Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-09

% -s< d<(A1isAA1AaAk O, 4OOA.s There was slieIce m une room, pro- l ken by an occasional cheerful whistle l from Ted, as another lesson book was added to the pile of those conquered for tomorrow, or by "Check, check to your sorbed players"
 "Checkmate' cried the father at last. You fought pretty well, but I've got you, missy!"
 "Never mind," she replied, "I'll have my revenge some day. I'd have it now, if it wasn't too late to play another game"
 Then the clock was given it's even ing winding, the good-nights were said and the family trooped upstairs. | And as she slowly prepared for. bed, Madge wished rebelliously that she might have read that book; that she had strength of mind or selfishness to refuse the claims made on her time by her family; that there were no six hours of teaching to dread tomorrow 'I would like to be free" she mur- mured, impatiently thinking of the words passed on the road between Anne and herself. Then her eyes soft ened as she looked at Sarah's round. flushed face on the pillow; and, bend ing, she kissed her sleeping sister, with kiss meant for all the family.
 'No, dear" she murmured, remorse- fully, .sI don't-I don't The price would be too high to pay" And so the tired bond-slave fell asleep, with her head close to the tum- bled yellow cllrls of her sister. The free woman, meanwhile, drove to her boarding house, tied her horses, ran up the steps, let herself in with the latchkey, and telephoned to the sta ble for man to come and get the cart.
 The dining room was deserted when she entered. A maid, with disap- prova1 of such irregular hours written on every line of her face, and even in aggressive stiffness of her white cap and apron, brought in Anne's supper, and Anne mischievously prolonged her eating of it to the greatest possible extent, on account of that very disap- proval.
 But all things must end, even a long drawn-out dinner; and Anne finally found herself in her room, with the evening before her. She turned over the new books on the table. They were new books, but she had read them all.
 Wish I had brought home some magazines today" she muttered. Wonder why never feel like studying any more? used to enjoy it when I was in college. Suppose ones mental powers become atrophied, like physi- cal ones, when they're not used.' She stood drumming on the window.
 ssWish I had somewhere to go, or some one to see. I'd run in to see the old lady in the next room, but she's such bore; and the two sisters are each others company; and the college girls are busy oh-hum! guess I'll go to the theater.' She took up the pa per. sOpera? no, I've heard Carmen 20 times at least.' She ran over the list of plays. They're all old; why can't they get new ones?" she grumb1ed Heres one I've not seen. I'll be too late for the first act, but that don't matter"
 She sat through the remaining four acts, although they bored her, being but indifferently played; then she called a cab and went home.
 The house was quiet, its inmates nearly all in bed. She wandered about her room, mentally reviewing her past days. A hour at the club--such non- serse as those women talked-a few calls, the drive with Madge. Its a pleasure to take Madge out; she does enjoy it so-like child-because she has so little to enjoy, I suppose" Anne sighed, without apparent cause, as she looked from her pretty room over the lighted streets. "Well, there's nothing to do but to go to bed," SUD- pose,' she said, "and I'm not sleepy yet"
 She sat or the edge of the bed and began to loosen her hair.
 II wish,' she said, with her mouth full of hairpins, 1T wish-I don't know just what do wish"
 If her longing could have been trans lated into words, the free woman might not have recognized it, or recog- nizing it, might have d1sowned it; for it would have run:
 II wish that I had something to do something I must do; something worth while. Or that there was some one who needed me and wanted me very much wish I was free from my freedom" California Honeseeker.
 HUMOROUS.