Middletown transcript., 1901-10-19
ing shot,. took herself to her own
domain BY the back stairs

domain by the back stairs
Maurice retraced his steps
down the front ones and out into
the street. His legs felt weak
under him, and his head swan.
His mother to talk like that! II
was horrible! How dared she
treat his wife that way! He
wondered now that he could have
| stood still and listened to it. II
| couldn't have been the first time
there must have been q long
series Of such prosecutions. And
| Bertha had never said a word
about them.
Then suddenly it flashed upon
| him that this was her httlecross.
'tAnd I have made it heavier, "
he thought remorsefully, "by
telling her what mother said, and
urging her to go by it. About
Freddie, too! What right had
mother to advise? She had seven
children, and all except me died
before they were ten years old
and Freddie has never had a sick
day in his life"
He kept on walking aimlessly.
When at last he had become
used to his trouble somewhat
and looked about him, he found
he was four miles from home. 1t
occurred to him that Bertha had
once given it as her opinion that
this was the pleasantest part of
the town. Immediately after
ward he remembered that a friend
of his had a house to sell in this
very locality. Then he started
as a new thought struck him.
"'I will do no harm to look at
it," he murmured. ''Possibly it
may be the very thing
1t was easy to find and to ob.
tain the key. He liked the loca-
ton, to begin with, and after a
thorough inspection from cellar
to attic, it seemed to him the
house could not have suited him
better if it had been made to
order. He went back to town,
saw the owner, agreed to buy the
place, and paid down fifty dollars
to bind the bargain.
Then he started for home. He
dreaded meeting his mother. Tt
would be difficult to hide his
changed feeling toward her. He
had decided that neither she nor
Bertha should ever know what
he had overheard that after.
noon.
1t was growing dusk when he
entered his mothers sittingroom,
and he was glad she could not
see his face perfectly as he told
her of his purchase. II haven't
let Bertha know, yet, he added.
"She doesn't even suspect that
I ever had such all ideL in my
he i'd"
Mrs. Gay took it more quietly
than he expected. 81 supposed
it would come, sooner or LATER =
she said, and sighed.
Then he went upstairs. 1t
seemed long time since noon.
Tea was ready, and he watched
his wife across the table. The
little cloud was there, and his
food seemed to choke him as he
saw how bravely she tried to
hide it and appear cheerful.
He saw her with new eyes to-
night. The gentle purity of her
face awed him, and a certain fra
gility oppressed him with uneasi
ness. In future she should have
someone to help her.
When they we're settled for the
evening, he impaired his news.
''Is there a pleasant, sunny
room for mother?" Bertha asked,
after the first surprise.
Mother will stay here"
"Oh-ought you to leave her
so?' she questioned in atroubled
tone.
"Yes," he said. "She would
be discontented anywhere else.
The Pattens will move back in
here, and now I thing her much
talked-of cousin Sarah will come
to live with her. And we're not |
going out of the world. She |
can get to see US occasionally"
Bertha looked thoughtful for a
moment. "You must come to
see her often, Maurice" she
urged him gently. eff you don't,
1 shall feel as if l had somehow
come between you. / have al
ways thought it one of the very
meanest things a wife could do
to come between her husband
and his mother. You will visit
her often, won't you p
There was a suspicion of mois-
4 4 L =. i