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

refuge. 1t was half humiliating and
half a relief to tell and half painful
and half amusing to hear Edith's ex.
cited comments and exclamatiOns.
81 never heard such thing! The
old brute! Truly. Pauline, isn't 1t aw.
full? But you were nasty. What an
abominable thing to say to the poor old
dear! Pauline, how could you?
81 don't blame him bit. But how
do you get along? Not single cent"
Edith went Off into fits Of laughter,
and Pauline could not help Joining in
hysterical sort Of way.
"No matter" went on Edith impul-
sively, giving Pauline sudden and
somewhat upsetting embrace. "I'll give
you half my allowance every month, or
third. No, won't either. You can
get hats and dresses and things, and
I'll pay you for them. All the girls
will. You can set up regular shop
1t will be great sport"
Pauline listened, with a smile. She
suddenly felt very old, very married"
| She knew Edith did not mean hun
dredth part of what she said, but these
were suggestions, some Of which had
come to her already, by which she
could easily gain ready money without
much likelihood Of her husbands ever
discovering it. She had put them aside.
however, without struggle. She had
begun to look upon this thing as a des-
perate sort of game in which she was
determined, whatever might be the out
come to use no unfair means, to toler-
| ate no assistance.
She went by Edith's invitation to
"The Geisha." But she did not go
| about much with the women Of her ac-
Quaintance. She had always the dread
Of exposing her lack Of money. She
never went to church without her hus-
| band for very craven fear Of the godly
man who carries the contribution box.
Most CALLING Of all. she felt the necessi-
| ty of refusing all help to her miserable
| brother.
The spring was coming on fast now,
and the Hudson across the wide River
side drive, on which the Sewalls' house
| fronted, lay crisp and blue under the
keen April wind. Pauline had been
! married almost year, and there was
not wretched waif in the city who
| had not felt money in her fingers more
lately than the girl who had "baggcd
millionaire" Josiah Sewall came
home early from the city on several Of
these delicious days and begged for a
seat with his wife when she went to
drive.
Sometimes in the morning he would
himself order the carriage and ask Pau.
line to drive with him down through
the city. The park was lovely with
fresh green grass and the yellow bios
SONS Of the forsythia.
One night at this time he was look
ing over report from charitable So
ciety which Pauline had Joined In ac-
cordance with his wish. II see by
this" he said suddenly, that there
was q call for extra contributions to
pay for readers to the sick poor. Your
name is not among those who respond
ed" he continued. rather sternly. 81
don't like to have you niggardly In
Such matters" Josiah Sewall was
strongly phlanthrOpic, and his dis.
pleasure made him for an instant for
get II offered instead to read once a
week myself" said his wife briefly.
and, looking up with rather flushed
| face, she surprised suddenly the old
twinkle Of the eye which was the only
sign of amusement he ever showed.
1t was about week after this when
| one morning Pauline went In to town
with her husband on the elevated
They were to decide upon some house
hold furnishings at shop far down In
the city. 1t was not the first time they
had done this. Mr.. Sewall always put
his wife on her return train. buying
her ticket and gravely saying Good
BY" as II she were child. But on this
particular day some hurry Of business
occupied his mind, and when they had
| finished their errand he shook hands
abstractedly at the door Of the shop
and hastened Off down the street Pau
line stood still. staring after him. After
all, in spite Of having been without
penny for all these months. she had
never before felt any real physical dep
rivation from 1t.
It was II o'clock, and she was FIVE
miles from home-fve miles Of city
streets. crowded and bustlirg, on Ian
guild spring day. when ordinary exist
ence becomes an effort. Pauline felt
an impulse to run after her husband.
but second thought forbade anything
Do humiliating. She knew plenty of
shops where she would once have ex-
planned that she had lost or forgotten
her purse, but this, too, she would not
do. She would accept no money from
| stranger while that Of her husband
was withheld. She could walk mile
| to Sewall & Co.'S big shop and tele-
phone for the brougham, but she feared
encountering Josiah himself. So at last
she trudged Off determinedly on the