Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1904-02-03
DANIELS
AWAKENING
By Moude y.
.SufIiz,on


y
Though two women had called him
Husband" Daniel Newcomb had never
been In love. His first marriage, with
cousin. had been to satisfy the terms of
his grandfathers will, and the second
union was simply one of convenience.
Daniel Newcomb, widower. had need
ed housekeeper, and Betty Blondale,
an orphan. too old to seek the shelter
of an institution and too trustful TO be
thrown on the world, had needed a
home. 1t had resulted as such mar
riages usually enthusiastically for the
woman.
Daniel was satisfied with Betty. She
was pretty and economical, and she
made him comfortable, but Betty had
grown to love her stolid husband with
all the ardor Of young and grateful
heart. Would he ever really care for
her? Could anything make her appear
lovely in his sight? She was asking
herself these questions as she stood in
Mrs. Yardwell's millinery shop survey
ing the mass of lace and flowers that
rested on her sunny head.
81 tell you what. Mis- Newcomb,"
said Mrs. Yardwell, ready to close
bargain. If Daniel don't like 1t or he
thinks 1t too high priced I'll agree to
change 1t. Most all my hats are sold
with that understanding. Husbands
have to be pleased nowadays"
"'Tisn't the price. Daniels real lib
eral. I'll take it." answered Betty rerv-
ously as she opened her purse. There
was wistful look in her hazel eyes as
she asked. did you know Mary Ellen,
Daniels first wife?'
From the time she was a baby"
"Would she have worn a hat like
thisy"
Land, no! Them buttercups wouldn't
"a looked well agin Mary Ellen's red
face. to say nothin' Of the peoples. I'd
as soon looked fer tossels on a clothes
line as fer posies on Mary Ellen. Even
IL she'd been inclined to wear 'em. she'd
have faltered at the cost. She was ex-
tremely prudent"
$50 Daniel says" murmured Betty
as she left the shop. Her precious
head gear deposited carefully in the
wagon. she unhitched her horse and
started 1t toward the Trim farmhouse
by the river. Mrs. Yardwell watched
her until her slender figure faded from
sight. Then she went into her work
room.
"Sereny." she said to her helper,
Daniel Newcomb's new wife is a real
takin' little thing, as sweet an pretty
as t'other was humbly an stingy. I'm
! afraid from what she said that Daniel
Is Mary Ellenin' her to death. Poor
little thing, do hope she is happy"
But Betty was not happy. Many
| times since her marriage had she look
ed with tear filed eyes toward the lit
| tie burial plot beneath the evergreens
and prayed that she might fill the
place in her husbands heart formerly
occupied by the woman sleeping there.
Her husbands approval of her was
gagged by the way her actions tailed
with Mary Ellen's.
Daniel was not displeased. but the
difference in the women was so strik.
ing that more than once he was quite
unconscious of an uttered comparison.
The first wife. model housewife. had
faculty of making people feel uncom-
Portable in her presence. Betty's
household duties might be performed a
trife less religiously, the dust might
sometimes settle upon the parlor fur
niture, but the sunlight crept there
too, and her very nature radiated com
patibility.
On one occasion the usual COMPARE
son remained unexpressed Betty had
called her husband into the brightly
lighted parlor and pointed proudly to
the old sofa piled high with pillows
covered with chintz and denims. She
had found some unused feather beds
in the attic and in them had seen tho
possibilities of coy corner such as
she had often admired in the shop
windows Before Daniel could utter
the customary Mary Ellen wouldn't
have done that" she invited him to
test its comfort, and, lulled by the
luxurious softness, the remark was
lost in a doze. Thereafter it was his
favorite retreat and one not forbidden
him. Shade of Mary Ellen! How was
Betty to know that the unused feather
beds and the darkened parlor were the
pride of her predecessors heart?
1t was with many misgivings that
she called Daniels attention TO her
new hat. There was no mistaking the
disapproval in his countenance.
"You-going -to-wear- thatT" he
gasped.
why, yes. Don't you like it, Dan.
iel?" Betty perched it bewitchingly OH
her head
ITS pretty enough. But how Bose
red flowers will look agin the Grape
band on my hat! vowed I'd show all
respect TO Mary Ellen. and that band
can't come Off in less than year
Amt you got no respect for appear
ances? Red peoples agin black Grape!
oh. BETTY. can't you understand how
fcei?" One look Ut The bright head and
the nodding flowers. and Daniel dashed