Omaha daily bee., 1896-11-22

upon TO account for, as sinner must ac-
count for evil deeds
Father has had moro than usual to
worry him at the office today" said Edna.
She stood by the table, having removed
her hat and gloves.
a look OF mild surprise came over Mrs.
Sertwell's face. She turned her head slowly
around, and coldly scrutinized her step
daughter from head to foot, She apparently
became aware OF her presence for the first
time, which may be explained by the fact
that the young woman entered the room
I behind her father
Edna" said Mrs. sartwel, "how often
nave | told you not to put your hat and
gloves on the dining room table There is
! a place for everything, l am sure that when
you visit your fathers office, which you are
so fond of doing. you find everything in
| its place, for he is at least methodical. You
| certainly do not take your dsorderly habits
! from him, and everybody except perhaps
your father and yourself. admits that you
! live In an orderly household. How did you
| get that stain on your froCk?"
Edna looked quickly down at her skirt.
| The hanson wheel had alas left it's mark
| Two-and-siX an hour does not represent all
| tho iniqutties Of u hanson on a muddy
day.
You are my despair, Edna, with your
carolossness, and no one knows how It hurts
me to say So That frock you have had on
| only"
"Edna," cried her father, pcrcmptorily,
are you hungry"
mo, father"
| "Sure?"
quite sure. l am not in the least
hungry"
Then go to bed"
Edna came around the table to where
her stepmother sat, and kissed her on the
cheek.
Good night" she said
Good night, my poor child" murmured
| Mrs. Sartwell with a sigh.
Nhn Oil ri L. hnr Coz
she did so:
I'm afraid I'm your little girl again by
the way yol order me off to bed"
You will always be my little girl to me-
my dear" he said Good night"
Mrs. Sartwell sighed again Edna closed
the door.
II suppose" she said, "you think 1t fair
| to me to speak in whispers to Edna when
am in the room, or you wouldn't do it.
How you can expect the child to have any
respect for me when you allow her to whis-
per"
us there anything to eat in the house,"
"You know there is always something to
| eat in the house"
"Then will you ring or shall ~"
You can't expect servants to sit up all
night"
Very well; give me the keys and will
get something for myself"
Mrs Sartwell's lips trembled as she folded
her work methodically enclosing needle,
thmble, and various paraphernalia of sew
ing in the bundle, placing it exactly where
it should be in the work basket. The keys
jingled at her waist as she rose.
Il am ready, and always have been, to
get what you want whenever you want
it. Perhaps | expect too much but / think
you might ask for 1t cwilly. II you treat
your men as you do your wife, it's no won
der they strike"
Sartwel made no reply, sitting there with
his eyes closed until his wife. with quaver
in her voice. told him his supper was ready.
. V,lNv,t fttl th ,1,gtnS
beer or spirits to drink for one of Sartwells |
weaknesses was the belief that to work we'll
a man must eat we'll Although his wife |
did not believe in nor approve of this |
pampering, she nevertheless provided well |
for him, for is not woman helpless in such |
case? AS the man OF the house ate in |
silence she looked at him once or twice over |
her sewing and finally said, pathetically:
81 am sure Edna was hungry, but was |
afraid to say so, you were so gruff with her |
One would think that If you had no feeling |
for your wife you would have some for your
only daughter"
sartwell cut another slice from the cold |
joint and transferred it to his plate.
II am accustomed to it. ] hope, by this |
time. but she is young and nothing warps |
the character of the young like uncalled- |
for harshness and unkindness. You are |
blind to her real faults and then you are |
severe when there is no occasion for severity. |
What had the child done that YOU should !
order her off to bed in that fashion,"
There was pause for reply, but no reply |
came. Mrs. Sartwell was accustomed to
this as she had said, but there is brutality |
of silence as well as brutality of speech, |
so she scanned her adversary as one does |
who searches for Joint in the armor where |
the swords point Will enter. Then she took |
firm grasp of the hilt and pressed 1t gently |
forward. Turning over her sewing and sigh |
ing almost inaudibly to it, she remarked, |
quietly:
"As | said to Mrs Hope when she called"
"Said to whom?" snapped Sartwell turn /
ing around suddenly.
"Oh, | thought you were never interested |
in my callers. l suppose l am allowed to
have some private friends Of my own. Still,
II you wish me to sit in the house all day
alone, you have but to say so and l will
obey"
Don't talk nonsense. If you can help it.
What was Mrs; Hope doing here?"
"She was calling on me-"
quite So think understand that much.
What was her mission? What particular fad
was on this time?"
Il should think you would be ashamed TO
speak like that about your employers wife
when she did your wife the honor to consult
her"
about what? That is the point I want to
get at"
About the strike"
"Ah" CLINT of anger came into Sart-
wells eyes, and his wife looked at him with
some uneasiness.
Mrs. Hope is woman who goes about
doing good She is much interested in the
men at the works, and thinks of calling
on their wives and families to see for her
self how they live. She thinks perhaps
something may be done for them"
Does she?"
Eyes. She wonders ii you are quite pa
tient and tactful with them"
and came to find out? You told her,
no doubt, that | studied tact from you. and
was therefore all right as far as that was
concerned"
81 told her the truth" said Mrs. sart-
well, hotly.
(Which was"
THAT you were an obstinate. domneering
man, who would brook no opposition"
"You hit the bull's-eye for once What
did she say?"
"She said she hoped you considered the
mems helpless families"
and you answered that, not having any
consideration for my own, it was not likely
that l would give much thought to the
wives and families OF the men,"
81 didn't say So but thought it,"
Admirable self-restraint. Now, look here. !
Sarah, you're playing with fire and haven't
the sense to know 1t. Mrs. Hope is a med
ding, hysterical fool, and
"You wouldn't dare to say that to your
employer"