The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-07-11

But the next day and the next the
Scott sugar-tongs were brought up
afresh, and the same weary round was
travelled over again.
There were other grievances. In
Boston the Purdys did not call upon
Alice for two days. They, too, were
his dear friends, and the neglect
Showed lack of affection at which
he was not angry, but hurt" At Nj
agara an overcharge in the hotel bill
made him blind to the grandeur of
the Falls, the tawdry colored lights
and the oddities of the little town,
all of which gave Alice such keen
enjoyment.
Don't think of it, Edward" she
said. at was only fifty cents, after
all"
as it possible, Alice, that you
think | care for the money! 1t is the
fact that l have been overreached
which annoys me-"
II know. But"
"No, you do not know" he said,
with an air of stern endurance. "You
think me mercenary. l am sorry.
Let us talk no more of it"
Alice, at first, tried to laugh away
these grim and ugly suspicious in
her husbands brain; but that only
made their growth more rank. 81 am
not sensitive man." he would say
81 am not apt to imagine Sights.
But when l am wounded to the quick
by your injustice, your misconcep-
ton of me, it is hard to hear you turn
me into ridicule."
She tried then to argue him out of
his morbid fancies, but this was i'm
possible. Concerning the tariff, or
the last discovery in science, or
new book, nobody could be more ra-
tional than Ned Moxon; but no rea-
son, no argument could touch his
grievances.
1t seemed to her that he gloated
over them. He woke her in the night
to tell her of his deep affection for
her or his friends, and of the ingrati-
tude with which he was repaid.
Every careless word or trifing ne
glect was black proof of that in
gratitude.
Going up to Saguenay, Alice met
on the boat her old friend, Fraulein
B., and the two girls chartered to-
gether for an hour on deck, while
Moxon, with heavy brow, paced up
and down.
"You know" he said, afterward,
"that l do not speak German. 1t is
the lack of consideration of me that
hurts me-"
But she cannot speak English,
and"
"Pray do not explain. 1t is trife,
These things sting, however. We
will talk no more about it."
For two days of their homeward
journey he held her aloof with the
most chilly courtesy, sitting silent by
her side, staring out of the car win
dow with the face of a martyr. She
found out at last that button was
wanting on his glove.
mo, l did not tell you," he said,
with patient, injured smile.
"Love has keen eyes for these little
services. All, wonder sometimes if
you ever loved me, dear? If it was
not respect-esteem, you gave me-"
Sand all this" thought the tor
tured Alice, 'to grow out of button|
But she now neither joked nor ar
gued with him.
All Plymouth when they arrived,
watched them curiously. They knew
Ned and his grievances. "She has
sound sense and fine tact, and she
loves him dearly" the older women
said. "She will cure him if anybody
can"
Her first effort at cure was to make
their home bright and cheerful, in
hopes that the innocent gaiety might
drive away his moody suspicious.
But he became more melancholy
each day, telling her at last with a
sad patience:
/ do not like company. l had
thought our life would be a long,
happy tete a tete in our home"
81 am so sorry, Edward" she cried.
Il only brought these people here to
amuse you"
When the house was empty she
babe no more guests. Then Ed
ward grew more wretched than before.
"This is uukind OF you, Alice. You