Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1903-04-07

rAULINE SEWALL came into
- her chamber and sat down alb
| stractedly before her dressing Ia
BILE. She had been married little
more than a month. and her first quar-
rel with her husband had taken place
not quite five minutes before. She had
left the scene of the conflict with the
proud air of victorious general with
drawing his troops but now. as she sat
down to review the battle. her heart
sank with the heavy consciousness that
she had had decidedly the worst of it.
1t was not that she had not Il glori-
Gus cause, nor could she claim that she
had been taken unawares. Pauline had
long foreseen and been prepared for
| this struggle. Her array of arguments,
| firm and invulnerable, had been drawn
I'D in line Of battle and reviewed MANY
times. Words were to be the OILY
| weapons. Tears, the exclusive and
overwhelming allies of her sex. were to
be scornfully rejected. There should
be a fair contest, in which man. tradi-
tional oppressor. serene and incredu'
lous Of defeat. should be overcome on
his own field of action and with lis
| own methods of warfare. but so cour'
teously and with so little flushing OF
arms and war of artillery that he
might scarcely know himself beaten,
and peace was to follow. immediate
and lasting.
Few campaigns, however, follow the
exact lines marked out for them. The
attack had come so sudden. That gilt
tering line of argument, so invincible
when ON parade, had fled heller ske'ter.
A horrid sense of confusion. the sharp
sting of wound. II blind skirinish
with poisoned arrows-obSolete and un'
worthy weapon-and the sight of the
enemy, man, in agony, and down goes
woman once more. vanquished by her
self.
Pauline drew q sharp breath and,
turning quickly, took up her husband Is
photograph to study it intently and
curiously. as if she had never seen 1t
before. She herself was twenty-three.
She had married man Of sixty. She
had secretly feared and adored this
man, her fathers friend, all through
her girlhood. admiring him for the abil-
ity which had brought him. typica!
self made" man. from errand boy to
owner of one Of the largest dry goods
shops in New York; plying him for his
misfortunes. the hysterical. weak mind
ed wife, who had died five years ago.
and his two sons. both weak and bad.
who had done their undra matte worst
to ruin him and his fortunes.
The story was commonplace enough
but 1t had come very close to Pauline.
who had watched the fortitude ana
strength Of her hero from day to day
for so many years.
There had been plenty Of people. ut
the announcement of Mr.. Sewali's sec
ond engagement. who had whispered
of doting old men and portionlcss girls
who married for money. but Pauline
had no Illusions as to the position OF
things. She knew very well that ne
was marrying her for nothing more
sentimental than that he wished sen
sible and agreeable companion for his
old age.
During the past month she had
watched and studied him with an In
terest greater than she had ever felt
before She had been amused and
touched by the evident relief he felt at
the orderliness and regularity OF his
household arrangements. His surprise
at the modesty of their first months
bills had been positively pathetic.
"Are these all?" he had said. tapping
the pile she had presented with per-
emptory forefinger and looking up from
under his heavy brows In his searching
way.
"Are you so anxious for more" she
had retorted. laughing, and he had
commented shortly. "Yet we have lived
very well"
Once or twice she had caught an ap'
preciative twinkle in his eye when she
had boldly and saucily stood out
against his will in some small matter.
Mr.. Sewall was in the habit Of read
ing his morning paper at the breakfast
table, habit he resumed after the
wedding journey. Pauline eyed him
askance for several mornings. saying
nothing. Then one night she brought a
book to the dinner table and read de-
murely throughout the meal. 1t seemed
ominous to her that her husband made
no sign, but toward the end Of dessert
one of her uneasy, reconnoitering
glances met a very quizzical one from
him. and that conflict was won by
laugh and blush.
There was, however, just one thing
which Pauline had known from the
first would cause trouble between her
husband and herself. She had one
brother, a weak and shambling apology
of a man, resembling sufficiently Mr.
Sewall's own two sons. but Pauline
cherished for John Cowden pityine
and unshakable affection, such as bis
mother might have felt If she had lived
His frequent appeals for money to his
father had long since been received
with indifference, but Pauline was new
er weary with sympathy and excuse
and stubbornly continued to divide with
him whatever small store Of spending
money came to her purse. though much
against the wishes of her family. Mr.
Sewall had said to her shortly before
their wedding. 81 wish you to under
stand, Pauline that. though I shall set
tie a certain amount on you every yeaI
for your own personal use. not one cent
Of my money is ever to be thrown away
on John Cowden." The girl had st1h
ened and Redeemed, opening her lips ai
if to speak and then sitting silent. She
had her own ideas on this subject, as
suring herself sturdily that mar
and his wife should have equal right Il
HOOD E4RM
| Gnropf Cure