The record-union., 1898-10-17
SHE WAS FORGIVEN.
But If Tom Had Been to Blame,
Heaven Help Him.

Heaven Help Him.
They had only been married a month
and it was their first dinner party, con-
sequently they were both a little fur
riedl when the time came for the guests
to arrive
She had superintended the arranging
of the table herself. and now stood sur
veying its new silver, glass, and linen
with housewifely pride.
DO you really think everything will
go we'll, Tom?" she asked for the
twentieth time.
And for the twentieth time he an
swered:
"Of course it will go well. only pity
the poor fellows who have no wife and
moi home of their own"
20, Tom, how nice!" she gurgled,
"and how I do pity the poor girls who
have no nice, kind husbands! There is
Helen. She is such a sweet girl: she
really ought to know how nice it is to
be married.
Yes, indeed And then there is Jack.
He has no ideal Of what happiness he is
missing
She walked into the parlor, and,
standing before the mirror, she rear
ranged the rose in her hair. do YOU
like it so?" she asked.
"It is lovely. Poor Jack! how he must
envy met.
And, o, Tom, I do feel sorry for
Helen. Hark! is that a carriage?"
They both fell into easy attitudes Of
expectancy, but the carriage rolled on.
He took out his watch and looked at
it, It was lust Z
20, dear!' she murmured, I'm
afraid they will not be prompt, and
my note said z sharp"
Perhaps my watch is fast" he said,
knowingly.
She moved her lace pin a little re-
garding herself in the glass with a
critical air. He walked up and down
with his hands in his pockets.
20, dear" she walled. ''They are
fate already, and the cook will be SO
cross. She looks perfectly colossal when
she is cross, Tom
And the women will have to chatter
half an hour in the dressing-room after
they do come" he groaned.
why, Tom, how unkind AS if the
men did not like to stay just as long
with their horrid cigars"
Listen; here they comet
They fell again into positions, but the
wheels passed on.
''It is odd" she said. People never
kept mamma waiting I'M this way. They
were always ANXIOUS to come to her
house,
Perhaps they have gone there now"
''Why, Tom! But I do wish thay
would come! I'm afraid the dinner is
ruined. I don't care to go to see.
wonder if I might call down the
tube?"
"Of course" was the airy response.
II say, this is an awful bore. I envy
Jack. Nobody expects him to give dim
ner parties"
And envy Helen. She has no one
to talk unkindly to her.
The clock chimed the half hour.
You are sure you said Z sharp"
"Of course am. 1 am not quite an
imbecile yet, If I have married you"
who is talking unkindly now?''E
20, l never thought you would treat
me SO when you begged me to marry
YOU"
II only asked you once, and you said
Yes quick enough
II never thought you would be a
brute
"And I never thought you would be
a virago."
Nobody will accept my invitations
just now because I married you. Mann
ma said 1 was making mistake"
People were always glad to accept
my invitations before was married"
Very well, if you want to be free I
will go home"
IF you want to go, pray don't allow
me to detain you"
The clock chimed out eight light
strokes; carriages kept rolling by, but
none of them stopped. She went into
the bedroom and began opening draw
ers and boxes and taking out their
contents, which she could not see for
tears. He tried to hum a popular
song, watching her movements, furtive-
ly through the open door. Would she
really leave him? And what would
the boys say if she did?
She tumbled the costly things about
in a careless fashion. What did their
beauty matter now, when she was 60
ing home with a broken heart to die?
But why did everybody stay away?"
he muttered between his teeth
Haven't we a friend in the world 2"
she asked herself.
Then she gave a cry. Her eye had
fallen on white heap in the corner of
a drawer.
Toni" she cried, in tragic tones,
"here are all my invitations now; I
had forgotten to mail them"
They looked at each other a moment,
those two who were about to part for
ever. Then a smile curled the corner
Of her mouth. In an instant she was
clasped in his arms. Then a shrill
whistle sounded from the tube, and an
offended voice called:
Would yez be havin' any dinner to-
noight?'
20, Tom," she whispered, "how shall
I ever tell the cook?" New York
World