Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1900-07-14
); p PUFF
OF WIND :
And What 1t Did For g Husband.
BY w. R. ROSE. I
BY W. R. ROSE.
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He opened the front door = tn his
latchkcy and let himself in. t was
blowing hard outside. and as he held
the door ajar puff of wind rushed in.
1t WAS a strong capful, and it Swayed
the curtains and nuttcred the long
leaves of the hardy palm in the parlor
archway. Then it caught up bit of
note paper that lay on the little table
in the hall and whirlcd it away be
Meath the bookcase in the corner. The
man who was cntCrin" did not see this
fluttcrng note. He shut the door quick
ly and turned about
"Ncllic. Oh, Nellie! Where the deuce
can she beg he mUttCrrd. "\cvcr left
me like this before. What did she
take with her." He opened the clothes
closet off the bedroom and looked ut
her garments hanging in an orderly
row. He let his hand fall lovingly on
the familiar folds and pass down them
with gently smoothing pressure. Her
dresses seemed so eloquent of her pres
encc Was she hiding behind these
dangling frockS? He pokcd his way
into the closet. up one side and back on
the other. but no Nellie was concealed
within its limited area
Funny" he muttcrcd again. Seems
to be gone without Il word. Wonder
what she did with her jewclryE' He
thought he knew where She hid it
away. but he didn't. At least it wasn't
there.
MAY have taken it with her" lie
murmurcd ana stopped short The
idea was an ugly one. "Iou'rr Il fool,
John .AuStiE% he said and Scowlcd ut
himself in the glass
There WAS Il pleasant aroma arising
from the interior of the dresser 1t
seemed Il part of her. There were two
of her hairpinS lying on the dresser top.
He picked thCm up carefully and laid
them on the little china dish where Il
dozen or NOR" of their brothers were
stretched at length. Her old shoes lay
beside her low sewing chair. small and
slim. He knew she had gone in Il hur.
ry. She would never have left this
mark of unti,lincSS il she hadn't been
pressed for time. But what could have
drawn her away from home so sud
denly?
John Austin was not Il thoroughly
well man. He had worked too hard;
he was nervous and irritable. Evening
after evening he had come home ana
unlOadcd into his wifcs Keeping as
much as he could of his burden of daily
ycXati0nS For the first time in their
IS months of married bliss his wife
had left him without n word of warn
ing
lie came slowly down the stairway
and dropped himself into Il big chair in
the library. His eye wandered about
the apartment. 1t was growing duSky
outside, and the books about him were
dim and misty. He shook his fist in a
sudden fit of frenzy at the tiers of vol
umcs.
"Shc'S been reading harmful books
he Sputtcrcd; "IDSen and Mactcrlink,
and who knows what all? They are
dangerous and degrading They cor
rupt the sOundest mind with their pes
picked up newspaper clipping from
the table and. lighting the gas, read it
aloud:
The souls of women knock some
times at the bars of convention. of ira
dition, of marriage, and clamor for
frccdom-eVcn if it be the briefcst of
reSpitcs. Sometimes when they least
4 4
upon them and they are ready to throw
down all that is at hand and strike out
boldly in the direction Of the Turing
voice. WHO can blame them? Do you
blame the captive brutcs in the arena
for beating their breasts sore against
the cruel bars that cut them Off from
the delights of liberty? Woman has
the same instinct. 1t flares out at
times when least expected, and the
woman goes forth heart hungry and
longing, too. for that blessed boon that
men call-and nopoliZe-frecdom."
John threw the clipping down.
absolute rot" he snarled. Then he
quickly said, And she must have been
reading it Just before she started out
His voice sank on the last words, then
he briskly added: Don't be n fool
John. Everything will come out al
right. You know it will. Here you
are worrying over what is probobly q
trivial incident. Be man."
Nevertheless his hand trembled when
he picked up the obnoxious clipping
and tossed it into the wastebasket.
lie leaned back in his chair and, tax.
ing out Il cigar, lighted and smoked it
He thought of the first time he saw
Nellie, of how little he imagined she
would become so dear to him. of the
gradual growth of love, Of the day he
asked her to be his wife. Queer that he
had never gone over the romance be
fore. How vividly it all came back tC
MIN. And this was the first time he had
recalled it. lie had been too busy tC
think of such triflcs. TrihcS. Toe
busy to think of aught save his OWL