Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1895-07-06
A Rainy Day.

skirts with one hand while the other
held her umbrella unsteadily over
her head, after the miserable fashion
of women, she INDUCED in a train of
bitter reflections.
"There is nothing she said men
tally, but very emphatically, $50
wretched as independence. There
is no delusion SO great as that NO.
man with career is happy woman.
The only happy women on the face
of the broad earth are those who
can sit by their fires and toast their
toes on rainy days."
Then Mary's skirt escaped from
her hand and gathered to itself an
amount Of mud which only the init
ated would believe a moments con-
tact with the earth could bestow.
Mary's face assumed an expression
which is the feminine substitute for
strong language as she grasped the
offending garment again and splash
ed drearily on.
eff he would only come again and
ask me to marry him, I'd do it." she
said to herself. at was only this
hideous desire to design churches
and plan exhibition buildings that
kept me from loving him, anyway.
And I'm tired of churches, and /
loathe going down to that Office ev-
cry day, and / wish that every sort
of architecture-Greek, Roman,
Moorish, Romansque, Colonial, Rem
Nuisance and all the lot-had never
been heard of. And I wish Jim
would come and would let me put
my head on his shoulder and cry"
Then Mary stumbled up the stairs
to her house, wept a little on the
divan in lieu of Jim's shoulder and
finally dressed for dinner and began
to feel cheerful again.
AS it happened, Jim was blue that
evening also, He frequently was
since the time when Mary Dalton
had told him how little she cared for
any mere man in comparison with
her glorious career. That had been
over yesr ago, but he had twinges
of regret yet. Jim, it will be seen,
was an unusually constant man. But
then, Mary was an unusually regret
able woman. He felt as lonely and
miserable as if he had just left Mary's
presence with her SIM so sorry,
Jim,' ringing in his ears. The dash
of rain against his windows was mad
dening in its dreariness. His lamp
sputtered and was going out. Evil
IDENTIFY the alleged caretaker had ia
vored the rooms with only the most
casual attention that day. Jim went
to his storehousc, which was the
bottom of his closet, and searched
for his oil can. 1t was empty. This
was the last straw. He turned out
the lamp, turned up the dreary gas,
and gazed modify about him. By
and by he said:
"Hang it, l will"
Then he proceeded to Mary Dali
tons with all the speed OF which he
was capable, and finding her adora-
BILE in her gray gown With roses in
her belt, told her so, and mentioned
the fact that without her he could no
longer support existence. And Mary,
instead of fguratively Haunting her
plans and designs in his face, as he
had feared she would, crushed all
her roses into bruised mass of
sweetness as she flung herself for
ward and said, with half sob:
ooh, Jim, dear / have wanted
you sol"
The next day was gloriously blue
and gold and bright. Mary's prac-
ticed eye insisted upon seeing the
outlines Of roofs and the contours of
buildings as she walked gaily down
town. At her office they told her
that her design for a church had
been accepted in New Orleans, and
that she was to go south to consult
few wardens and vestrymen. Then
her heart leaped up and visions of
greatness swan before her. and she
beheld in fancy future rations
gazing at some marble dream Of hers
and reverencing her. And across
her fancy came the thought of Jim
and a muslin-curtained fiat and she
sighed.
II wonder if / have made mis-
take" she unused.
Meantime Jim wrote to the man
with whom he had contemplated a
leisurely trip through Canada, that
he wouldn't take it. He was a little
disguised with himself to find that
he disliked giving 1t up so strongly.
It occurred to him, too, az he looked
about his rooms, that there was
something very attractive in tbeil
bachelor disorder.
81 wonder if ] have made a mis-
take" he muttered, thinking of The
| joys of freedom. Then he thought
of Mary and smiled again.
They were married and livad quite
happily-especialIy on rainy days
when anything except domesticitJ
would have seemed uncomfortable
New York World.
"There Is Danger In Delay"