The Somerset reporter., 1901-05-09
OVER THE
MORNING CUP
A MARITAL TIFF.



at is the money that has done it,
Mary-the miserable money"
at is your pride that has done it,
tell you. Basil. l couldn't help having
the money, could II You liked the lux
urles It brought as we'll as did. new
er thought whether it was yours or
mine"
But thought l knew 1t was yours,
and other people knew it. They took
pains to make me feel it too"
But had the money when you mar
ried me. and you knew it. If you took
me In spite of it, why should you be
angry now because of Its existence and
the existence of the things which are
the logical outcome of tT
81 now realize that 1t would be a log
ical outcome for people to say and for
you 20 think that | took you because
of it."
"If people have said that they have
not said 1t In my hearing
Naturally they have not, but they
have said it."
"And I've never thought anything
about 1t one way or the other"
"Maybe you don't appreciate the fact
that you have thought of It. but the
possession of that money has given you
an independence which Is not condu-
Give to the happiness of this home.
asked you not to go on that journey
last week to your cousin. | don't like
30 41n
people she has about her or of her man.
ner Of living. | don't like that betting,
sporting husband of hers. l heartily
disapprove of the men you meet there
and Of the unnecessary attentions you
receive from them. told you all this
or limited 1t, but you decided that as the
journey cost me nothing and as you
could provide a good housekeeper in
your absence 1t was practically nothing
to me. So you ordered six new gowns.
paid for them out of your own purse.
bought your railroad ticket and went
l staid at home, Tuning to know was
not personally able to provide luKuries
OF pleasures for you and thought of
you among those reckless people. tax
ing your strength beyond what was
right, listening TO compliments from
men who covid spond more money In
one monsh than | ever earned In my
life, and knowing that II l commanded
you 70 return you probably would not
obey me-"
I'm glad you didn't put my obedi
enos 10 the test, Basil"
'Yoa woald act have returnedY
Mot II you commanded me. Neither
would you do anything commanded
you to do. Commands are out of date
between married folk. | have always
tried 10 vssasd your wishes"
You want to yosr coNsiR. and l eK-
pressed wish that you would not"
"Beeauss you are suah a provincial
You've never known anything but this
humdyum, supervirtuous, formal, In
saffsrable town"
This insnffsrable town has sent out
a number Of distinguished men. Your
cousin and her kind would knock a
long hms at certain doors in this vii
lAge before they would gain an en-
trance"
"You are mistaken. for they would
not knock. Why would they deliber-
ately give up the pleasures of life and
enter into these social crypts which you
call by the name of drawing rooms ?
Why, the nearest pleasure the people
in this village have ever come is In
reading AN Elegy In a Country
Churchyard.' They are ignorant of ev-
erything that has happened since the
battle Of Bennington"
You think SO? l thought some of
them had led in more recent battles.
thought some of them had framed the
laws we now enjoy. l believed that
some of them had enjoyed great hon
ors abroad as well as at home. They
don't know much about the record Of
the favorite trotter Of the year. l ad-
NIT They are unacquainted with the
latest scandal about the reigning prima
donna. They are not up on the latest
slang. By your standard they fall