Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1904-07-09

* uneElly Oul VI tHc uOuoc,
D. " and then, nibbling at bit
&Xxxxxx of toast, she picked up the
newspaper he had tossed
to the floor and glanced hurriedly
over it.
Time had been when his remarks
about the nnbrowned omellette, odtllse,
and the muddy coffee would have dis
solved her in tears. Now she did not
give a second thought to his assertion
that they We're really less comfortable
with two servants than when they hal
begun with none.
Neither did her mind revert to the
time when her every move from the
moment he went to his Office in TIE
morning till his coming home at eve
was one grand rally against domestic
friction.
Though she had never thought Of IT,
her efforts to please him had ceased
with his failure to show appreciation.
ut seems as IL Vincent thought
things just grew as he likes them" she
had sobbed to herself one evening,
three years after their marriage. when
she had quite outdone herself on a
piece of drapery, and he had gone 10
the library without so much as an ap-
preciative s! liable.
1t had been months since she hal
studied books Of leciT es. Holding
open the newspaper, she took fugi-
tive glimpse of the births, marriages
and deaths. Another turn, and with
the keenness of long practice, her eyes
fell upon the columns ieeming with adj
yertisemehts.
She settled herself rs one does In
reading an interesting book when one
feels that the real pith of the thing is
about to transpire.
Eagerly she scanned the lines just
as she had done every morning since
they had moved into their fine new
house. nearly two years bafore.
"Ah" with unconscious fervency,
Sthey have few more of those jap
Anese teapots at ninety-eight cents, and
now can replace the beauty that Vint
brOke-on purpose, too, I'm sure. And
no, never saw anything like them at
. penny under $1.5O"
Her eyes ran, excite1ly down the COL
UMn.
"And. as I live. another slaughter in
those exquisite little Dresden cups and
saucers. must hurry to get there
before the pick of them is gone" and
v ithOut another thought in her head
Amelia Stone was hurryng out of her
pretty dining room. when the cook
Knocked and entered by the opposite
door. II had forgotten Gboat dinner"
Amelia said. with an impatient frown.
SWhat have weT'
"CAicken enough left for salad"
snake it."
sand the tomatoes that were not
tSuched I put on the Ice"
"Um, stew them to serve with sir
loin steak, which I will order to be
sent" and she turned to go.
"And the dessert, maam?"
"Oh-h," mentally floundering, swell,
! will leave that to YOU" and then she
hurried up stairs and into her trim
walking costume.
When Vincent Stone came hone that
evening there was an expression on his
strong face Of determination, though
his wife was too tagged with the ex-
element Of the day to notice it.
"If you don't say something to the
cook about spelling food l SHALL" he
said, when he had cut into steak
which, though burned to cinder on
the outside, was otherwise perfectly
raw, land, now I think of it, 1t seems
strange, Amelia, that you haven't the
slightest executive ability"
II thought you liked your steak
rare" she rejoined, absently, ignoring
the last part Of his speech. She WIS
looking admlringly over his head at A
Chinese cracker Jar on the polished
niantel. 1t was the last of the days
purchases, and she had crowded 1t in
with the bisque statuettes. the Ores
den, Chelsea, lockwood, Hungarian
ware, and Heaven only knows what
He did not trust himself to reply.
Tor the same reason he had held his
peace with the soup, which he could
taste after the dessert. Just like the
good and bad all through life; the good
touches the palate heetingly, bu. the
had makes up times over again.
He arose, but before turning to go,
said:
VI should want to talk with you If
were not so completely out of sorts"
"Say what you choose" she rejOined
eDldly, the memory Of the broken tea.
Lot ranking in her bosom.
Some new ornaments in the cabinet
behind his wife at this moment met
his gaze, and only Infatuated him the
more.
mot here, Heaven forbid! This
curiosity shop"
But just here he made a sweeping
gesture with his left hand and moved
down the little crop Of bric-abrac or
that end Of the mantel with rattling
crash
"YOu-you-" gasped Amelia, spring
ing to her feet. and for the second un
able to say more. "Ay treasures-ant
broken to bits!'
"Treeures! Trash" he disgustedly
sejOined. too angry to explain that i
was unintenti0nal.
When she had swallowed that some
thing which swelled her throat, sh,
cried, warmly:
migrate! I spend my strength, m,
life, trying to furnish our home beau
tifully, and yet within cur means, an,
this is my reward. Spent as ma:
would spend ii, how far do you <hinl
the money you'd go? kill mysel
collecting odd bits, which for an!
number Of good reasons are sacrificed!
and you break them before my face
and insult my Judgment In addition"