Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1895-04-05


down the stairs two steps at a
time into the street.
"There he goes" murmnred
Fanny, "and he's gone away cross
with me, and all for nothing but a
miserable buttOu! l wish there
wasn't such y thing rs a button in
the worldw "a wish which, we
much mIsdoubt, many another
wife than Mrs, Fanny ChickerIy
has echoed, with perhaps better
reason.)
Mrs. Chickerly was sitting down
TO her little dinner all solitaire,
with a daintily Drowned chicken.
a tumbler of curraEt j.lly, and
curly bunrh of celery ranged
before ber, when, 10 her surprise,
the door opened aud in walked
ber lord and husband.
"Wby. Frank, where on earth
did you come fIomi' cried the
astonlshed wife.
"From the Office" coolly answer.
ed Mr.. Chickerly.
"But l thought yOu were of Tor
ScenersN lille in such a hurry
II found myself just five minu-
tes too late for the train, after
having run all the way 10 the
depot"
"Oi, that was too bad"
Chlckerly smiled little as he
began to carve the chicken.
eyes, I Was itjIe aunOve1 at
first; it did seem rather provoking
to be kept at home by only a
button
'What are Won going 10 dop
"Wn', shall make a second
start to morrow"
"l'lI see to it that your breakfast
is ready this time, to the second,
and all your wardrobe IN TRIM"
said Fanny, ra, her relieved at the
prospect of a chance OF retrieving
her character.
you need not, have engaged
room at the hotel near the depot.
| can't run any more risks
He did not speak nnklully,
and yet Fanny felt that he was
deeply displeased with herr
''But, Frank"
"We will not discuss the matter
any further, my love, If you please.
| have resolved to say nothing
more to you about reforms. see
1t Is useless, aud 1t Ouly tends to
foster an unpleasant state of feel.
Ing between as. Shall I help you
to some maccaronii"
And fairly sllenced, Fanny ate
Der dinner with what appetite was
left to her.
Three days afterwards MrChick
erly once more made his entrance
just at dusk, carpet.bag in hand,
as Fanny sat enjoying the ruddy
shining OF the cOal.f1re and the
consciousness of having performed
her duty iu The meDdlDg and
general renovation OF her husbands
drawerful OF shirts-a job which
she had been dreading anil post
pouiDg.
"WelI, how is Aunt EIlzsbethP
questioned Fanny, when her hus-
band, duly welcomed and greeted
had seated himself in the opposite
easy chair.
dead" was the brief reply.
"Dead! Oh, Frank! Of her old
enemy, apoplexyp
eyes,
WAS her will madt -
"It was. Apparently she bad
expected me, on the day she
herself appointed; and on my non.
arrival IN the only train that stops
she sent for the village LAWYER,
made her will, aud left all her
property to the orphan asylum in
Scenersville, with few bitter
words to the effect that the neg
lect OF her only living nephew hal
induced her, Oh the spur of the
moment, to alter her original In
teution Ofleaving it to him. She
diel the very next morning.
ooh, Frauk, bow mnch was itW
"Ten thousand dollars. You see,
Fanny, how much tha' missing
button has cost map
Fanny Ohickerly sat like one
condemned, by the uIterAuce OF
her conscience. Not alone the on
missing button, but the scores
nay, hu6dreds-of trfaiDg omis
sions, forgetiulnesses. aud post
ponements which made her life one
endless endeavor to "ca:ch mp"
with the transpirIng present,
seemed 20 present themselves be
/ T..o har r,iudfs ara What wOuld