The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1892-12-24

bewiderment.
What was there for her to do? she
asked herself And what must her hus-
band think of her, so stubborn and way
ward that she would rather keep him at
home from the opera, their rare and costly
pleasure, than give up her way about
trihe What did she care what such
husband thought And yet, if she did,
and she returned on the vicious circle,
what was there for her to do? And at
once bright and evil thought smote her.
Josephine-the second girl, she remem-
bered that no great while ago she had seen
in Josephine's ears two bits of glass or
paste, Alaska diamonds, may be that had
cost seventy-fve cents and she had won
dered why a girl in .Josephine's position
wanted to make believe she had diamonds
in her ear which, if they were real dia-
monds, would only be a disgrace to her,
and how she could spend cent for fnery
anyhow. when all the family were trying
to save every dollar for the operation on
the blind mothers eyes. And now, to
ask favor of Joshephine, to whom that
very morning she had been obliged to give
a piece of her mind-but she must put
her dignity behind her, and-oh, heavens,
if Josephine had gone out with her Alaskas
in her ears But Josephine had not gone
out and it was only the work of a mo-
ment, but the dreadfully hard work of a
moment, to color like poppy, and feel her
voice somewhere in the depths among the
lower tones of trombone, and then
in clear, brazen tones to say "Jose-
phine, want you to lend me your new
earrings, quick, and never on my account to
say word about it to anyone !" And the
delighted Josephine hastened to obey; and
Mrs Trench crept down stairs with two
bright points glittering in her ears under
the hall lamp, and her cheeks roster than
ever. But as she stood there at the newell
post. if she had dared to raise her eyes, it
would have struck her that anything like
the way in which Mr. Trench started back
and looked aghast and struck his hand on
his breast pocket as if to make sure that
his heart was beating under it. she had
never seen off the stage. But he com
manded himself Immediately, although he
did not succeed in getting out of sight at
once the look of amazement and of puzzled
wonder. "That's right he said. "And
now you've yielded your point, LII be fair
and yield mine. You needn't wear them
if you don't want to. No, no, now, I'll
insist upon it. Take them out, my dear.
[ won't have you mortify your pretty van
ity by not being in the fashion. 1t
wasn't that, she knew in her guilty little
SOUL but she hated to wear her servant
girls mock fnery and she knew that every
woman in the audience would know the
sham at a glance In her desperation she
had preferred that to the encounter with
her husbands wrath and contemplate
now-she hesitated. And then came the
tinkling Of the car bell. They ran hur-
riedly out of the door and down the steps
and were in the cars, and there was Mrs.
Courcy de Spenser going to the opera, too.
Before Mrs Trench knew it those earrings,
those hateful bits of glass and brass, had
been snatched from her ears and were slip
ping into the pocket of her black silk skirt,
while pair Of great white earrings, as big
as peas, were flashing and milking and
rainbowing in Mrs. Courcy de Spencer's
ears for Mr.. Trench to see. Apparently
he didn't see them; nor had he noticed
that the bits of Alaska crystal were larger
than her own earrings. She was over the
trouble for this time-but what was she to
do on the next At last in the midst of
the lights and dresses and flowers and music
she forgot her SORROWS and abandoned her
self to the general glory and ineffable pleas
ure of the opera.
Mr.. Trench was very quiet all through
the opera; and on the way home heappear-
ed to be in deep thought. Two or three
times he looked at his wife with puzzled
air; but he was very tender and gentle with
her, for him, like one who would invite
confidence, in the few moments that they
sat in the little drawing room before going
up stairs; and the next morning as he went
to business he kissed her and asked her if
she were sure she loved him and nobody else,
in spite of his tempers. "Why, who else
should l love? laughed Mrs. Trench, heed
less of grammer. II don't know another
man in the world to speak freely with,
except your brothers and my sisters hus-
bands; and I'm sure don't love them ~
"Then will you tell me why you wanted
to give them Christmas presents to the
extent of getting angry with your husband
about it2"
"Because always have, and they always
have, and like things to go on the way
they've been going on, and | don't want
to mar the harmony and put and end to
our old pleasant ways, and they'll give us
something, they always have, and they
always have come over here, every one of
them, to breakfast on Christmas mornings,
and don't want them to think we're mean,
and
"Well," said Mr.. Trench, .why didn't
YOU say so, instead of blowing me up the
other day? Now, | can't help you |
drew my salary ahead till the close of the
year to make the last payment on the
house, you know. had a particular use
for hundred dollars, and | borrowed it,
and I've spent it, and don't know where
to borrow any more, and if | did | doubt
if it would be right to borrow money and
run in debt Just for Christmas presents
do you think it would be2"
'IN-no, said Mrs Trench, tearfully.
And then he kissed her again and said,
sacrificing his last scrap of principle:
"Well have to explain it to them and make
it right next year" But as he went up
, the street there was hesitation in his gait
and manner which showed his mind to be
very much divided about something.
Mrs. Trench saw it as she looked after
him according to her usual fashion when
she was not injured or angered, and she
found herself asking if she supposed he
really had not hundred dollars he could
have handed her at that moment, if there
were not some other plan in his head for
using it that he found it hard to give up.
But it was idle to speculate, and she went
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