The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-11-09
THE REWARD
OF HER PRIDE.
By Frank Summers.


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The fire in the fireplace cracked
cheerily in a chatty, confdentlaI tome
that morning, with now ana then .
chuckle or suppressed laugh, as ~ II
would mock the silence of the olnlIs
room occupants. There were three at
fable man. wife and newspaper. Inc
man was deyouring morsels OF the
newspaper sandwich fashion petWeeii
tastes of bacon and coffee. he was
holding it high, so that it served as
screen to shut off the prospect IN FROM
of him, with its one solitary inquire IN
the foreground-his wife.
AZ far as simple attractiveness Is
concerned. one could not have Wonoer
ed very much Mrs. Frensham olu not
make a pretty picture that morhllls'
She was fair and small, with race
that must have been charming once'
and, as a connoisseur would nave seen,
still holding the possibility OF beauty
when some new condition snouiu can
out its latent color. But now IL was
Iifeless and inert, the eyes duil, the
yellow hair traggling and untidy the
lavender and white gown piesey
enough in itself, but carelessy worn
and unDecOmluS.
She had not cared for dress since ~
tie Daisys death. Nothing nau ma
tered much since then. Ihere nau
been months following that Tragedy
when she had been only half existent--a
liza of saa anemone, she said, clinging
10 the same tiny bit of rock while the
tide came and went. She had lost her
prettiness during that long season OF
~ husband
cared for her any more.
A man must have smiles and beauty,
mr. ha takes his hat and goes to the
office There Is always solace there
ana he can smoke. She had often en-
WED him that high privilege--in tact,
had stolen one of the pretty brown cl-
rars and taken it to her room once,
with intent to learn, If possible, where
Law it's subtle power of diversion ana
comfort. but her innate prejudices had
been too strong.
She sat listlessly lingering the spoon
In her cup, as If she were trying 10 zen
fortunes in the old-fashioned way &c
casionally she glanced about the room
and it's pretty furnishings; for she nau
MANNED. in the days when she nau
cared for such things, its harmonies OF
nak and yellow browns, with now ana
then. in a picture of gentians, piece
Of exquisite Delft or Wedgwood, or
bit Of drapery, note of delicate blue
pIaced there to break the monotone.
"Good!" he said at last, laying down
his paper, "they're raising the dividend
on the road"
eyes she said, indifferently then
rising, "Will you please excuse me!
She sauntered on halfway across tne
room. stopping at the bank OF 1erns
opposite the fireplace, where she stooo
a minute, drawing her hand along
frond as if it were feather. Ihere
was large bunch of roses IN vase az
her side. She looked at them and
scowled slightly. The flowers were OF
his ordering. There were white or yell
low roses in that piece OF Dent every
morning of the year.
It was bit of sentiment on his part,
for had not Daisy filled that jar with
roses only a few days before she had
ceased to know the roses when they
laid them in her hand? Yet what did
he care for the past-he who had his
office. his friends, and his papers? And
the roses cost money. 1t seemed such
an homogeneous thing that in that lux
urious home it's mistress should be
Jealous of their money value!
Her husband had not been wealthy
man when they were married. There
had been just enough suggestion OF
possible hardships and self-denials in
her love story to give 1t the flavor OF
romance. She had been glad that he
was not rich, and had often told him
SO, boasting that the time might come
when she could find ways of helping
him. 1t had been a source of annoy
ance that, one evening, when she had
repeated her statement proudly he had
looked down upon her shell-like hands
lying palm upon palm-and laughed.
Up to the time Daisy had died he had
made her sharer in his gains, say
ing gaily at the beginning of the
month, Now l shall have to increase
your salary, Mabel" or laughingly, Il
must announce a higher dividend this
month, my love, because / have dis
covered that a womans ability to
spend money is inversely in proportion
to her size" But since Daisy's death
he had never offered her a penny be-
You'd the usual monthly allowance.
That would have been more than
enough to satisfy her needs, narrowed
as they had become; but it happened
that her own family was in need of
help.
One of her brothers had met with
reverses, and, his health failing, the
expenses of his family had largely
fallen upon relatives She had never
told her husband any particulars of
the affair, and, as he had become so
Indifferent to her needs of late, was too
proud to ask him for money. Yet she
saved eagerly her own little store, de-
nying herself almost every luxury;
even reading the old books again, that
she might have something to send her
people.
For an instant, as she stood by the
roses she had felt the sharp money
sting the longing to transmute their
color and fragrance to the metal at
whose call they had come; and above
all she felt resentment that he should
be carelessly gratifying his tastes and
fancies without stint, While she was
making every penny render fun service
and account.
There's no comfort to be taken with
books that have board covers" she
thought, IL like to have them soft and
pliable, bending to my touch"
on her way through the hall, as she
passed an open door, she saw her hus-
lt,f, a, hot