The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1896-08-20

OreG lights AMI the ODDITIES or the uCC1e
town, all of which gave Alice such keen
enjoyment.
Don't think of it, Edward" she said.
1T was only so cents, after ALL"
us it possible, Alice, that you think
I care for the money! 1t is the fact that
I 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. I 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. II am not q
sensitive man." he would say. II am
apt to imagine sights. But when am
wounded to the quick by your injustice,
your misconception 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 impossi-
BILE. Concerning the tariff, or the last
discovery in science. or new book. no.
body could be more rational than Ned
Moxon; but no reason, no argument
could touch his grievances.
It 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 ingratitude with
which he was repaid. Every careless
word or trifling neglect was black
proof Of that ingratitude.
Going up the Saguenay, Alice met on
the boat her old friend, Fraulein B.,
and the two girls chatted together
for an hour on deck, while Moxon, with
q heavy brow, paced up and down.
"You know" he said. afterward, "that
I do not speak German. It is the lack
of consideration for me that hurts me"
"But she cannot speak English,
and"
"Pray, do not explain. It IL trifle.
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 window with
the face of a martyr. She found out at
last that button was wanting on his
glove.
mo, did not tell you," he said, with q
patient, injured smile. "Love has keen
eyes for these little services. All, I Won
der sometimes If you ever loved me,
dear? If it was not respect-esteem,
you bave me-"
"And all this" thought the tortured
Alice, Ito grow out of button"
But she now neither joked nor argued
with him.
All Plympton, 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 any body can"
Her first effort at cure was to make
their home bright and cheerful, in
hopes that the innocent gayety might
drive away his moody suspicious. But
he became more melancholy each day,
telling her at last, with sad patience:
II do not like company. Ihad thought
our life would be q long, happy tete-a-
tete in our home"
II am SO sorry, Edward" she cried.
II only brought these people here to
amuse you"
When the house was empty she babe
no more guests. Then Edward grew
more wretched than before.
''This is unkind of you, Alice. You
condemn yourself to solitude to please
me, as If were a tyrant and an ogre.
I exact no such sacrifice. You are plac-
ing me in false position"
If Mr.. Moxon had been a wicked or
malignant man his wife would probably
not have found this trait SO difficult to
deal with. It would have been in har-
nlony with his whole character. But
he was an affectionate, generous fell
low, showering kindness upon his fam
lily, his friends and the poor. He was a
liberal, public-spirited citizen; he took
the delight of boy in picnics, fishing
parties or any other gayety among the
young people. It is true that at each
one some sting was given to what he
called his affections, but what really
was his self-love, and these stings fcs-
JeIcu III LIS W1Au AOE years.
"Ned," one Of his cousins said to
Alice, "is the most lovable fellow in
the world; yet he has grudge against
every family in Plympton."
AS time passed and children began to
grow up around them the strain upon
their mother became almost intolerable.
Edward loved his children passionate
ly; he heaped Injuries upon them; Sc
cretly, he believed them superior to all
other human beings; but he nsgged
them necessarily, and each of their
petty faults he received as a personal in
suit and injury to himself.
"Tom," he would exclaim, with a face
of despair, "is biting his nails againl I
have spoken to him about it thousand
times. It is open defiancel That boy
despises me, and he shows It'll" Or,
"Rosa writes wretched hand. She
knows how ambitious am that she
should excel in penmanship. She has
no affection for me, Alice-none what
ever!"
It was in vain that his wife represent
ed that all children were fallible, or