Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1899-08-19
The CUP
COFFee.
How "a Wife Strove to Hold Her Hus-
band From the Influence of
Another Woman.

AnOtneT " oman. X
*o%o&o#o#o4oMo oMo#o#o&oxo#o#o
My husband, when he breakfasts ut
homo, is in the habit of taking coffee
Mt tahlc-hOwcvcr, emitting to smoke
with 1t. You see, 1t is of moment that
his mouth and muStachc should be un-
tainted with tobacco when he makes
his afternoon calls.
This morning the servant displayed
some slight awRwardncSS in filling his
cup, and the amber liquid ovcrtlowcd.
''WaS any one ever more clumSy?"
he said You fool, You idiot. Take
1t away"
And then he gave the table such Il
thump that the buffers carClcSSncSS
was but augmented, an inundation of
coffee followed, not only into tho sau-
Ger, but upon the cloth as well.
| The man nimbly repaired the dam
age done and made good his escape.
Paul bit his lips, but said nothing fur
thcr However, | realized that he was
intensely annoyed
Now, Paul Is or rather was until re
Gently stranger to all such impulSivc
actions. His nature was adverse to
any ado or quick WordS-m point Of
fact, to anything that could be likcncd
to scene. But this gentleman, al
ways so well poised, courteous and
thoughtful of his bearing, must have
been seriously troubled over some
thing to have thus forgot himself to
such Il degree.
After Il few moments OF cmbarraSS-
ed silence he took cigar from his
case, cut off the point and just as he
was about to smoke ii said:
"Iou do not object, CccilcY'
"Oh, no. Not in the slightest, Paul,
You must know that
l assure you said those words with
out any ultcrior motive. But it seem
cd that Paul thought to the contrary,
for he sharply rctortcd:
at is waste of time for you to take
on Il martyrs air when YOU answer my
question. | can just as easily smoke
outside or elsewhere, at houses where
tobacco does not incommodc the In
mates. Well, do we have tears nowI'
Indeed, they were very near, but l
out of sight until | would be alone
Paul." | said as tcnderly as | could,
''do not be angry with me. In reality
you have naught to complain of, and
moreover | have done nothing to YOU.
Now, why get so excited and cause me
such pain?'
My husband frowncd slightly, then
extended his hand and kissed mine
that had ut once placed in his.
"Iou are right Cecilc. | beg your
pardon. | think | am little nervous
today. We have some very intricate
business to attend to at the mills"
He was about to continue the lie,
but | Interrupted him.
Forget business for the time. For
get the overturned coTeccup. | ask
your attention for II few moments.
Let me have 1t with Il good grace.
Surely you have n little time today to
give to your wife, my dear hrlsband?"
"But-oh, certainly, certainly"
He twirlcd his cigar between his fin
gers. lie wanted to rise, to 20 away,
to flee from the explanation that he
foreSaw, but there was no way open
to him. My request was such nat
ural one. He could only avoid 1t by
losing his temper again, and for the
time being that prerogatIve had been
exhausted.
AT first" | said, "do smoke"
held the flaming match toward him.
He lighted his cigar
"But-I have so little leisure" he
said. 'Werklcin"--
"Lct WcrkIein wait for you," said
''IIe is accustomed to 1t. Indeed, Paul,
you cannot reproach me for msem-
ploying your spare moments? l real.
ly must speak to you today"
VERY well, my dear" he said. 81
will listen"
Then his whole cOuntenance chang
ed anew and grew firm and decisive.
l felt that this being, who belonged to
me, with whose disposition l was SO
well acquainted, whom | adorcd in
spite of all and who loved me, was
dominated by the will of another wo-
man. Which will prove the strongest
hers or mine?
And then | strove to win.
put my hand on his wrist. The
muscles stiffencd and resisted my light
pressure. All. there was once n time
and not 50 long agO-when they al
ways trembled at my touch! And they,
too, remembered those old DAYS, not
withstanding the hostile will of anoth-
er. for they yielded little by little until
his hand was In mine.