Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1904-09-29

what mas become Of your writine
little woman?"
oh, ! FONT know" Helen replied
hurtedly Just then she was longing
Tor her writing with all her soul. and
this abrupt entrance Of the ghost SHOOT
her Ike a second Macbeth.
Dick looked down with kindly. hu
moTOus eyes.
Never mind" he consoled. "'Angel,
are bright still though the brlghtes
oh, please don't quote Macbeth
She got up hastily and walked to the
window If she could only tell DicE
all about Il. But Of course she mustn't
This sacrifice like most of the saeri
hees women make for men. must be
kept q dark secret The pathetic par
about it being in this case. as in mos.
similar cases, that the man, had hf
known, would have been quick to repu-
date the sacrifice But not knowing
It 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 fer q
moment suspecting that his supposef
sensltiveness was at the bottom Of az
her bother He imagined, as any othei
sane man would have done, that she haC
met with some discouraging rebuff tina
had turned her heart against her favor
ite fad. But he scarcely expected he'
heart to stay turned and he certainlg
did not approve az that jaded air. For
Helen was suffering the same sensa-
tion that induced Macbeth to com
plain:
"Methought l heard a voice cry sleep
no more.
Had not she, too. murdered her bes,
friend2 That stanch ally that haf
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 perpetuaron and shut her eyes
against peu-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-abandoument-"The clean, strong
joy Of creating which once known is
agony to forego.
But the incessant fight wearied her
and &c was with a last flicker Of her old
whimsical fun that she put up The
prayer:
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, prowling
about the pantry idgedng 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
Il was al 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 aRd-er-
read more2"
Il can't, she replied briefly.
Dick took a prospective glance at Q
long line Of reading-aloud-evenings and
/ felt that the time had come to set aside
delicacy OF feeling and dread Of intrud-
ing.
"why can't you?" he insisted and
poor. tormented Helen answered tart.
/ ":
Because I'm letting | dare not wait
upon would like the poor cat / the
adageH"
"Why, Helenl"
ooh. / didn't mean to be sharp. -
Dick laid a hand on either shoulder
and looked down steadily into her
troubled eyes.
DO you know" he said gently. q
used 10 have a little wife that scrubbed
out an her frets and worries, and she
was such a jolly little wife?" He tool
pad Of white paper from his pocket
also a fountain pen and a beautifully
sharpened lead pencil and laid then
impressively side by side upon the IA.
bic Then he kissed her between hei
bothered brown eyes and went ou
| quickly.
Helen sank back in her chair will
an uncertain little laugh.
why. he'd rather I did" From
some odd corner memory brought th'
line: eve scotched the snake, no
Killed H." and she laughed exultingly
81 haven't even scotched IT," Ther
suddenly sitting M But. o Lord Osi
ris. whose feet are upon the crocodiles
what a title that would be: a ScotcheC
/ Snakei'
When Dick cane home that eveninf
he found flushed cheeks and roughenet
hair. flying percil and scattered sheeti
If manuscript: and settled himsel
coptentedIy to pipe and paper murmur
/ ing tenderly: