The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1900-05-15
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So>o~o<o>o>o>>o>o>o~o>o>ot
And What It Did For a Husband.
BY W. R. ROSE.

r. ne olehcu lut IIOHt uoOE WIN III
latchkey and let himself in. 1t was
blowing hard outside, and as he helt
the door ajar puff of wind rushed In
1t was a strong capful, and 1t swayeG
the curtains and futtered the long
leaves Of the hardy palm in the parloI
archway. Then it caught up bit OF
note paper that lay on the little table
in the hall and whirlcd 1t away be-
meath the bookcase In the corner The
man who was entering did not see this
fluttering note. He shut the door quick
ly and turned about.
"Nelle! Oh, Nellie! Where the deuce
can she be?' he muttered. Never left
me like this before. What did she
take with her;' He opened the clothes
closet off the bedroom and looked at
her garments hanging in an orderly
row. He let his hand@fall lovingly OH
the familiar folds and pass down them
dresses seemed so eloquent of her pres
encc. Was she hiding behind these
dangling frocks? He poked his way
into the closet, up one side and back on
the other, but no Nellie was concealed
within its limited area.
Funny" he mnttered again. "Seems
to be gone without word Wonder
what she did with her jewelry?" 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." he
murmured and stopped short. The
idea was an ugly one. you're a fool,
John Austinw he said and scowled at
himself in the glass.
There was pleasant aroma arising
from the interior of the dresser 1t
seemed a part of her. There were two
of her harpins lying on the dresser top.
He picked them up carefully and laid
them on the little china dish where Il
dozen or more of their brothers were
stretched at length. Her old shoes lay
beside her low sewing chair, small and
slim. lie knew she had gone in hur
ry. She would never have left this
mark Of untidiness il she hadn't been
pressed for time. But what could have
drawn her away from home so sud
denly?
John Austin was not a thoroughly
well man. He had worked too hard;
he was nervous and irritable. Evening
after evening he had come home and
unloaded into his wife's keeping as
much as be could Of his burden Of daily
vexations. For the first time in their
IS months Of married bliss his wife
had left him without a word of warn
ing.
He came slowly down the stairway
and dropped himself into big chair in
the library. His eye wandered about
the apartment. 1t was growing dusky
<outsidesaad the books about him<were
dim and misty. He shook his fist in n
sudden fit of frenzy ut the tiers of vol
umes.
Shes been reading harmful books"
he sputtercd; "Ibsen and Maelerlink,
and who knows what all? They are
dangerous and degrading. They cor
rupt the sOundest mind with their pes
snistic sophistrics. What's this?' He
picked up a newspaper clipping from
the table and, lighting the gus, read it
aloud:
THE souls Of women knock some
times at the bars of convention, of ira
dition, OF marriage and clamor for
freedom-even if 1t be the briefest Of
rcspites. Sometimes when they least
expect it the desire to fly grows strong
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 thcn 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 monopol'ze freedom"
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"
Ills voice sank on the last words, then
he briskly added: Don't be fool.
John. Everything will come out all
right. You know it will Here you
are worrying over what Is probobly Il
trivial incident. BE n man."
Nevertheless his hand trcmbled when
he picked up the obnoxious clipping
and tossed it into the wastebasket.
He leaned back in his chair and, TAX
ing out cigar, lighted and smoked it.
lie thought Of The first time he saw
1Felle, Of how little he imagined she
would become so dear to him. Of the
gradual growth of love, of the day lie
asked lfer to be hiS wife. Queer that he
had never gone over the romance he
fore. How wildly it all came back to
him. And this was the first time he had
recalled II. He bad been too busy to
think of such trtles. Trftles! Too
busy to think Of aught save his own
plans and hopes and ambitions. Had
his wife no hopes and plans no anhi.
tions? Was her life SO indissoluhly
linked with his that she was lndlvidu- |
ally cffacrd? lie had never asked him |
self this question before. 1t was time |
it WAS asked. How suprcm"ly selfish |
be had been! He had never recognized |
the fact until now. He passed his hand /
wHarily over his forehead He wasn't |
we'll He had the blues. He needed q
strong braccr. He went to the side.
board and poured out half tumbler. /
full of whisky in the little glass He
picked 1t up. Then he pushed II back.
It seemed cowardly. Why should he
be afraid of his thoughtsl He remem-
bered, too, how reproachfully she al.
ways looked at him when he drank.
He knew it was temptation that he
ought to avoid. And vet her reproach. |
tul glances never stopped him. He
Eould laugh N her and drink tina spir.
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