The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1903-11-21
AGATHA GLAIR'S Thanksgiving
BY HOPE DARING


CO wO weeks from tomorrow is
Thanksgiving. Let % 90 to orIey
u to spend it" Go to Orley! Why,
Agatha, you must be crazyP' Agatha
Clair pushed back her unfinished cup of
coffee, a decided frown on her smooth
white forehead. Indeed. Eugene" there
waa a note Of irritation in her voice, Il
fail to see why q woman should be pro-
bounced crazy because she expresses 4
desire to visit her home, after an alb
senee Of q year and a half" Home
be echoed the word a little reproachfully,
his eyes wandering around the neat din
ing rom This is home, Agatha The
first real ons We have either Of Us bad
for years"
The color deepened on the wife's
cheeks. Her husbands words were true,
her girihOOd's home, with an uncle in q
distant city, had not been a happy one
This uncle had been too proud to lot his
sisters child earn her bread, and as there
had been more pride than love or money
In the home Agatha had realized the
bitterness Of the bread Of dependence.
Tie coy farmhouse, shared with the
quiet man who had won her love, had
seemed a haven Of peace. Used all her
life to the hustle Of a city and to 4 home
crowded with gay young life. Agatha be-
gan, after . time. to long for change
Just now q letter from her cousins, tell
ing Of concerts. lectures and parties,
made the uneventful winter stretching
before her look very dreary.
She sat toying with her spoon until
her husband had finished his breakfast
Then she looked up. a coaxing light in
her soft gray eyes.
why can't We go. Eugener
Can't afford H." he replied a little
ungraciously, for her persistence annoyed
him. besides the railroad fare, there
be a lot Of new clothes wanted and"
Clothes Agatha was angry now.
Really. didn't suppose you knew that
a woman ever had to have clothes. I've
seen nothing since l was your wife to
show any such knowledge on your part.
I'm tired Of this scrimping and saving
and stagnating."
There was a pause. Husband and
wife confronted each other. both with
flushed faces and hurried breath.
And I'm" he began holly. Then,
moved by some memory, he stopped. A
moment later he cried ont. "Oh. Agatha,
/ never dreamed that you felt that way!
1t cost so much for Us to starr and the
crops have been poor. | thought you IN
derstood," and breaking OF abruptly, he
strobe out through the kitchen on his
way to the barn
As the heroine Of 4 nineteenth century
story, Agatha should have sat down and
burst into tears. But there was little Of
the heroic about her. She was only an
ordinary woman whose temper was
aroused. although not to such an extent
that she could entirely forget the unusual
chord Of pain in her husbands voice.
However, she went about her work set
ting down her pretty china with an I'M
necessary amount Of energy and saying
TO herself, Il think II downright mean
In Eugene. / wonder how | shall ever
endure this long. lonesome winter. No
place to 90 and no one 10 See" The mat
ter was not referred TO again. But there
was a cloud between husband and wife
the first since their wedding day.
The third day sitter the scene at the
breakfast table a neighbor. Mrs. Ferris,
called and asked Agatha to accompany
her to a nesting Of the Sewing Society.
The young wife eagerly accepted the In
Vitation. II would enable her to forget,
for a little time at least.
Agatha went rapidly about her toilet.
Her guest wss stated In the dining room,
and By leaving the door open CONVERSE
tion could be carried on during the hair
brushing and the dress changing.
Where are you going to spend
ThanksgiyinET Mrs. Ferris asked,
while she studied the arrangement Of the
violst-strewn silk0lene drape on the shelf
near her. secretly wondering II she could
not initiate II.
"ThGnkssivIng." Agatha repeated with