Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-26

there wasn't such a thing as button in the
world.7
"a wish. which we must misdoubt, many
another wife than Hrs. Chickerly has echoed,
with perhaps better reason.)
Mrs Chickerly was sitting down to her
little dinner, with daintily Drowned chicken,
a tuinblcr of currant jelly, curly bunch Of
celery RANGED before her, when, to her sur
prise, the door opened and in walked her lord
and husband.
"Why, Frank, where on earth did you come
frorna" cried tho astonished wife.
"From the Office" very coolly answered
Mr. Chickerly.
slut l thought you were offor Scenersville
| in such hurry"
Il found myself just five minutes too late
for The train, after having run all the way to
the depot"
sob, that was too bad"
Chickerly smiled a little as he began to carve
the chicken.
"Yes, was little annoyed at first; it did
seem rather provoking to be kept at home by
only a shirt button"
sWhat ere you going to do!"
"Why, shall make second start to-mor-
row."
"Ill see to it that your breakfast is ready
this time, to the second, and all your ward
robe in trim" said Fanny, rather relieved at
the prospect Of a chance of retrieving her
character.
"You need not have engaged room at
a hotel near the depot I can't run any more
risks"
He did not speak unkindly, and yet Fanny
felt that he was deeply displeased with her.
"But, Frank"
"Wc will not discuss the matter any further,
my dear, if you please. l have resolved to
say nothing more to you about reforms.
see it is useless, and only tends to foster an
unpleasant state of feelings between US. Shall
I help you to some moro macaronis"
Fairly silcnced, Fanny ate her dinner with
what appetite was left her.
Three days afterward Mr. Chickerly once
more made has 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 husbands
drawerful of shrts-a job which she had long
been dreading and postponing.
"Well, how is Aunt Elizabeth" questioned
Mrs. Chickerly, when her husband, duly well
coined and greeted, had seated himself in the
opposite easy chair.
Dead" was the brief reply,
Dead! Oh, Frank! OF her old enemy,
apoplexy?"
yes
"IVas her will made."
at was. Apparently she had expected me
on the day she herself appointed; and 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
Scenersvillc, with few bitter words to the
effect that tho neglect Of her only living
nephew had induced her, on the spur of the
moment to alter her original intention of
leaving it to him. She died the next morn
ing"
"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 condemned by
the utterance of her own conscience. Not
alono the one missing button, but the scores
nay, hundreds-of tri1ing omissions, for
getfulness and postponements which made
her life one endless endeavor to "catch up"
with the transpiring present, seemed to pre-
sent themselves before her minds eye. What
would this end in! Was not the present les
son sufficiently momentous to teach her t.
train herself in different SCHOOL,
She rose and came to her husbands side,
laying one tremu;Ous hand on his shoulder.
There shall DO no more missing buttons
my love-" she said earnestly.
He ccmprehended all that she left unspoken,
and silently pressed the little hand in his own;
and not a word more was said upon the sub
jet.
But it YVES not forgotten Mrs. Chickerly
set herself resolutely to work to uproot the
rank weeds growing in her garden of life.
And she succeeded, as we all may do when
we resolve to do q wise thing