The Washington times., 1904-02-07

They had parted with recriminations-
as wasNtheir frequent custom. only. it
seemed to Joe tonight that the familiar
proceedings. instead OF being but every
day hnnoyances. marked a crisis. He
could scarcely realize, so worn and so
bitter was his mood. that there had
been nc. deeper cause of anger than on
most days. He did not reason that
thousand things-exhausted patience.
dyspepsia. or what not-quite as much
as any melodrama in events. NAV pre-
cipitate n crisis. He knew nothing of
cumulative force. and he felt that he
had some new and intolerable grievance
when he found that he was saying stern
~ to himself OF the old ones. I'm bear
no more I'll bear no more
The wooden cottage doomed indistinct
through the flakes that blew upon his
face and melted against it's warmth.
1t was a little building, standing back
not many feet from the street. with only
a low curb of stone separating its
sward from the sidewalk The grass
plot and the path leading to the front
door were obscured by snow; but to
Wilder's gloomy inner vision they lay
spread on i'm their Summer slovenliness
the coarse, struggling grass, the weeds
among the bricks, the parched, cracked
earth of the flower borders. the blown
papers. the baby's broken esirt-the I'M
cared for disordered look of 1t all
It's little she cares. he thought
His mother over in Wendover was not
like that Grass clipped and green.
flowers in plots as neat as the divi-
eli Of. s.I aplr
less and shining-these marked her do
main. In the five years of his divorce
from all that spotlessness he had for
gotten if it ever entailed any discom-
fort.
He had spasms Of such longing for 1t
now as sometimes made him almost
murderous. He did not know the de-
tails of his past comfort or of his pres
ent misery. The one period simply lay
rosy in the distance. harmonious. heart
warming: the other was present cheer
Iessness, desolate with the utter desc
lation of untidiness and. Indifference.
To these reflections. he stumbled
across a basket in the unlighted hall
way. At the sound a door at the end
of il opened. and a voice called queru-
lousy. as that you. Joe? Don't make a
noise. You will wake the baby"
Joe muttered something beneath his
breath and made his way to the room.
His wife sat. pretty, unkempt and pee
wish looking. in a rocking chair which
revealed its hair and wool constituents
through several rents. The supper table
stood as il had when he left home -four
hours before; the white oil cloth cover
was ringed here and there with the
yellow marks Of tea and coffee cups
here spilled sugar had combined Will
spilled water to make a candied mass
there was a dim reminder of yesterday
feast of eggs.
On the floor were snippets of thread
and cloth. testifying to the days oc
cupation. The sewing machine by the
window stood uncovered. The dust was
thick upon the narrow mantel shelf
where photographs blanched in tarnish
ed metal frames. and whore gift cup.
stood grotesquely. each I'm another
saucer, and all full 10 the brim Of odd!
and ends-spools, rattles. bills, penhold
ers, and what not. over II all the un
forgiving gas flickered.
Lucy looked at her husband and bi
her lip resentfully She could seem sui
len at times, but IL was sullenness tina
promised outbreaks-the sullenness Of al
August gale. not OF a November day
Joe glared savagely from one thing t.
another in the untidy room.
Il thought told you" he said
harshiy. ito put this-this pen Of your
to rights before came back 10
night?7
Lucy looked up with an easy smile.
You thought you had only to speak
, an the thing would be done. didn'
you?" she tainted.
In the look Joe bent upon her there
was at first mere rage. Nothing in lie.
answering stare could have softcur,
him. but some change worked indie
pendently within him, for suddenly 70
said. in a tone that had lost all anger
and was weighted with a solemn Dc
spair. NO. God help me- I didn't thlnl
that. I knew it was enough that
should want a thing TO make my wif
refuse IT, o"
He sat down heavily Lucy, for tn
moment was frightened by his gravity
but she knew no gravity save that o
rebuke, and for that she had only i'm
|; patience and gibes.
a great Iglg ABOUT you an you
wife, she Knocked him Il suppos
when you married you thought yol
had bought a slave. Well, you hadn't
I could have married better men thai
you-and / won't be buiIied. It's quee
you haven't told me about your mothe
again. You've been in the house Gv
minutes. and you've never once men
toned hen name. You amt forgettin
her are your She's perfect, you know.
Joe scarcely heard her. immersed it
some new thought that had come &
him. He did not answer, and for a sec
ond she was tempted to let her hot lit
tie heart, which ached for a kindness
make fits longing known-to put out he
hand and touch his knee. to call hin
Joey in the silly old way, to comics
that she had been working on a Goa
, for a baby to go to Wendover To- Sc
grandma, to promise all sorts of amend
ments. But apology was foreign 4
them both. Before she could make a.