Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-08-15
AR x1 TX
Continued.


She could hear him say as he entered
the dining-room: Il am sorry, Baron
ess; my wife wishes to be excused.
She has a bad headache" Then
there was a drawing, compassionate
All" and soon after the delicious,
contagious laughter of the beautiful
woman. Antje had stood in the hail
till the Baroness went away; it seem
ed to her as if the walls were Of
glass, as if she could see the young
Baroness in the rocking-chair, her
beautiful head leaning back against
the velvet cushion, her cigarette be-
tween the red lips, and when she
laughed, that row Of brilliantly white
teeth-Leo thought her mouth SO
wonderfully beautiful. When she
was out of the house at last. deep
sigh seemed to lift a weight off Ant
je's heart that she had never felt be-
fore.
She had waited on the same spot
for her husband, and she had put out
her hand to him; and when they were
in their room she had said: Don't be
angry, Leo; we were always very
merry indeed, but we never could
laugh at that sort of thing"
ooh, | know your mothers sort of
wit and humor very well, my DEAR"
he replied with a yawn.
She was silenced, for she loved her
mother, and Leo knew he could not
hurt her more than by sighting
remark about the simple old lady who
had spent her life in working and
caring for her husband and child
Notwithstanding her wealth. But
during the long, sleepless night she
had recalled how cleverly her mother
had known how to manage her father
and to put up with or overlook dis
agreeable things, which had perhaps
been as little tc her mothers taste as
the free remarks of the Baroness
were to hers. And she took herself
seriously to task. telling herself
that she had married an artist, and
that it was wrong in her to offend
beautiful woman who must charm the
eye of q painter, and that even if
she listened to her foolish chatter she
was in no danger of changing her
principles; and she made up her
mind that for Leos sake she would
put up with it for the future. He
could not be painting her picture
forever, and when the picture was
finished these constant visits must
come to an end. or at least become
rarer. She had fallen asleep toward
morning with the firm resolution 20
make it up with Leo by inviting the
gay. handsome woman for that even
ing, and thus prepare for him at the
same time surprise for the an
niversary of their wedding-day.
And now this delightful plan was
all upset Leo had apparently for
gotten that there had ever been a
seventeenth of October on which he
had led to the altar a young and
happy bride. He went straight to his
studio after breakfast, without motto
ing the late roses which stood in a
brown majolica vase on the table,
and without casting a glance at his
little daughters white embroidered
dress.
Ante Jussnitz felt the blood rush
suddenly to her cheeks. Thank
I1bdNGl ludI Sic ntiNl lloG pun oll LLiS
pale pink morning-dress which she
had secretly prepared for this day
because Leo had said once, lately:
"My wife is always either a moth or
a bat; she never wears anything but
gray or black" And Ante wanted
to please himl She desired it as
pasSionately as only a wife can who
loves her husband. So she ordered
for herself a colored morning-dress
and had put it on this morning, but
when she looked in the glass she
shrank before the image that was re
fected there. She could not help see
ing that she was beautiful but sht
seemed to herself absolutel.
couuettish in the lace-trimmed dress
with the long train and the little CA
with pink ribbons. 1t reminded he
Of the morning toilet of an actress il
some modern society piece. She fel
as if size were trying to f1irt with he
husband, an action unworthy of
wife who knew herself to be beloved
without all this finery. Thanl
Heaven, she had slipped back int
her simple gray dress, otherwise sh
would have felt horribly ashamed i
he had looked at her in surprise-an
today, of all days, when he had fol
gotten what day it was.
She suddenly pressed her han
against her eyes, for she felt horribl
hurt; for the first time she had el
perienced an actual slight. She ha
been accustomed from the first to
certain want of consideration. fo
even as a lover he had never been q
her feet She did not know what
was to be an idolized wife. who's
wishes her husband reads in her eye
and for whose slightest whim he wi
than that, his own comfort; who's
smiles or tears will drive him
commit any folly. She knew nothiE
of this. and she did not miss it. ST
knew no married life except that
her father and mother. in which HI
father was looked UP to as Il
master. whom the wife waited upc
and obeyed. At table he had Il
most comfortable place and all Il
daintiest morsels. the most COZ
Portable corner on the sofa or in II
carriage. eff you wish it, dear" we
the words Ante was most g
customed to hear from her mothe1
lips: and the stately master of t
house wrote in the album which
presented to his only daughter on t