Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1895-04-13

/eaaxssSs sFzS@A pile of stockings
y1GSz@9G.-> mountain high; a
N.XfT4' 1N1\,M Splump, little wom-
Mk iNpHr' an of 40, none too
HN,. r. trim in figure, de-
cidedly ruff1ed as to hair, but with q
merry twinkle in her blue eyes and
motherliness expressed in every line
of her comfortable person.
"Well?' said she, looking up, feel
ing with sinking at the heart that some
new complication had come up in the
financial situation, and that she was
about to be treated to views of bimetal-
lism, adding to the feminine mind.
But no. Her lord and master had been
led into a very different train of
thought.
''It's nearly fifteen years that we
have been married, Mary" he unused,
remembering as he spoke that in all
that time he had hardly ever before
scrutinized her with such a critical
gaze.
"Tell it not in Gathr' she laughed.
|I'm growing old, but let us keep it a
secret in the family as long as we can"
"Yes, you have changed-we have
both changed. What vain little chat
terbox you used to ber'
'Vox ct praeterea nihilv expressed
me in those days. Now Socks ct prae
terea nihiP would be more like it"
cried Mrs. Fenton gaily with flourish
of her darning needle at the work bas-
ket- "And as for vanity! Bless my
heart! l should like to know when 1
have had time to be vainv'
Il am afraid you are getting little
careless, my DEAR" her husband OBJ
served, congratulating himself on hav-
ing so easily led up to the discussion he
wanted. Sometimes it has struck me
that you were almost untidy, and that's
sad mistake for woman. If she has
the air of being well groomed she pos
SeSSeS a very great charm"
Mr.. Fenton wore prodigious whis-
kers Dundreary-like and they bid a
blush which rose to his face at the
consciousness that he was quoting the
newspaper article verbatim ct liter
atm. But his wife had no such protec-
ton, and the rich color visibly dyed her
very brow. To be called untidy is a
cruel stab from ones better half, but
she restrained the indignation on her
lips and tried to ask quite calmly:
''Whom should you call a particular
ly we'll groomed woman, now? Of
course, l suppose there are 800 of them
In the four hundred, but among our
neighbors? 1t would help me to find a
model, you know"
There had been moments in their
WI r
felt that the workings of a feminine
intellect were quite beyond him, and
this was another of them. At what
was Mary driving? 1t was impossible
to suspect her of jealousy, for from
that faint her sweet nature was abso-
lutely free SO, rather in the dark, he
replied helplessly:
"Um-ah Well, Mrs. Van Dusen,
now. She always seems to me what
you would term well groomed-a fine
figure of a woman and dresses mighty
WE'LL
Mrs. Van Dusen spends 81, 900 a year
for dress where / spend, perhaps, $3.50
She buys her figure from an expensive
corset maker, but it is useless to men
ton that to a man. She has no chill
uT0u, three servants, anu uOIuliIS u
think of but fixing herself up. 1 am
not complaining, James, dear. You re
member you brought up the subject
yourself. but when you compare me
with Robert Van DIsen's wife you
should consider the difference in oul
circumstances. l have many, many
cares and my days are full to the
brim."
The rough head bent over the hole
which was being filed with a careful
lattice-work of black yarn, and the
needle went in and out steadily. L
the members eyes were dim, nobody
noticed it.
But it takes very little time to keel
ones self in neatness and order. jus
hear this, now, my dear. very goot
article, very sensible, TOO"
The eloquence of Cicero, the rounded
periods of a Junius would not hav'
moved Mary Fenton at that moment
1t took all her wits to keep down tn
bitterness in her heart. Without wait
ing for encouragement, her husb1n'
read on:
. The woman who has an air of be
.-.g well groomed has a very grea
charm for all men, Gle skipped thi
sentence. Why expose the writer t
charge of plagiarism0 Really. la
dies, yog shonld at least try the ez