Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1888-03-21

certainly not at all conscious of.
Mrs. Morris, talking on in that
cool, indifferent way, cast sundry dis
gusted glances at him. which being
all lost upon their object, she present,
ly turned her eyes upon Ned
He had been eating in much the same
fashion ever since he had been helped
but in expectation of escaping notice
as he usually did.
Ned" she said, in so severe tone
that the child started, eff you cannot
eat decently, leave the table,
Gulping down last monstrous
mouthful, the boy obeyed, casting a
scowling, rescntful look at his mother
while the father, understanding per-
fectly for whom the reproof was
meant, threw his knife down on the
table with bang got up and left the
room.
Mary Henderson was too much
shocked and grieved to made any eff
fort to break the silence which follow.
cd. She glanced furtively at the
girls. They were chatting as if moth
ing unusual had happened, though
she imagined she discovered shade
of modification on the face of the
elder girl, as her eyes followed hel
fathers figure stalking across the
yard to the dog-kennels, and in the
second, who was most like her mother
slight effort in the apparent uncon'
Germ. On the servants faces was
Enthusiastically a look of suppressed
amusement. But, besides a slight
flush and CLEAN of scorn in hel
dark eyes, Mrs. Morris showed nc
concern whatever, and soon led the
way upstairs.
This was not the first time Mary
had had reason To suspect her friend
had made loveless marriage. In
fact, her family made no secret OF
their opinion that, while love did very
well as an amusement, along with the
parties, opera, etc., when it came to
marriage, the one thing to be consid-
cred was good settlement. But
Mary Henderson believed that, even
if people married without love, il
must of necessity come afterward, for
she could not conceive of life without
it, and though at times painful mis-
givings had forced themselves upon
her with regard to her friend, yet to
her there was something so sacred in
the relation of husband and wife that
she would not permit herself for a
moment to question the fact that they
had loved each other, though not in
the way that she and John did. But
now she could only put her hands
over her face and cry:
ooh, Edmo, how could you :"
Mrs. Morris laughed lightly, per.
haps a trifle impatiently, and answer
ed
"You dear little foolish woman, you
married for love, like the little goose
that you were, so how can you be ex.
pected to appreciate the trials and
tribulations of us ordinary women p
But even as she spoke she looked
complacently around on her elegant
surroundings, and easily fell back in
to her accustomed serenity, while
Mary, with a grievous puzzle in heI
womanly heart, soon took her leave
She quickened her steps, with q
thrill of joy that sent the troublou'
thoughts flying hither and yon at the
recollection it was almost time fol
John to come home. Not almost, bu
altogether, she knew when she heard
the three happy voices in a big snow
ball frolic in the yard. She stopped
at the gate to watch the game, and, al
she stood there all unseen by the play
ers, she thought: John has had t.
do all the whipping and most Of TIT
punishment of every kind / hav'
always been afraid the children woul'
not like me if I did; and yet the,
love him with the love that castetl
out fear. 1t must be because the,
unconsciously recognize the fact tina
the very punishments are the dictate
of love. But they have caught sigh
of her now, and the play is broke
up in a glad procession to meet hel
the father at the head, every face $
full of joyous welcome it was enoug
to fill any woman's cup of happiness
And as the sunlight of their fou
happy, loving hearts flooded their CO.
tage home, it seemed such a warn
bright little nest she wondered ho'
even one spark of envy could eve
have found place in her heart for ths
other home, palatial as it was.
After John the less and Jessie ha
been snugly tucked into bed, with tn
mothers kiss lingering on each moutl
the husband aud wife talked long an
sadly of her visit.
DO you know, John, think, ne,
IN his f,thar Nod faale tho want ,