Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1899-04-10
TAKING THE REINS.

ueI, tl5 WuOlo NllldSo CoACulIcu, Wluh
the exception of his wife. She main
tanned silence on the subject which was
best, perhaps, inasmuch as she was the
cause of it all.
and meek sort of man you ever set eyes
on, and it amt right that it should be
So" Mrs. Blake declared, as Lyford
Merritt, then under discussion, shuffied
along the dusty road. 'Its dreadful to
see Il man SO suppressed, y she sighed
cit amt nature one bit.
"Some men are born meek and
would rather woman'd go ahead and
boss the house and him, too, and then
you don't blame 'em, but Lyford ain
that kind. Fore his wife got hold Of
him he used to be as up and coming as
any one.
A slight flush spread over her thin
cheeks as she felt critical glance upon
her.
"That was the time he came a-court-
in you, s'pose?" her guest remarked
blandly. Il always heard you had some
sort of words and then he took up with
the new schoolteacher and married her
right away fore your face and eyes.
Mrs Blake beat her cake vigorously.
"He amt done nothing but be set on
ever since" she declared at length, $50
that he amt himself at all. And that
what so exasperating. No man with
any natural stand up to him ought to
give in the way he does. That's what s
the trouble He seems to think it s all
right.
She poured the cake into tin and
showed it into the oven and shut the
door with a bang
"We've all had spells of talking to
him." she went on, "but there, it ain t
no earthly good. He always sits so good
natured and kind of mods his head as if
agreeing, and when you come to stop he
looks up with his blue eyes and says:
well. we'll, you don't understand. 1t
may seem kind of hard sometimes to
outsiders. Mis- Blake, but then, you
see, she's got the nerves.
"Nerves scornfully; Gas if any OF
us couldn't get up that kind Of nerves
if we wanted to. But Lyford, he just
stands it always, and it's terrible exas-
perating.
She gave another glance out of the
window. Lyford Merritt was not in
sight. Unconscious of his neighbor S
scrutiny and comment, he slowly cross
ed the stubby field and made his way to
the barn. There he deposited the pack
4 {ho onH fhnr yxra1,t to
the wooGpile He seemed in sort of
brown study, and his 49,. wvft%
uncertain.
cit amt right for man not to be
master in his own house." he rumi-
mated as if the sentiment had just been
impressed upon his mind. cit really
ain t, and am going to assert myself. y
The thought caused stick to DROP
from his arms. He hastily picked it ur
with Il backward glance over his shout
der.
II wouldn't do anything to hurt
Caroline for anything in the world. Oh
course ! wouldn't She's good wife
very good wife to me, and I'm thank
full I've got such a good wife, and
hope make her good husband. -
He paused and slowly laid two more
sticks on to his burden and walked to-
ward the woodhouse.
"And I've been thinking that perhaps
it ain t good for her to have me always
giving in to her." he continued as he
returned for second load. 81 reat
somewhere the other day that wome1
was like horses--they like to have theil
own way longs they can, but whcl
you make 'em mind they go all the bet
ter Not that | should ever try an,
make Caroline mind he pa,lset
aghast- -"but perhaps if | kinder tool
things for granted that she wouldn
mind my doing moro things l coul'
do 'em, and she'd like it, Pm a-goin:
to try anyway.
1t was undeniable that Lyford Mer
rift $ heart beat somewhat faster thai
usual as it neared 3 o'clock on the fol
lowing afternoon. The town COMMITTEE
had ordained to have an extra meeting
1t was usually held at the Perkins
but Mrs. Perkins was sick, and so Ly
ford had generously asked them t.
come there.
A few had already gathered and wer
sitting in the shade of the big elm. 9th
ers could be seen coming down the road
81 suppose we might as well go in
seeing there are so many of us already
| Lyford remarked
: 1t was an unwritten law that tn
meetings of the committee should al
ways be held in some parlor OF tn
church vestry. 1t was not compatibl
with the dignity Of the committee t
I meet in barns or shops, as did other o.
l CARNATIONS.
G The men sprang up and Lyford lie
t the way to the front Of the house, wher
they greeted the others. They stood
moment and chatted, while few straa
gled up, then Lfyord put his hand o
the door.
{ 1t refused to open. He made severe
y attempts, but it would not stir. II
/ grew red in the face with exertion.
s ut s unlocked all right" he declared
''because saw to that this morning
You see, we don't use it very otter
and that s tho reason why. I'll go il
3 side and see if l can start it.
He left the men and skirted the house
n avoiding the kitchen windows and stea
ing in the back way. where he remove
- his shoes and quietly passed throue
the upper rooms and down the frol
stairs, when he put on his shoes agai
He managed to open the door.
stuck, but he had forgotten that it ope
ed in In fact, be never remember
having opened it at all before.