The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1903-01-22

she pushed him gently into a chair, sat
OH his knee, laced her arms round his neck
and laid her cheek against his. He re-
ceived her attentions with the complacent
calm of a two-year husband who loves his
wife, the complacent calm that is so emf
nently provoking and unsatisfactory to
wives of June's temperament.
'Tom," she says, ceasing to embrace
him, and laying her head against the
back of his chair, while an involuntary
mist comes across her brown eyes, TON,
l don't feel happy"
Tom heaves a deep, deep sigh.
mo, my dear" he replies. 81 don't
see how any one can be happy in this
sitting hole
But this answer is by no means what
June desires, or what she has wished to
lead up to.
1T isn't that" she says, feeling much
depressed. II like London, and should
enjoy myself amazingly if l didn't see
that you are not happy"
Tom heaves a still deeper sigh.
Il must bear it as best l can," he ut
ters, in a doleful tone.
1T makes me feel selfish" says June,
''to think 1 have dragged you here and
that you are so wretched." Secretly she
thinks he is little bit selfish not to try
to seem happier. 1T takes away all my
enjoyment"
Thereupon Tom kisses her kindly.
"Never mind, dear" he remarks. 81
must manage as best l can. And, bright
ening, Il shall run down and see the boy
for couple of days shortly"
"My darling! cries June; "do, do let us
have him up here! Do get over your
ridiculous ideas about London hurting
him, and then we should all be quite hap
by. There was time,' jealousy, ''when
| could make you happy, but now it seems
| am not enough"
Don't. say that, childr' exclaims Tom,
giving her slim waist squeeze. "Why,
you surely wouldn't have me not love our
boy?"
mot more than me-" says June, rebel
liously.
mo fear" he answers, heartily. But
it's a different sort of feeling Why"
with an accent Of. reproach which June
feels keenly, do you think that if you
had him in your arms all day, and had
hardly even kiss or a look for me,
should feel bit jealous? Why, | should
know it was the right and natural thing"
Tom is not the least aware that he is
planting a dagger in his wife's heart. She
does love her child dearly, but he cannot
be all in all to her. She can spare his
presence a great deal better than she can
Toms; he would be an utterly inadequate
consolation to her if anything happened
to her husband.
"As it," she pleads, there were not
hundreds and thousands of healthy chill
dren in London, and here it is so airy
and nice"
"Airyw echoes Tom; "why, feel fit to
be stihed myself; and think how much
more his tender lungs would suffer-
THAT is mere prejudice" answers June,
a trifle shortly
"But, my DEAR" says Tom, ''only think
how well the little chap is at home, and
how rosy he looks. And there is Agnes
always looking after him."
June vacates her position on Toms knee
and walks to the window, on which she
drums with her fingers. An angry swell
ing rises in her throat; it is a full minute
before she can speak.
II do not know what business it is Of
Agnes" she observes, presently. And,
as she has never had any experience with
children, her looking after him can hard
ly be of much value"
IL think that is rather ungrateful of
you,' says Tom, with more warmth than
is usual to him, especially when address
ing his wife.
This was too much for June. She filings
herself into chair and gives vent to
passion of sobs and tears. For a wonder,
Tom does not fly at once to stanch her
tears, but sits looking shade sulky and
perturbed. This, naturally makes June
worse.
81 wish we had never come to London
at allr' she sobs.
Tom echoes that wish most sincerely
He. however, has the wisdom to remain
silent. But silence is always exasperat-
ing to vexed woman.
LET us give up the house and go back
homer sobs her ladyship, who is in a
considerable temper. IF am only to be
made miserable here, l wish had never
Gomez
He does not speak, and June's wrath
increases. She pulls her handkerchief
from her face. and, looking at him with
eyes flashing through her tears, she cries:
1.-THE child is as much mine as yours!-
much more mine! What right have you
to separate him from me or to decide
what he shall do or not do?'
This is the first time that Tom has ever
seen June in passion; he is a good deal
shocked and little frightened
He rises from his chair and comes to-
ward her. But she starts up to evade him
and cries:
"Do not come near me! do not touch
me! You do not love me! Oh, my dar-
ling mother! If you were only alive nowr'
And June, having worked herself up
into a paroxysm of anguish filings herself