The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-12-29
BY ELLA HIGGINsON,
Author of "The 1'akin' in Of Ole Miss
Lane" and Other Stories.


ing silently with closed lips.
The room looked more like a business
Office than dining room in house
IL was furnished handsomely but with
extreme plainness. There was an air
of stiffness about everything. There
,.xsere no plants in the windows. There
Vas not a flower on the table, which
Stood ready for breakfast. In word,
there were no feminine touches any
where.
Precisely at O'Clock, a strong, quick
step came down the stairs ana through
the hall Mr.. Dawson turned with a
quellcd Impotence in his manner HIS
wife entered. e..
"Oh," she said. She glanced at him,
smiling mechanically, as one would
at a child. Then she walked rapidly
to a little table and began to look over
thex morning mail. Have you been
wRidng2" she asked, absent-mindedly.
ut is not of the least consequence,
Mr.. Dawson spoke with fine sarcasm.
1t was wasted She did not even hear
the reply.
All" she said. tossing down a let
ter and turning to ring for breakfast.
Il must run up to Salem on the noon
train"
An untidy servant entered.
breakfast, please said Mrs. Daw-
son. without looking at the girl she
seated herself at the breakfast table
and opened the morning paper. when
had been laid at her place. Mir. DaW-
son sat down opposite her There was
silence save for the occasional rustic
of the paper as Mrs. Dawson turned IL
sharply. Her eyes glanced alertiy from
heading to heading. pausing here ana
there to read something of interest
Her husband looked at her from time
to time. At last he said with me sar-
aasm: ANY news?'
Mrs Dawson finished the article she
was reading. Then, with a little start,
as if she had just heard, she said: ''Oh,
no no: nothing Of consequence, my
dear" But she read on more intently
than before.
We'll said her husband presently,
with a touch of sharpness. mere are
tbe strawberries. Can you take time
T. eat them?
She sighed impatiently. Three deep
lines gathered between her brows.
,Sbe folded the paper slowly and put
IL in an inside pocket of her jacket.
wore A street dress, made with
Very fun skirt which reached a rev
inches below the knees. The jacket
was short and had many pockets: She
wore also q tan silk shirt, roled col
lar and tie. and leggings- Her mar
WAS arranged NOlN L'AeAtiiiS'
of her urfbecoming attire, however,
she was a beautiful woman, and her
husband loved her and was proud Of
her.
This did not prevent him. however.
from saving. with something like
FEMININE pettishness, Mrs. Dawson, L
wish YOU would remember to leave me
paper for me.
Mrs. Dawson looked at him in sur
,,rieed disnleasure. Il have not fin
isbed reading it myself" she replied.
coldIv .'Resides. there is nothing in
If that will interest you. i IS mostly
nolitical news If I had time to read
it before I go down town, it would he
different: but [ am out so late at night
that / must sleep till the last minute
in the morning to keep my strength
fo~ the campaign. You cannot COM
plain that l forget to bring 1t nome
for you in the evening
NJ TIawson coughed scornfully, but
ma lie no reply for some minutes. RI
nally he said. in a tauning tone: II s
all very well for you. You are down
town ali day. among people, nearing
everything that is going on-whlie
SIT here alone. without even paper
For a moment Mrs. Dawson was
angry. Here she was with an invalid
husband and two children, working
early and late to support them com
fortably. She had been successful-so
successful that she had received the
domination for state senator on the
Republican ticket. She loved her nus
hand She was proud of herself Tor
her own sake. but certainly more for
his sake. She thought he ought to
make her way easier for her. He was
not strong. and it was her wish that
hef should not exert himself in the
least. All she asked of him was to
look after the servants, order the diil-
ners. entertain the children when me
nurse WAS busy. and be cheerful ana
nIeasant the short time she was IT
IsSme Surely it was little enough 10
IL of him and it was hard that he
EFould fail even in this.
Nhen. two years previous. equal
suffrage had been graciously granted
to womer, Mr.. Dawson, being then IN
falling health. had most cheertully
turned his real estate business over 70
his wife At first she managed 1t
under his advice and Instructions he
was simply amazed at the ease with
which she caught on In less than
six months she ceased TO ask for sus-
gestions and his proffered advice was
recei, ed with such a chill surprise That
1t soon ceased altogether.
AT first the change had seemed like
heaven TO Mr.. Dawson. III Was IL oe-
GghtfuI novelty to give orders about
dinners and things to maids who gig
CLEO prettily at his mistakes; to nave
the children brought in by the re-
spe5tfully amused nurse for an hour
rornp: TO entertain his gentlemen
friends at afternoon smokers" (Mrs.
Dawsons dainty afternoon tea-table
had been removed to the garnet. A
larger table. holding cigars. decanters,
e;c-. had taken us place.; to saunter
down to his wifeS office whenever he
felt inclined.
But the maids soon grew accustomed
10 the change. They received some OF
his more absurd orders with more in
science than merriment., He began to
ha<e an uneasy feeling in their pres
e1sce They really were not respectful
THE nurse no longer smiled when she
brought the children. What was
worse. she left them with him much
more Than at first.
The children themselves, somehow,
seemed to be getting out of clothes
and out of manners. He told the nurse
TO have some clothes made for them.
She asked what seamstress he pre-
ferred. and what material.
eI don't know he answered help
lessly. "Get any good seamstress and
let f.er select the materials
The nurse brought a friend from the
country. She asked him how he
wished them made.
How" he repeated, with some an
ger. why. in the fashion. of course
She made them in the style then in
vogue in StuInpville. When he saw