The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1904-07-27

pot ranking in her bosom.
Some new ornaments in the cabinet
behind his wife at this moment met
his gaze, and only infuriated him the
more.
mot here, Heaven forbid! This
curiosity shop"
But lust here he made sweeping
gesture with his left hand and moved
| down the little crop of brlc-a-brac on
| that end of the mantel with a rafting
] crash.
"You-you-" gasped Amelia, spring
ing to her feet, and for the second un-
able to say more. MY treasures-and
| broken to bits!'
Treasures! Trashr' he disgustedly
rejoined, too angry to explain that it
was unintentional.
When she had swallowed that some
thing which swelled her throat, she
cried. warmly:
migrate! l spend my strength, my
life. trying to furnish our home beau
tifully, and yet within our means, and
this is my reward. Spent ms man
would spend 1t. how far do you think
the money would go? 1 kill myself
collecting odd bits, which for any
number of good reasons are sacrificed,
and you break them before my face,
and insult my judgment in addition"
In the old time he would have taken
her in his arms and told her he did not
mean to hurt her feelings. at which she
would have shed a few tears. and the
kiss of peace would have been ex-
changed
Instead. he burst forth, witheringly:
Judgment A woman talk Of judg-
ment. and then cram her house with
the rankest of limitations? l tell you,
nine out of every ten men would con-
slider your mind unbalanced. l have
not been able TO stir for months in this
house without q hysterlcal warning
from you about fragile trash, through
which even a cat would hesitate TO
pick her way. and l am tired Of it
mighty tired"
What had been a mere chill set
tied into unmistakable frigidity, and
Amelia, with the air of martyr,
studied the advertisements with in
creased zeal. Every single broken
piece she was bound to replace.
Vincent even ceased to find fault,
having apparently lost all interest.
Bitter thoughts of him We're in her
mind, for she did not doubt that every
spark of the love he had felt for her
had died out. She was schooling her
self not to care, because it was not her
fault and thinking how horrible 1t
would be IL her friends discovered the
change. Suppose they sympathized?
Ugh!
In two weeks Amelia had taken
enough from her allowance to replace
every broken article. She had no more
available space, having already stored
surplus bargains in cardboard boxes
in the store room.
Th newspaper now had no especial
interest for her, and she smiled in a
satisfied way rs the advertisements
met her idle gaze. She looked at the
replenished mantel and sighed, Won
derlng why she did not feel perfectly
content.
Her husband continued his icy polite
ness. She told herself that she was
cruelty misunderstood, and, though she
felt strange and dissatisfied she never
thought Of attributing it to his atti-
tude.
In the end she consulted her physi.
clan. He advised a change. Amelia
went home and thought. Then it all
came to her.
'Yes. I do need a change. I need
Vint's love. And to think l was ready
J to hate him because he objected to be,
, ing slave-to my-yes, yes. trash"
Tears were in her eyes and she stood
, helplessly, not knowing what to dc
, first. That was the moment for him tc
J have returned.
/ At last she bethought her Of a favor
ite dish Of his, and hurried down to the
5 kitchen.
a Then she got out her prettiest gown
: wondering why she had worn it 81
a seldom of late, and blushlng as she re
membered it was his favorite color.
,. AS finishing touch. she was placin,
S his smoking jacket and slippers befor,
d the library crate in anticipation of hi
e after dinner cigar, when out of tn
d pocket fiuttered pcper.
e AS she picked II up 1t unfolded. an,
the first words at the top OF It wer
}, "Your wifew
In the right hand corner was a figur
] two. 1t was evidently the second pag
of letter. She hesltated for INC
!. meHt, but curiosity was too strong.