The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-14

talked either to him, the cat or the bird
or hummed in her cracked voice snatches
of the songs of her younger days.
From these premises the good man con-
cluded, "She can't hold her tongue much
longer, surely"
But, to his great establishment, she
swept the house, secured the table and
the tiled floor, punished the bird that had
flown on the bed, shelled the beans and
vat down to her knitting without opening
her tight set lips. ''Thunder and light
hing! She is in an obstinate humor!'
thought the husband, astounded.
The morning passed thus, in mutual,
obstinate silence, each determined not to
yield by speaking the first word.
Three OR four times the fisherman left
his work and stood before his wife with
folded arms, smiling ironically, in the
hope of forcing from her some exclama-
ton.
She had indeed unusual control of her
temper, for, instead of obeying her first
impulse to throw her bail at him, she kept
on quietly knitting, giving forth no sound
but that made by the quadrille dance Of
her bright steel needles. He could mock
now as much as he pleased by initiating
with his fingers birds or fishes in their
swiftest movements. She would not even
raise her eyes above her spectacles, and he
walked back, murmuring hoarsely in his
beard, Thunder and lightning!" What,
he was going to be beatenl For he felt
sure if that continued he would soon be
hopelessly angry and speak in spite of
himself. His ears began to burn, his nose
and chin to tremble, and his hand was al
NEST closed into a fist to strike the table
and to utter a terrible oath which might
brighten the bird, but would only be
triumph for his wife, who would laugh
in his face and entertain the neighbors in
the evening with the story.
Cost what it might, he must invent some
thing to overcome the silence of the obsti-
nate woman. All at once q quiet laugh
shook him, and dropping his shuttle he
arose. A rich idea struck himl He had
found the road to victory, which led into
the room and straight to the cupboard.
He took down from one of the shelves a
liquor glass, which he placed on the table
with some unnecessary noise; then, with
decided step, he walked to the other,
and from the deepest recess of the highest
shelf brought carefully sealed bottle,
placed it between his knees, loudly
scratched away the WAX and made the
COIh pup OuO Will I'LL 6tllSIy GADlOSlOu.
1t was precious bottle of choice "CaI-
vados, f" kept in strict reserve to celebrate
the return of the younger sailor son. The
good mother was never. willing that the
father should look at the bottle, even to
see if it were improving with age; there
fore the noise of the uncorking struck her
heart like the near sound of a pistol shot.
Nevertheless she sat unfinchingly, q
IF hill nv xxrhay ho
filled his glass with the bubbling liquor,
and tasting it with smack murmured
to himself with grunt Of pleasure:
"That warns from head to foot It is
cheer worth offering the king!"
The good man was terribly disappointed
at the failure of his strategem. He re-
turned to his nets, pulling his poor old
head, which was more accustomed to plan
decoys for fishes than to search for ruses
to overcome the caprices of women. He
could only console his amour propre by
closing his fists and murmuring:
ooh, the stubborn, stubborn muleI
Hours of the same obstinate silence fol-
lowed, but at last the good man entered
the room.
"He can't bear it any longer; he's 60
ing to speak!' thought the wife, delighted
at the idea of her conquest
But instead of speaking or even looking
at her he went directly to the high cup
board. Mounting footstool, he began to
search carefully with the close attention
of one who had lost something very pre-
cious. One by one he brought down piles
of sheets and towels and placed them on
the bed, displaced the odds and ends of
bric-a-brac accumulated during their 30
years of welded life, which formed a mo-
sale and precious picture from the past.
There were bits Of china bought at fairs,
foreign curiosities brought home by the
sailor boy, the elder son now sleeping
forever in distant China; another blue
box in which was carefully preserved the
bridal veil of the now aged woman, en-
broidered by her youthful fingers.
The husband examined each treasure
most minutely, stopping to contemplate
each object. He soon attacked the second
cupboard.
His wife could not help feeling of dis
turbance at first, which increased into
anxiety that made her follow his move
ments with close, but secret watchfulness.
As his eagerness in searching became more
intense, SO her curiosity mounted to the
insupportable point.
"What in the name of heaven has he
lost? It cannot be his knife, for he had it
this morning in his hand What can it
be?" She continued to watch him in the
hope that some gesture of his would en-
Tighten her, or in his irritation that the
name of the lost object would escape his
lips.
But with perseverance that one would
never have believed Of him he continued
his work until dark without even whis-
per.
With the night came the tide and the
hour for departure, but he seemed all I'M
conscious of the call of duty.
Having completely scrutinized every
corner and object in the second cupboard
he lighted candle, and setting the candle
stick on the tiles threw himself down and
began to peer under the bed.
That was too much for the poor woman's
power of control. Her obstinacy melted
before the fire Of her curiosity, and van
pushed she asked:
"What in all the world are you looking
for, my MANI"
Jumping to his feet, he burst into a hard
laugh that shook the old hut and an
swered: