The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1886-06-18

that is hopeless, l fear"
And Mr.. Whitman quickoned his
steps, because his heart beat quicker,
and his mind was unduly excited.
Not long after Mr.. Whitman had left
home, the postman delivered letter to
his address. His wife examined the
writing on the envelope, which was in
a bold hand, and said to herself as she
did so. II wonder who this can be
from?'
Something more than curiosity NOV
| ed her There intruded on her mind
vague feeling of disquet, as if the mis-
| sive bore unpleasant news for her hus-
| band. The stamp showed it to be
city letter. Several times of late such
! letters had come TO his address, and she
noticed that he read them hurriedly,
thrust them, without remark, into his
pocket, and became suddenly silent and
gloomy.
Mrs Whitman turned the letter over an
over again in her hand in thoughtful
way, and as she did so the image of her
| husband, sober faced and silent as he
had become for most of the time of late,
presented itself with unusual vividness.
| Sympathy stole into her heart.
Poor George!' she said, as the
feeling increased; I'm afraid some
thing is going wrong with hin"
Placing the letter on the mantel-
piece, where her husband could see it
when he came in, Mrs. Whitman en-
| tered upon sOne household duties; but
strange impression, as of weight, lay
upon her heart--a sense of impending
evil--a vague, troubled disturbance of
her usual inward self-satisfaction.
If the thought of Mrs. Whitman re-
Cured, as was natural, to the elegant
silk dress of which she was to become
the owner on that day, she did not feel
the proud satisfaction her vain heart
! experienced a little while before. Some
thing of its beauty had faded.
If / only knew what that letter
containedn' she said, half an hour after
it had come in, her mind still feeling
the pressure which had come upon it
so strangely, as it seemed to her
She went to the mantlepiece, took up
the letter, and examined the super
scripton. 1t did not enlighten her.
Steadily she became more assured that
its contents were of nature to trouble
He's been a little mysterious of
late" she said to herself This idea
affected her very unpleasantly. He
grows more silent and reserved" she
added, as thought, under a kind of
feverish excitement, became active in
new direction. "More contemplative,
as it were, and less interested in what
goes on around him. His coldness
chills me at times, and his irritation
pains me-"
She drew a long, deep sigh. Then,
with an almost startling vividness, came
before her mind in contrast, her tender,
loving, cheerful husband of three years
before, and her quiet, silent, sober faced
husband of to-day.
Something has gone wrong with him
this year, she said aloud, as feeling
grew stronger. 'What can it be?'
The letter was still in her hand. This
may enlighten me-
With careful fingers she opened the
envelope, not breaking the paper, so
that she could seal it again if she desir-
ed to do so. There was a bill for fifteen
pounds, and communication from the
person sending the bill. He was jew
eler.
''If this is not settled at once" he
wrote, Il shall take proceedings. 1t
has been standing for nearly year,
and am tired of getting excuses in
stead of my money.
The bill was for lady's watch,
which Mrs. Whitman had almost COM
PEELED her husband to purchase.
mot paid for! Is it possible?" ex-
claimed the little woman, in great as
tonishment, while the blood mounted
to her forehead. as
Then she sat down TO think. Light
began to come into her mind. As she
sat thus thinking, a second letter for
her husband came in. She opened it
without hesitation. Another bill! and
another dunning letter!
Not paid! Is it possible?" she:re-
peated.
1t was a bill of four pounds for boots
and slippers, which had been standing
for three or four months.
This will never dor' said the as
tonished wife. '.never mo never!' She
thrust the two letters into her pocket
in resolute way, and from that hour
until the return of her husband she did
an unusual amount of thinking for her
little brain. She saw, tnesmoment he
entered, that the morning cloud had
not passed from his brow.
Here is the money for that new
Dress" he said, taking it from his vest
pocket and handing it to her as he came
IN.
He did not kiss her, nor smile in the
old, bright way. But his voice was
calm, if not cheerful. A kiss and
smile just then would have been more
precious to the young wife than hun-
dred silk dresses. She took the money,