The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1894-04-20

l
w her h"ihc was--ihnt little brown cot
lasr with its broad porches covered
WI" vines and lowered in foxerv
shrubs She would he all alone IN the
pretty sitting-r0om. he knew. for Mrs
leighton was away. AMI the lively
brothers would be- ut school or in the
held with taeir father. Anns would
ne alone sewing. or perhaps busy with
her books or music. He knew Just how
fresh and pure and dainty She would
look. lie must he careful no, 10 stav
too long. but-why the door was open,
should he steal softly upon her. or
ne stood still in the open doorway, in
utter amazement, and not untingrd
with displeasnrc. The pretty sitting
room. hitherto always 80 neat and
DAINTY. was now unswcpt, undustcd
and IN decided confusion. Worse vet.
through half-open door could be seen
the breakfast table still covered with
the mornings dishes over which the
flies bnzzed mcrrily. What did this
mean? llalf-inclined To retreat, he
knocked loudly.
| There was IA sudden stir, and in a
moment Annis came out OF her room.
Her crumpled dress. disordered hair
and sleepy eyes told plainly Of morn
ings nap, though after that first start
she came forward TO greet him as grace
fully as ever
You find me rather IA lazy bones this
morning." she said. brightly. though
coloring slightly as she closed the din
ing-room door. ''Come in. please"
NO. won't detain you" Gerald an
swcred. stifiiy. thinking how mis- moth
er resented an interruption before her
house was in order II only called by
Hattie's request for BOOK she said you
promised To lend her.
"Oh. yes" brightly as ever, though
the pink deepcned on her cheeks 1T
is here. ! think. Hattie seems 10 take
great interest in cooking"
"lou are not i'll this morning?" he
asked. almost anxiously.
''Oh. no. Quite well, only tired. Here
is the book. Wait one moment till /
pick bunch Of roses for Your mother. y
He waited, but the charm was broken.
The untidy house. unwashed dishes.
disordered hair and crumpled dress
We're fatal flaws in his peerless dia-
mond. Asleep at that hour in the
morning, with the work all undone.
To bc sure. it was late when they got
home last night She might be excused
for wanting a nap. but surely the
breakfast table might have been
cleared first. He Was sorely disap-
pointed in her. and showed il i'm spite
of himself when She brought the rose
with that arch unconscious smile.
Thank you. Mother will like them.
am sorry you found last nights pleas
ure so fatiguing."
Annis flashed sharp glance into his
face and then stepped back with a
changed expression.
II think shall survive it." she an
swered. coldly.
Gerald didn't whistle any going home.
and the kecn-eyed mother saw at once
something was wrong What IL was
was not So easy to say. Hattie had a
strong suspicion. Had not Mrs. Green
whispered to her last night: Il expect
ma gets home. Annis neglects the
homework shameful. Always on the
go When she amt Off enjoying her
self somewhere, she's over helping those
sick Thompsons Well. charity's all
very well. but say charity begins at
home. and a woman's first duty is to
keep her own home decent"
Yes. Hattie had a suspicion, but IL
Gerald said nothing, why should she?
-. H.. u, A..
tested great interest in cooking and
housewifery with a clear conscience
Nor were there any definite results
TO arouse her self-reproach. Gerald
praised her progress when it was called
to his attention. and ate her fancy
cooking unconsciously when it was not,
but never approached nearer love-mak-
ing than TO remark gayly that some
body would have treasure of wife
by and by. He had no fancy in that
line himself Because ones diamond
proves mere paste, shall one snatch up
the first pebble that lies in his way?
IL .xas nonsense TO think of Annis
any longer bah. What sort of a
home would man have with such a
wife He could not see her now. how
ever fresh and dainty her dress might
be- without thinking of that disorderly
room and unwashed dishes. lie even
noticcd--or was IL Hattie's remark that
made him noticc--that tiny rent care
lcssly made in her pretty blue muslin
on the nigh; of the party was still there
when she wore the dress again several
days after. .ovc. what a housewife
she would be- Yet he was no more in
clned To marry mere household
drudge than before. He felt more in
clined TO swear eternal cclibacy.
But fate threw pretty Nellie East in
his way prcscntly-onc of the sweetest,
most modest girls in town. and known
To be her mothers right hand. First. an
unruly horse acted as Cupid's assistant,
then pelting storm in which Geralds
umbrella proved welcome refuge.
After that suspect good Mrs. Trevor
had hand IN causing several meetings,
until Gerald's increasing fancy made
further strategy unnecessary, and in a
few months from the time Of that
morning call Nellie was Gerald's prom
ised wife.
~ Apnis wore the willow She did not