Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-05-27

This bacon is not fit to eat" He
lifted bit ON his fork and smelled at it
suspiciously And the coffee is quite
cold. and there isn't morsel of toast
Really. il is too bad to expect man to
20 10 his work without any breakfast 4"
THE charwoman didn't come this
morning, you know. Everard, and
Dorothy was desperately afraid that she
would cry. and she was determined not
To cry, so she said no more.
why can't You find servant.
them" growled her husband. ''Such
wretched mismanagement never saw :"
Perhaps you We're more comfortable
in lodgings. said Dorothy. taunted in
To speech.
No answer.
perhaps you think it was a mistake
to have married me.
Silence. so much recommended in
cases of this kind is sometimes the
most cruel of all retorts. 1t was so now.
Yet Everard Payn said not a word. He
knew he was behaving like n brute. but
he was cold. hungry and haunted with
corroding care. He turned to the fire
place and tried to poke the mass of coal
and coal dust into flame. but his eff
fcrts were i'll directed and the smolder
ing heap remained dead. He threw
down the poker in n passion and went
out into the hall and into the street.
closing the front door after him with a
bang
Hour after hour Dorothy sat at the
wretchcd breakfast table without NOV
ing She was alone in the little house
and had no one to mind but herself.
The tears came freely enough now.
They trickled through her fingers and
dropped. one by one. ON the soilcd ta-
blecluth
WAS il true. then p she asked her
self. did Everard regret already the
rash step that had brought them to-
gether :" He WAS only a rcor writer.
strugglin for dear life in the c:uel bat
tlefield of London. She knew that he
was often pressed for money. though he
told her little of his money troubles.
Was il not ii piece of folly in them To
marry!
AT length she rose ard mechanically
began to clear away the breakfast
things. The kitchen fire had gone ont.
Everything was cold and dreary. And
if il were all huge mistake
She went up stairs and began to put
few of her personal belongings into "A
portmantcau One volume she thought
she must have-a copy of The lmita-
tion Of Christ She found il after Il
little search. but then she remembered.
1t had been gift from Everard how
long ago il secmed-in the days of their
courtship. The pet name he had given
her. and that no one but him had ever
called her. ''Dodic. was on the fly
leaf in his handwriting She could not
take it. She kissed it and put il away
in drawer Then she went on putting
things together. one by one. on the bed.
The winter afternoon bad given place
To twilight when Evcrard put his latch
key into the door of the little dwelling.
He had long since rerentcd of his bad
temper. and he had brought with him
twopenny bunch of violets as Il peace
Offering 1t struck him. as he opened
the door. that there was an unusual
echcing in the passage. Closing the
door behind him. he shouted. 'Doro
thy" There was un reply.
"Shc can't be ,;ulking stilly" ne said
To himself That j. not like Dodie
Where are you?' hc cried again. push
ing open thr door of the sitting room.
He half expected 10 tcci pair of warm
arms around his neck a> he did So. but
there WAS no sound of any kind. The
room Was Cark and culd With trem
bling iiu,...% he lit the gas The cold
light fcl' IN black CRATE. Evidently
III, fire bad not been touched since he
l,fi in the incrning He ran from room
to room. dr., AIDING he knew not what ;is
ha threw q; II each docr Dorothy was
not there .<rr did he notiC" that their
bedroom window WIS open and that the
draft CauS, ,l Ily his opening the door
had ;, NJ Il scra! uf ,hiu l.aicr on which
| Dorothy had written Il farewell message
fiuttcring ~ the iiuor He Gazed round
the deserted bedroom. noting the signs
of I:tcfinS. aud the truth burst un him
He felt rs If she had died Then sudden
| " a tcyulsiun of feeling came upon
him
.'She can have no hea,r. after all. to
.eave me wh,n sac knew | was III sucn
trouble sad savagoly. He turned.
left the h1usc anl never entered ii
agnin. y month later the landlord seized
Ia another tenant