The Minneapolis journal., 1901-12-18

Copyright, 1901 by Marie Alice Phillips
The importunate cabbies and busting por-
ters failed to attract the attention Of Frank
Ryals except so far as a nervous person
would notice mosquitoes of flies He brusho /
them away without so much as a look az he
passed down the long pier. With bent head
and quickenng footsteps he walked unheed-
ing and unnoticed, through the sweat and
turmoil of the city to his home AS he rang
the bell his hand shook and the muscles Of
his throat tightened.
The faithful butler, who had been valet
to Frank Ryals before his marriage held
the door open and inquired solicitously if
Mis- Ryals'' got off safe and sound"
The reply came after a pause Yes
Brown, thank you" but the white, drawn
look of his beloved masters face repeIled
further inquiry and the butler retired to
the kitchen, there to unbosom himself to
Cynthia.
It's my opinion Marse Frank is mighty
cut up bout Mis- Besg goin off to Europe
lthout no warnin' hardly at all"
Cynthia shifted
And her bride of jes' three months -
continued the indignant Brown Its my
opinion she don't care much about i'm, and
| i'm the best and polliest man that ever
lived. Brown growing more agreved
every minute
Gus Brown, would you have a oman
tied to mans coattails always jes cause
she happens to be married to 'im?" And
| Cynthia set pan down sharply on the table
Il don't expect much of women folks at
no time, replied Brown, stoutly, injecting
as much scorn into his tones as he thought
safe, but | didn't much expect a young
bride to go off so cheerful-like and leave
her husband for six months on a stretch"
Cynthia turned sharply and looked into the
face of the worthy butler. Did you say six
months, Gus Brown-six months?"
The faithful Brown could only bow his head
| in assent, and Cynthia, detecting traces OF
real grief in his usually woodeny counte-
nance, was too shocked to take much ac-
! count Of the blister made on her hand by
| the overturned gravy
/ Presently Brown put his head in the door
way Of the drawing room to announce din
ner, but, seeing his master with bowed head
and bent shoulders, retired quietly to the
| kitchen.
Cynthia called Brown "a white-Iivered cow
| ard" on his return which emboldened that
| functionary to go back and touch his mas
| ter's elbow.
Il don't care for dinner, Brown, thank
you
'"Thout so much as movin'," Brown con-
fessed to Cynthia they prepared to dc
justice to the dinner now almost cold
Letters came from acrosg the ocean tc
| Frank Ryals, full of life and vivacity, now
! brimming over with the joy of some bright
| experience, now breathing awe and wonder
! OF the grandeur of some old cathedral OIL
mystery of nature, but never once did she
say, II mis- you, dear" or II wish l were
at home with you," or II wonder what yoJ
are doing" Frank Ryals searched her let
| ters feverishly for some such expression, bu
| it never came.
Old friends welcomed him back to the club
and occasionally he went to the opera. Din
ner5 at home were scarce and finally ceaser
| altogether. Six months had extended int,
eight because Mrs. Raine wanted to take he
party into Egypt, but now they were comm.
home.
The man who stood on the pier waiting 70
the North German Lloyd steamer to cast an
Choir on a bright April day looked very muci
like the same Frank Ryals who had stoo,
| there eight months before except for a Ger
| tain air of composure and two little patche
Of gray hair on his temples that contraste,
oddly with his fresh face. He received Bes
| and her friends cordially and told the latte
i he had made all arrangements to have then
at his home during their short stay in New
York
Everybody talked at once at dinner, Their
was so much to say and the JOY of beint
once more on American soil was so keen. Tn
company rose, protesting vigorously whei
their host bade them good evening as he pre-
| pared to leave the house.
I'VE refuse to stay and turn you out o
| house and home in this way. It is atrocious,
| they said.
1T is my pleasure" was the grave answer
| ''and you must stay
Bess, fop the first time in her life, was
thoughtful and said little On the fourth
evening after her arrival, when the guess
had all departed and the clock was on tht
stroke Of II, Frank Ryals rose and, takin.
hat and cane, said good night