Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1896-07-18
III had not the least shame about

6ooooooooooooooooooooooooo(
~ HE had not the least shame about
telling her age. On the contrary,
~ she was rather proud to do no. 1t
was something to he proud Of. Not that
she was ", but that ut u she looked
not a day over ~, and . blooming ~
at that.
True, her hair was silver, but what
Q waving wealth Of silver! And II was
not sent to soften wrinkles either. she
wore as many Of these ornaments % II
IL legitimate to wear at AZ, and no more.
oh, she was certainly q wonderful
woman for her age, was Mrs. Joseph
Allestrcc!
Quaint, indeed. she appeared. partic-
ilarly on certain evening. standing In
the old square porticO, with the sun
shining strnight under the trees Into
her face.
The house at her back was low and
long. 1t stood endwise 10 the lazy little,
river that flowed at the foot Of the
abruptly sloping lawn. On the other
side, nt the end Of a long. shady ave.
nue.. was a gate with an Old-fashioncd
wooden arch over II, concealed by
vines.
1t was toward this gate that Mrs.
Allestrce looked. leaning forward eag.
cry. like q girl. one hand shielding her
eyes from the level sunbcams. She
wore white--thlnk Of her daring to
wear white! She WIS watching for
Joseph. He had gone down to Stoncton
only q mile dlstant--f0r the post at
8 o'clock. That was two hours ago.
Joseph did love dearly to gossip with
the old farmers and shopkecpers. but
he really ought to remember dinner
time.
But Joseph had not forgotten his
dinner. At this very minute the gate
opened and his little gig rolled In. fol.
lowed by three enthusiastic dogs-a
Ut. Bernard and two red settlers.
Mr.. Allestrce, after embracing his
wife as II he had just returned from q
years journey, went In with her to
dinner, and Mr.. Allestrec was-but ]
will not describe him; simply he was
everything that the husband Of Mrs.
Allestree should have been. FOrty.two
years had gone by since their marriage
and in all that time they had never been
separated single day.
Dearest" said Mr.. Allcstrcc ~ they
eat down. II owe you an apology for
ny hardness, but II couldn't be helped.
got letter calling me away on an
important matter, and had to stop to
attend to some things In the village. !
must 70 Immediately
"Oh. that Perley affair."" she sid.
glancing over tho page. But. Joseph,
can't you put II OFT Remember. the
Kennedys are coming In the morning
to stay over sunday"
II cannot Henrietta. It's got to be
attended to at once
But. Joseph. yon can't 20 without
.me. You know you never did such q
thing"
II am afraid I must do 10 this time. !"
he replied mOurnfully.
They sat In silence for some minutes.
Twice Mrs. Allestrcc wiped away q sly
tear with her napkin. At length, brave.
" assuming cheerful aspect. she ask.
I'd: "How long will you he gone"
II can't possibly reach London, nc.
complish all want to and get home
again in less than ten days."
"Joscph. It will kin M both"
"Ah, no. my DEAR" he laughed; 1T
won't quite do that. At least, I hope
not. 1t will be very. very hard. but
think. my love, VIC were apart for five
long years once Un a time"
"!Ah, Joseph" with sob In her voice,
"thnt was before We had ever lived to.
gether. We only knew each other BY
letter, you know"
"And O mighty comfort did we take
out OF those same letters. Isn't II
strange that In two and forty years we
ahould never have had occasion to
write to one an0thcrY Not since you
were Henrietta Shower"
1T II u singular circumstance" she
replied. "Yes, we can write. do you
know. Joseph, the thought Of It already
consoles me little. 1t will be such
. delightful novelty"
1t was good thing for Mrs. AlleStrce
that she expected visitors. hut after
the guests had departed her condition
was pitIabie. Especially as NO letter
had come.
Mr.. Allestree had gone away early on
Saturday. Now II was Tuesday. She
had managed to he patient over tho
sabbath, but on Monday morning. when
Jimmy came up from StOneton empty
handed, she had refused to believe tina,
he had not dropped the letter or that
the postmaster had not overlooked Il.
There were only two deliveries In the
twenty-fOur hours, and ut the evening
the same performance was repeated.
On Tuesday Mrs. Allestrcc went her,
self to StOnetOn and delivered severe
lecture to the postmaster upon the gen.
eral Indifference OF government OIL.
Gals, thereby greatly annoying the poor
man.
Mr.. FraMwell began TO dread the
hours of delivery. Twice a day, what
ever the weather. Mrs. Allestree pre-
scented her handsome. anxious face al
the window.
When he handed out the post to heI
and she found not the letter she longed
for. an angry face 1t was that peered IN
at him, and stern-albelt well bred
voice that demanded Of him to hunt
through every box. lest perrhance liz
had made some error In distributing.
The deserted. neglected wife mus
blame somebody, ana she would moi
blame her husband. She did not ut tirsl
even dream Of blaming Joseph.
BY the middle of the week her whole