The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-02

crowded all those ugly chairs and things
into your pretty apartment. There Is
hardly room to turn around. made
some excuse. l could not bear TO blame
Anita. even to my mother. But when
j got home and looked about our little
parlor-so dantily furnished when we
moved into it, now crowded to over
flowing with the cheap. unstable furni-
ture and br,e-a-brac of the bargain
stores-my mothers words brought the
full contrast before my mind, and
groaned aloud. I spoke to Anita serious
ly.that night: but the first words brought
such an unhappy expression 10 her face
that stopped. 1t was all wrong. per-
haps, but said to myself it was all
done for me, and surely should not re-
proach her with it.
Il need not hollow my little wifes
progress in detail. | want 20 bring you
down to the time when she began to
make me more personally 2 victim TO
her mania. Look at these gloves, old
man. and these things, and this"
He held out his hands toward me. and
then pointed to his shoes and cravat.
He had been putting on his gloves as he
talked As looked at them i saw that
his fingers pointed at me through gap
ing holes. while the skin at the base of
his thumb was pushing its way out at
broken seam. On his feet were over
shoes that opened at dozen places as
he twisted his foot in pushing il for
ward. And his cravat Poor old man,
He was considered connoisseur of
neckwear at the club His cravat
looked as though it was made of cotton.
and. though it was evidently new, it
was already frayed at the edges.
These gloves were eighty-three
cents, believe" he said, mournfully
Anita bought them for me at Her
rick's. She got six pair two weeks ago.
This is the third. These overshoes
they gave away with a pair of shoes at
Busbey's The cravat was bought for
some marvelously small figure at Bait
lands. As you may believe, old man.
l fell an unwilling victim. But
could j refuse to wear the gloves that
Anita had bought for me. when she
had waited her turn at the counter
for nearly an hour? or the cravat that
she herself had selected; which
she thought SO pretty and so
cheap? l was too tender-hearted in
the old days, you often told me.
could not wound my little wife's feel
ings. i have deceived her in one thing,
and it makes me very Ahappy to think
of it. persuaded old Hilton TO make
me pair of shoes which would fit me,
in exact imitation of the three-dollar
pair which she had found. 1t cost me
fifteen dollars, and the old fellow said.
with tears in his eyes. that his reputa-
ton was at stake. lie gave the other
pair to a poor colored man OF his ac-
quaintance: but Anita is none the
wiser, and she thinks to-day that I am
wearing those shoes. | don't mind so
much the looking sha 10y in ready
made clothing and hats of last years
pattern and of doubtful make; but at
least my shoes must fit"
He sat brooding for few minutes l |
wanted to comfort him. but knew no
way to do it. i broke the silence pres
emily by asking if there had been any
change for the better recently He
shook his head sadly. None" he I
said. ''The mania seems TO take
stronger hold every day. There /
is only one thing to be done; ! must re- /
move her from temptation. II I could |
afford 1t. would go to Hayti or Samoa. |
where the demand for clothing is neces- /
sarily limited, and the furnishing of a
house 10 simplicity itself But am too /
poor for that now. However, through /
my fathers political influence | have /
had consular appointment promised /
me in some far-away corner of the !.
world where shops are few. Removed /
from the temptations which surround 1
her here, perhaps Anita may be restored
to mental health. 1t is all that / can
do"
We parted. A few days later I saw
the announcement in the dispatches
from Washington Of his appointment
~ consulate. shall not say where
he has gone; for / am quite sure that
if it were known Anita would be
deluged with dry-goods catalogues
At least, it is far enough removed from
the region of the bargain-eounter 10 ef-
feet cure-if one is possihle.-George
Balm, in Demorest's Maya