Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1896-11-20
AN ONLY QUARREL.

M pHAh AlAhhn-puNHy tuhuhb ItI
your letter and all the good advice II
contains. know that whom man has
got into a thoroughly morbid state a
ruthlessly candid lecture ia often as
good for him rs Ia a slap In tho face for
hysterical girl. Your motive Is truly
kind, and should be ungrateful il
failed to recognize 1t as such,
You point out that 1t Is now three
years since my dear wife's fatal mci-
dent, and that. closely ms we were
united and terrible though the shock
must have been. others have had to bear
blows as severe and have borne them
with pluck and resignation.
My dear Harry, no far as you know
tho facts. your criticism Ia perfectly
just But until you know them more
fully 1t is impossible for you to under
stand my feelings Alright, will relieve
my mind by telling you things which
have burdened my thoughts during
these years and have made it impossible
for me to throw off my sadness.
Alice was killed upon the second an
niversary of our wedding day For two
years our married life had been. az you
are aware. one Of unclouded happiness
what plans we mace Tor that second
anniversary 1 took three-quarters OF mn
hour TO choose present Tor Aiice' ana
q great mystery overshadowed the some
thing that she was making for me- Then
there were the invitations to our little
party in the evening, the great question
al to whether we should ask tho rector
or the doctor-they were not on speaking
terms-and the debate on the happieS'
way OF spending tho earlier part OF the
day
IL should be passed III the depths OF
the country, we poth agreed ana AFTER
much pohderlng over the local time ia
bles we settled that the ii O'Clock tram
should Mke US TO beeohwood, walk
ana picnic tete,a-tete amid the summer
glories OF the iorest' tea NJ tne cream
little barleycorn lhn' ana 40 nome
30 we settled on the eve OF our wed.
ding day' ana theh we had our hrst ana
only quarrel.
Inc circumstances were trinihB
enough. A letter had come 10 Alice.
asking her TO pay snort vislt' II !
could spare her' 10 some friends she bad
known intimately betoie her marriage,
the day AFTER tomorrow suppose
was not III the pest OF tempers-Worrleu
with business, perhaps. and trine out
VI bortS-a plt Je"iouh, too, " hihy vi
Tor one OF tho sons OF tho house had
been once IA rival.
At any rate, when she produced TINS
letter and told me that she would IKE
to accept the invitation, some evil spii-
1t tempted me to raise objections.
could sec the Keen disappointment IN
her face, and That increased my silly
petulanoe ana Jealousy iiil recklessly
launched out In dintribes against her
friends who had sent the invitation
She defended them hotly--for Alice
was Always loyal-and 10 the day endou
IN cold good night, leaving nor palned
ana unhappy, ana me - thoroughly
ashamed OF suspicions ! knew 70 be
groundless and OF an III temper was
too proud TO CONFESS
l had wakeful and restless time
that last night Our disagreement
preyed strangely ON my mind, and IN
the dark hours assumed quite exag'
gorated Importance You sec for IN II
was II now experieii'e. A little MT
had divided us for the first time, and l
could boast no more that my wife had
never heard harsh or bitter WORD from
me.
In the morning there wasstiIl cloud
between us. knew that wns III the
wrong, and yet Would not own 1t even
to myself. Alice gave me one Mite visit
full look, expressive OF timid hope
that my mood bad changed. saw that
look, and for IA moment felt impelied
to ming my arms round her ana ask Tor
giveness. IL only had yielded to that
impulhel gave her one cold KISS. 10
thlhk That 1t was the last ever gave
her, llving or deadl
While was dressing my eye fell on
the small cnso containing the bracelet /
hai bought as u present LOT my Wlie'
picked II up, hid 1t IN my pocket, took
it down to breakfast and, fool that l
was, never gave IT to her.
opened the letters, which were
mostly on the business that was worry
ing me. The rest i pushed irritably
away. ! opened them afterwaid, and
do you know, Harry. that IN one Of
those parcels was the gift that my wife
had been working for weeb to make
for me.
We brenkfasted almost IN silence, but
after the meal was over she rose and
came softly round the table toward me.
Then she put her dear hand on my
shoulder 10 lightly as II she feared to
offend, and, bending down, she said