Catoctin clarion., 1898-11-10
An Only Quarrel.

the good ADVICE IL conIaiuS' nlJ uo"A
Harry. / know that when a man has
got into a thoroughly morbid state, a
ruthlessly candid lecture is as good tor
him as is a slap in the face for an hys-
terical girl. Your motive is truly kind
and | should be ungrateful if l failed
to recognize it as such.
You point out that it is now three
years since my dear wife's fatal accident
and that closely as 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.
NV dear Harry, so far as you know
the facts, your criticism is perfectly just
but until you know them more fully it
is impossible for you to understand my
feelings Alright. Twill relieve my mind
by telling you things which have bur
dened my thoughts during these years
and haye made it impossible for me to
throw off my sadness.
Alice was killed upon the second
anniversary of our wedding day. For
two years our married life had been, as
YOU are aware, one Of nnclouded happi.
ness.
What plans we made for that second
anniversary! took three-quarters OF
an hour to choose a present for Alice,
and great mystery overshadowed the
something for me. Then there were the
invitations to our little party in the
evening,the great question as to whether
we should ask the rector or the doctor
they were not on speaking terms
and the debate on the happiest way of
spending the earlier part of the day.
1t should be passed in the depths OF
the country, we both agreed, and after
much pondering over the local time
tables, we settled that the IL o'clock
train should take us to Beechwood, a
walk and picnic tete-a-tete amid the
summer glories Of the forest, tea at the
clean little Barleyccrn Inn, and go
home.
So we settled on the eve of our we'd
ding day, and then we had our first and
only quarrel.
The circumstances were trifing enough
A letter had come to Alice, asking her
to pay short visit to some friends
whom she had known intimately before
her marriage, "the day after tomorrow :"
I suppose I was not in the best Of tenn
pers-worrled with business, perhaps,
and trltle out Of sorts-a bit jealous,
too, it may be, for one of the sons of the
house had been once rival.
At any rate when she produced this
letter and told me she would like to
accept the invitation, some evil spirit
tempted me to raise objections. I could
see the keen disappointment in her face
and that increased my silly petulance
and jealousy till I recklessly launched
out in diatribes against her friends who
had sent the invitation.
She defended them hotly-for Alice
was always loyal-and so the day ended
in cold good night, leaving her panied
and unhappy, and me - thoroughly
ashamed of suspicious l knew to be
groundless and of an ill temper, was
too proud to confess.
I had a wakeful and restless time that
last night. Our disagreement preyed
strangely on my mind, and in the dark
hours assumed quite an exaggerated
importance. You see for US it was a
new experience. A "little rift had
diyided us for the first time, and could
boast no more that my wife had never
heard a harsh or bitter word from me.
In the morning there was still cloud
between US. I knew that I was in the
wrong, and yet I would not own it even
to myself. Alice gave me one little
wistful look, expressive Of timid hope
that my mood had changed. l saw that
look and for a moment | felt impelled
to fling my arms around her and ask
forgiveness. If only I had yielded to
that impulsel gave her one cold kiss
To think that it was the last ever gave
her living or dead!
While I was dressing my eye fell on
the small case containing the bracelet l
had bought as present for my wife. 1
picked 1t up, hid it in my pocket, and
fool that I was, never gave 1t to her.
I opened the letters which were
mostly on the business that was worry.
ing me. The rest I pushed irritably
away. I opened them afterward, and
do you know Harry, that in one of those
parcels was the gift that my wife had
been working for weeks to make for me.
We breakfasted almost in silence. but
after the meal was over. she rose and
came softly round the table toward me.