The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1896-07-10
TWO DOZEN BUTTONS.

Deity blgned Now why sue should
have sighed at this particular moment
no one on earth could tell. Aud it was
all the more exasperating because
John had just generously put into her
little shapely hand brand new ten
dollar bill And hero began tue
trouble.
"What's the matter" he said, his
face falling at the faint sound and his
mouth clapping together in what those
who knew him but little called an OBJ
stinato pucker. "Now what is it?"
Betty, who had Just begun to change
the sigh into a merry little laugh rip
ping all over the corners of the red
lips, stopped suddenly, tossed her head,
and, with a small jerk no way concilia-
tory sent out the words:
"You needn't insinuate, John, that
am always troublesome.
81 didn't nsinuate-whose talking
OF insinuatingS" cried he, thoroughly
incensed at the very idea, and back
ing away a few steps he glared down
from a tremendous height, in extreme
irritation. tits yourself who is for
ever insinuating aud all that, and then
for you to put it on me-its really
abominable."
The voice was harsh, and the eyes
that looked down into hers were not
pleasant to behold.
''And if you think, John Peabody,
that I'll stand and have such things
said to me, you miss your guess.
that's all p cried Betty, with two big
red spots coming in her cheeks, as she
tried to draw her little erect figure to
its utmost dimensions. Forever in
sinuatingl guess you wouldn't have
said that before married you. Oh,
now you can, of course !"
Didn't you say it first, I'll like to
know?" cried John, in great excite
ment, drawing nearer the small crea-
ture he called "wife, who was gazing
at him with blazing eyes of indigna-
ton; II can't endure everythingl"
"And if you bear more than do, ="
cried Betty, wholly beyond control
now, "why, then, I'll give up" and
she gave a bitter little laugh and
tossed her head again.
And here they were in the midst of
a quarrel. These two who, but a year
before, had promised to love and pro-
tect and help each other through life.
"Now," said John, and he brought
his hand down with such bang on
the table before him, that Betty near
ly skipped out OF her little shoo-only
she controlled the start, for she would
have died before she had let John see
it, "'we will have no more of this
nonsensel"
His face was very pale and the lines
around the mouth so drawn that II
would have gone to any ones heart tC
have seen their expression.
al don't know how you will change
it or help it, said Betty lightly, t.
hide her dismay at the tnrn affairs hat
taken, "1'm surel'' and she pushel
back the light, waving hair from he
forehead with a saucy, Indifferent
gesture.
That hair that ] ohm always smoothet
when he petted her, tired or dis
heartened, and called her "child
Her gesture struck to his heart as h
glanced at her sunny locks, and tn
cool, indifferent face underneath, an,
before he knew it he was saying:
"There is no help for it now, sup
pose.
"Oh, yes, there is, said Betty
still in that cool, calm way that ough
not to have deceived him. But me
know SO little Of women's hearts. al
though they may live with them 70
years in closest friendship. "Yo
reed not try to endure it, John Per
body. if you don't want to. I'm sur
don't carel"
"What do you meanP" sse,...