cook who can serve q
dinner decently without being watch
ed" and closing the hall door. he join
cd the crowd of comfortable pilgrims,
setting towards the "post-ofiice"
shrine"
Mr.. Dean was not unkind at heart;
on the contrary he considered himself a
very remarkable husband indeed; posi-
bly, not in the matter of sentiment
that was IN monumental commodity
with which business man could have
little to debut of his indulgence there
could be no doubt. Had he not estab-
lishcd a model home. well located, fur
nished. and appointed? Did he not
promptly respond to every application
made by his wife for financial aid. and
leave the matter Of domestic service
wholly to her? Furthermore, was not
his own life we'll ordered and ire
proaclable? Beyond doubt his wife
was fortunate among women. He had
not much time for home life, himself.
He went every day to his office when
real or fancicd emergencies did not call
him out of town; and evcnings-well,
evenings there were always errands to
be done. and one must keep the run Of
things at the club. and lodge meetings
must not be neglected. and at this sea-
son there were at least local politics of
interest. Clearly. his evenings were
fully occupied. Carrie had the best of
it. She had the home all to herself.
But to night the highly-favored wife
was not in a mood to appreciate her
blessings. particularly the browning
ono OF solitude, nor did the prospective
pleasure of the morrow produce great
cxhilaration of spirits.
"Another course OF two for dinner;
that is, little moro time than usual
spent in the Kitchen" she sighed
"that is only type of what my Red
Letter Days have been, and'-tho sigh
grew hcavier-''what suppose they
will always be-"
And then, though the chandeliers
shed soft light on the home, made beau
tiful by the exquisite blending of Orient
al tints, though the last new book con-
tested claim with the latest craze in en-
broidcry. though an obtrusive little
white-pawcd kitten rubbed and purrcd
against her bowed head, the loneliness
of her heart found vent in tears.
"Unreasonable!' every strong-mind-
ed woman will declare. Very; yet the
return of Il joyful anniversary with the
joy left out. has been known to wiring
stronger hearts than that of poor Car
ric Dean.
'What could ] have said," she ques-
toned, ''to make him take some inter.
est in the dav?" but the wllite-pawed
kitten. her only auditor, answered not.
lie would hardly have regarded q pro-
position to spend the day, or even the
evening. at home, in the light of an en-
tertainment-they had been SIX years
wei-and she was deferred from pro-
posing any outside expedition, by u pp-
culiarity of temperament. none too
common. She had retained one char
acteristic of her girlhood, which is COM
monty supposed to become extinct with
marriage-a delicacy which prevented
her from making overtures. Frank
Dean had counted it one of her sweet
est graces in the old days. Perhaps
since marriage his perceptions had
dimmed, and he may not have noticed
that she had never invited him to take
her out, or solicited from him any gift,
unless the occasional laying before him
OF an emptied purse might be hcld-so
unfathomable is the domestic partner
ship to the uninitiated be a soliciting
of aims! As natural result of this re-
ticemce, she was much ut home, and the
charming little belongings that sur
rounded her. were not the gifts of af-
lection, but had for the most part been
ordered in much the same mattcr-of-
fact way as the daily bread Frank
had often told her that he preferred 10
buy what things he needed, and she
might do the same; and she. who loved
gifts. and invitations and surprises, with
the fresh heartedncss of child, felt
that somehow oil her life was prose.
not the least prosy page being that on
which was just inscribed tho pro-
gramme Of her anniversary day.
And Frank Dean went on with the
rest. thinking of to-morrow's business,
and tO-night's relaxation. As he was