The Wilmington daily Republican., 1901-03-28
THE BEST OF ALL,


empty halls, down the back stairway and
into the kitchen. She stopped just across
the threshold and made movement in-
dcatiyo of surprise ln.the range she
had expected to find cold and black and
comfortrss a rnddy fire was burning
The bright copper kettle was kissing and
singing, emitting Il trail Of steam. and its
cover was bobbng up and down.
At this unexpected sight half smile
came to her lips, and again she solilo.
luized, 'rhe pixie workmen have surely
been here before me-" Then she looked
at her hands-the well preserved, deli
cate hands Of II middle aged woman to
whom fortune had been kind, hands thnt
had. like the lilies they rcscmbled in
whitcncss, toicd not, neither had they
spun. 81 am glad" thought she, that
the pixies came. | should hardly know
how to make fire or wish to do it,
Mr.. and Mrs. Bcrram Wayne had
married for love when they were young
and poor and had been happy. But the
young husband hui talent for money
making, given the opportunity, and as is
not always the ease the opportunity pre-
scntcd itself. 1t does not at all matter
whether it was in oil or gas, or what 9TH
cr branch OF profitable investment, his
little capital was turned over and over
and swcllrd and grow, and the income
increased and multiplied itself again and
again.
1t is only to the purpose here to state
that by strictly legitimate methods of
business Mr.. Brrtram Wayne had inside
Of l., or 20 years grown to be "A rich man,
not mutimillionairc by any means. but
wealthy enough to move out of the prct-
ty cottage in which he and his wife had
begun their married life into spacious
dwelling in more fashionable part Of
town and set up an expensive establish
mcnt, with n complicated system OF
household service. And, as is usual un-
der such circumstances, Mr.. Wayne be-
came too busy in adding TO his principal
and multiplying his interests TO give much
attention to home affairs. He furnished
the money and looked TO his wife to
spend II in lubrcAting the wheels OF the
pondcrouS domestic machinery.
Mrs. Wayne gave her time, as was nee
eSsary. to her servants society and the
onrrols task Of entertaining, for when
goods increase they are increased that
cat them" Both she and her husband
were members Of their several clubs. and
the wife was dircctress in half dozen
institutions missions for the promotion
Of various laulable objectsall Of which
demanded time and attention. Some
times in the rush and whir of it all sl"
could not help wondering if she had had
children of her own what would have be-
come Of them.
L.. L., Di
quite naturally, in order to avoid clash
ing with each Others hours Of rest and
retirement, each being busy in divers
ways, that they occupied separate suits
Of apartments, seldom meeting save ut
table or perhaps for u little time In the
early evening.
And now, by no fault OF his own and
with nothing to rcproach himself for, but
owing to the uncertain condition Of tie
times. the fortune had collapsed, the
home was gone, and the varied occupa-
ious of husband and wife had disappear.
ed In few days the costly furniture
would be auctioncd of, the house sold.
and, empty handed, they would begin life
over again.
When Mr.. Wayne came in with hit
Of hrcfstraI he had Just bought, h" found
his wife standing at the table, stirring
something with an iron spoon in yell
low bowl. She looked up and smiled at
him. II am making drop biscuit she
said. 'po you remember how fond Of
them you used to be when we first kept
housc?' Some half forgotten memory
stirred in the husbands heart, and he
put his arn about her neck and kissed
her forehead. Her heart thrilled beneath
that touch and kiss as it had not thrilled
for years. No diamond necklace or 9th
cr precious material gift could have
brought so pretty flush, SO full of pleas
urt. to her cheek.
When breakfast was ready and they
sat down together to serve themselves,
she confessed that she had been doubt
ful about quantities used in her drop bis
cult: it had been 50 long since she had
made any. But. although they were
rather yellow, as II from too much soda
the husband, coming more and more I'M
der the happy spell of the olden time
honestly declared that they were deli
cious.
He sighed when her fair hands plunged
into the dishwatcr pan, but he, no longer
the wealthy capitalist, took up the tea
towel. with certain Sort Of pleasure, to
dry the breakfast china. ''Don't you re-
membcri' and "IIavc you forgottenE'
formed the staple of their conversation,
not, it is true, llnn,ixcd with the inyolun-
tary sigh Or surreptitous tear, for the
grim spcctcr of poverty, by whatever
swcctencd, is something Of which human
creatures are sore afraid.
Still there is poverty and poverty, one
form OF which differs essentially from the
other. And when the tea towel had been
hung on the rack behind the range Ber-
tram Waync sat down in one Of the
kitchen chairs at hand and took his wife
upon his knee. 1t did not occur to him
tlut she was heavier than she used TO be.
Tie only thought how soft her cheek felt
as it lay against his own and wondered
how it was that it had been so long since
last he felt it there. Then he told her in
rcassuring way he had found there
would be a little left as salvage from the
wreck when all was settled up--cnough
to rent n tiny house Ike that they used
to live in long ngo, with a maid OF all
work in the kitchen to do the toughest
part of the household labor. lie had
had an offer Of situation at $1,000 a
year. Didn't that look big to her? She
laughed a little hystericaIly. "But. dar.
ling" said he in a hoarse half whisper
"you have proved to nc we shall, after
all, save the most valuable of all or
possessions, md I thank God for it-0ur
love for each othcr.'
At this Mrs. Wayne forgot all about
! her vanished wealth and its spicndors
With Il fond, inarticulate cry. she drew
| her arms more closely round her hus.
I bands neck and yielded to the straining
| hold in which he claspcd her to his
! brcast.-Ciniupat Post.
An Unsatisfcd Longing.