The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1893-06-30

her nanu. ana QOn I you WdnU 10 see
the paper?' / asked. Yes, l like to
read it, sometimes she replied, and I
thought perhaps you would have your
other paper delivered here instead of at
the Office and then you could read it in
the evening when you came home l
smiled at what l thought was her SIM
plicity; but l was SO pleased with her
thoughtfulness that appeared to fall
In with the plan, and l ordered the
other paper left at the house as we'll as
at the office. l found, long after, that
it was not simplicity and thoughtful
ness for me that inspired this idea. 1t
was the cunning of madness. THAT
other paper published most of the dry
goods advertisements.
"Anita's mornings were now spent in
The study of the newspaper. | would
come into the little parlor of our fiat to
find her porting over them, and she
always had one beside her at the break
fast table. She became abstracted, and
sometimes careless. Thinking that she
was interested in the current news, l
tried to draw her into conversation on
political or social topics. You know
am not of serious nature.
The bright and trivial events of
life have their value for me. l
had never seen any very great
depth in my wife, but believing
that all absorbing interest in the ques-
tions of general discussion was filling
her mind and disturbing her thoughts,
l made it point from time to time to
take up some current topic, after due
preparation, to discuss it with her. But
I never seemed to be able to find one
that was pleasing. Her ideas on the
Chilian question were most vague and
indefinite; her knowledge of what was
being done in congress was super
fetal; the business world seemed to
claim little of her interest, and Grim
inal and religious topics were alike a
blank to her. She tried to fall in with
my thoughts, and seemed pleased to
hear what had to say; but l always
found that | was better informed than
she. At last one morning she broached
to me the subject of her thoughts;
though at the time did not appreciate
the Importance of what she said. ] had
asked her again and again if ! could
not get something for her to make her
happier; but she always answered:
No, 1 am quite content l knew, in
time, that she was struggling vainly
with the mania which finally became
too strong for her 1t broke out first
on that particular morning.
"'John,' she said, in her pleading,
tender way, may have little money
to go shopping with this morning?'
LAS much as you wish, my DEAR
answered. 1 am glad you have discov-
cred something that you want. have
been trying to, these many days.
"'It is not just something that ]
want, john she said, but they are
selling out all-wool challies at Burns
at such low price that think ought
to- get enough for dress. may need it
in the spring.
Gas you can imagine, 'all-wool chal-
lies was rather unintelligible to me, so
fresh from bachelorhood but whatever
it was | was determined that my wife
should have all that she wanted of it.
So took out ten-dollar bill and asked
her if that would be enough. She in
sisted that she did not need so much;
but pressed it on her, and finally she
took it. That night came home with
tickets for the opera and bunch of
great big Baroness Rothschild roses.
"'Oh, you extravagant boyr she ex-
claimed as she met me with kiss.
Come in and let me show you how I
have been saving money for you while
You have been spending it,
''She took me into the little parlor
and spread before me some figured
cloth. 1t was quite pretty, suppose; l
am not much of a judge in such mat
ters. 1T cost only forty cents yard,
John,' she said with laugh, and it
should have been fifty, at least That
was six dollars; and with the rest of
the money here she drew me laugh
ingly down the ball to the door of our
little dining-room - with the rest,
john she said, pointing triumphantly
: at heap of plated ware on the table,
4 got such splendid bargain! Just
think of spoons at eighty=eight cents
dozen, and knives and forks almost as
cheap!'
"'But Anita, darling said, what
L are you going to do with that setof solid
silver my father gave us? and the case
that came from my old chums of the
; law school? We thought we had more
oilFcTWdIo Olldn we COulu use up III all
our lives
d, "'You dear silly gooser she answered,
l putting her arms about my neck; we
don't want to use that solid silver for
every day. And, besides, one of these
days we may want some of this plated
ware, and we would have to pay twice
as much for it.
81 kissed her on both cheeks, and told
+; her she was a very thoughtful little
girl. She was filed with quite a glow
of pride that evening, and l think the
: memory of my words made PATHS sing
ing all the sweeter to her For two or
t three days she subdued her inclina-
tions; but one morning they became
too strong for her. She startled me at
= the breakfast table with the announce
t ment that she was going to get cop
per-bottomed tea-kettle at Chase's.
said: L think our kitchen outfit is quite
s complete, my dear. My mother is an
e old housekeeper, and she fitted up our
d kitchen herself -.
"'Yes, | know, she said. 1T was so
sweet of your mother; and l am quite
sure there is everything that we actual
ly need. But they are selling house
: hold goods for. almost nothing at
Chase's to-day, and we'll meyer get a
!, tea:kettle Tor twenty-nine cents again.
q And there are two or three other thiprs