The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1905-01-14


Douglas said. 1--WE wanted you to
promise TO spend Christmas Day with
as The town folks are going to give
lance, and it will be rest to you
both; make you feel like children
again.
Nays eyes frightened. sHow
lovely r. she cried. Then the smile
died from her lips. 1--WE can come
10 dinner, but neither of us have any
thing suitable to wear to the party, =
she continued.
It is not too late to get something, !"
Mr.. Douglas said, roughly.
Mrs. Douglas pulled his sleeve
timidly. She was nervous, and did
not believe in coming between hus-
band and wife. Toher mind, awife's
first duty was to obey, and if obeying
good, kind, faulty George Douglas
was an easy task, she did not realize
that with others it might be different.
Tom rose to the defense at once.
did not intend tohe dictated to by
| any man especially one whom he
could buy and sell dozen times over.
1--WE cannot get over to dinner,
May, and you know it." he said.
"All the men viii be off, and Ican-
not leave the place" +"
None of them had expected this,
but since it came the three looked to
Tom for an invitation to have the old
folks come there. He did not give it,
however and Mr.. and Mrs. Douglas
said good bye in strained fashion.
May did not say word after they
had left. She went about her work
as though nothing out of the ordinary
had happened. Tom glanced at her
curiously from the corners of his eyes.
"She will make good wife, yet.
All she needsis proper training, he
thought.
He did not notice the tagging steps,
nor did he see the trembling little
hands as she patted the butter. Her
knuckles were swollen twice their
natural size and ached so she cried
when she put them in water.
Christmas morning dawned bright
and clear. Tom was up at daylight
for he had fourteen cows to milk. He
had no time to look at his sleeping
wife. She was lying on her arm, her
face half covered by the sheet. Her
golden curls were scattered over the
pillow. The alarm clock went off at
Eve, but she slept on. Tom came in
at eight o'clock hungry and tired.
No breakfast was on the table, no
kitchen fire lit even.
"She' getting more worthless every
day." he egrowled, making the fire.
Going to the stairs he called loudly.
MAY, oh May, why don't you get
a man some breakfast. Do yon think
I'm asteam engine? I can't turn cook,
too"
Receiving no answer, he hurried
up stairs. There on the table he
found this note:
''Deay Toni have gone home to
dinner, and am going to stay for the
dance. Papa had my old dressmaker
fsy me up pretty dress. I am sor-
ry you cannot come, too. Isaw Bet
ty Horner yesterday, and she will
come over to cook your dinner. I've
made arrangement with her to come
and live with us, and,,we will run reg
ular creamery, if you say so. We
will pay her twenty dollars month,
and she will take entire charge.
This will give me so much more time
and / really must replenish my
wardrobe. Your Loving Wife"
Tom whistled. "She's brick p
he exclaimed. Then he laughed
heartily.
He went to the dance too. He came
Upon the scene in time to see Jack
Barton, the young doctor who had re-
Gently settled in the village, waltzing
with his wife. She was smiling at
him, too, just as she had the first time
she had spoken to him. A sudden
longing to be back in the postoflce
again almost overpowered him. To
see the roguish laugh in Mays eyes
again He hated the doctor and
could have choked him with good
will. He took no notice of the re-
marks made on his clothes, but he
mentally vowed to buy a new suit
within week. Then a thought struck
him. He laughed again. He was so
happy, he did not care who saw it.
When the waltz was done he went
over to May, who greeted him pleas
antly.
''Im' so glad you came, dear, +" she
said. She noticed something in his
eyes she had never seen before, and
she, too, grew strangely happy.
lust then Doctor Barton came up:
MAY / have the next one" he ask
ed her;
"No, thank you, for my husband
is here now, and will dance with
him." she replied.
IT cannot dance with boots on,
Tom answered, "but we can sit them
out"
Doctor Barton, he continued, Il
want your advice. Don't you think
| Mrs. Davis needs change. I've
concluded she has had too much
farming, and so we're going down
| to the city for six or eight weeks. "
"a good idea," the doctor replied
dryly. "And don't forget the con-
cert halls. -
Two days later Tom gave his wife
two hundred dollars.
"It's for some dresses; it's my
Christmas present"
She thanked him and SMILED at him
! just as she used to do.
He took her in his arms then, and
she cried her heartache away.
1--WE will take our wedding trip
now, won't we, pet 7" he said, call
ing her by her fathers name for her.
''But the farm and cows :" she