Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1904-06-10
Dick looked down with kindly. hui

Dick looked down with kindly. hui
morous eyes.
"Never mind" he consoled. ANGELS
are bright still, though the brightest
fell
ooh, please don't quote Macbeth"
She got up hastily and walked to the
window. If she could only tell Dick
all about 1t. But of course she mustn't.
This sacrifice, like most of the sacri-
fees women make for men, must be
kept dark secret. The pathetic part
about it being in this case, as in most
similar cases, that the man, had he
known, would have been quick to repu-
date the sacrifice. But not knowing
1t so CHANGED that in the long days that
followed big, kind-hearted Dick had
the role of selfish brute thrust upon
him and watched the restless light take
possession of his little wife's hereto
fore happy brown eyes, without for a
moment suspecting that his supposed
sensitiveness was at the bottom of all
her bother. He Imagined as any other
sane man would have done, that she had
met with some ,discouraging rebuff that
had turned her heart against her favor
lite fad But he scarcely expected her
heart to stay turned and he certainly
did not approve of that faded air For
Helen was suffering the same sensa-
ton that induced Macbeth to COM
plain:
"Methought heard voice cry sleep
no more"
| Had not she, too, murdered her best
friend? That stanch ally that had
borne with her the brunt of so many
battles? Small wonder that she could
not sleep. Ghosts ever walk by night.
Yet she had no thought of giving over
the attempt to keep the ghost under
ground She shook her head at the
free glad thoughts that came, clamor-
ing for perpetuation and shut her eyes
against pen-pictures praying to be put
on paper. With all the might of reso-
| luton she closed her heart against the
tempting intoxication of that exquisite
self -abandonment-"T clean, strong
| joy of creating" once known Is
agony to forego. "a
But the incessant fight wearied her,
and 1t was with last flicker of her old
whimsical fun that she put up the
prayer: '" ~ t
=" with some sweet oblivious anti
dote cleanse the stuffed bosom of that
perilous stuff which weighs upon the
heart.
And presently the plot began to
thicken, for the cook took hand. Hell
en-, having found sheets and shams a
sorry substitute for studies, went in We
hemently for housekeeping, proving
about the pantry, fidgeting over closet
shelves and cleaning of cutlery, con-
cocting incredible cakes to be cried
over in private, but blamed upon cook
in public-the upshot being, that cook,
exasperated, gave notice.
1t was at this unlucky crisis that
; Dick, noting the worried wrinkles upon
the brow that was once serene and
thoughtful, put down his coffee with
the query:
Don't you think, Helen, that you
should do less fancy work and-er-
read more?"
81 can't" she replied briefly.
I Dick took prospective glance at 8
long line of ing-aloud-evenings anG
j felt that'the time had come to set aside
t delicacy of feeling and dread of intrud.
;, ing.
Y "Why can't you?" he insisted, ant
n poor, tormented Helen answered tart
S ly:
g Because I'm letting I dare not wal
t upon l would like the poor cat + tn,
n adage'!"
"Why, Helen!"
i ooh, didn't mean to be sharp. T.
: Dick laid hand on either shoulde
a and looked down steadily into he
s troubled eyes.
= do you know" he said gently, /"
n used to have a little wife that scribblet
3. out all her frets and worries, and sh
If was such jolly little wife?" He tool
1t pad of white paper from his pocket
: also fountain pen and beautiful,
d sharpened lead pencil, and laid then
e impressively side by side upon the ia
k BILE. Then he kissed her between he
bothered brown eyes and went ou
)" quickly.
Helen sank back in her chair wit
y All uncertain little laugh.
< why, he'd rather II did," Fror
l. some odd corner memory brought tn
lg line: give scotched the snake, nc
killed it" and she laughed exultingl,
K, 81 haven't even scotched it." The
le suddenly sitting up, But, o Lord Os
TX ris, whose feet are upon the crocodile
le what title that would be: "A Scotche
NJ Snake!'"
When Dick came home that evenin
6, he found flushed cheeks and roughene
hair, flying pencil and scattered sheet
I'd of manuscript; and settled himse
lg contentedly to pipe and parer murmul
Id ing tenderly: esa ftSt
,k Lay on Macduff, and damned /
him who first cries Hold, enough!"'