The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-04-06

n xCEPTING for Mellish and the two women
IL waiting ahead Of him at the tic ket window,
~ the lobby of the theatre deserted. 1t
IL lacked only twenty minutes to three when he
glanced impatiently at his watch.
Behind the drawn curtains Of the auditorium rippes
of laughter, scattering voleys of applause told that
the usual Saturday matinee audience getting its
usual enjoyment out of the latest popular play, still
running to full houses when other theatres had al
ready begun to close for the summer The in the
box-ofce at the telephone the irritating delber
alton of his answers being plainly audible from with
nineteenth row. No, nor for next Tuesday either.
"Wednesday, the house was practically sold out; two
large theatre parties: Thursday? He might do better
for Thursday. Hold the wire, please
1t seemed to Mellish hardly worth his while to wait
He knew from experience that it was unwise to offer
Nora tickets for the nineteenth row; she would rather
evidently shared his discouragement The younger one
was bewaing the necessity Of exchanging her tickets
for some evening next week. in place OF tonight Such
good tickets tool 1t like Harry to forget and
make an appointment with business friend. "My dear,
during business hours Harry simply doesn't remember
that exist |"
Mellisl sighed invountarly, and careworn lines
veaed themselves his thin face. He wished that he
shared the ability of this unknown Harry, the ability
domestic cares behind him when he stepped out
his threshold in the morning He wished that just
for busy harasse day he might rgf that there here
his BUSINESS Interests if No!as face did not hover 50
often between him and the letters he the sales
he made, the contracts that demanded undivided
thought-Nora with her small, red, mutinous mouth,
her aureoe of hair like spun "copper" her childke ap
peal her wide gray eyes, avdious of admiration. He
wondered vaguely whether other men, outwardly hap
PLY married. had their JOY cankered by gnawing
picions intangible doubts, nsdious microbes, that
found Judgment in the BRAIN and thrived and bred
fever of unrest.
The wife of the absent minded Harry having at last
won attention from the box Office and accepted under
protest exchange for the third in the balcony,
made way for Melish. With the spasmodc brusque-
of natural timdity he demanded the tickets she
had just surrendered and somewhat to his surprise,
obtained them. They splendid seats, nine
from the stage, the middle aisle; the sort of
that Nora always expected him get 1t was charac-
terisc of Nora always to expect the best of every
thing and usually to end by getting it. Equally char
aceristic her pretty imperiousness, which for
time had almost blinded him to her Unborn sehshness
From the theatre Mesh turned down Madison
Avenue to Twenty sxth Street, and thence westward
along the northern boundary of Madison Square, not
because it shorter way to his home but in ODE
dience to sudden, unreasoning impulse to pass the
restaurant where his wife had told him she would be
unching At this late hour it quite possible that
he had missed her; yet Nora who loved to
lnger lunch table, forgetful of the flight of
time There still chance that he might catch
glimpse of her through the windows the Fifth
Avenue side, have the luck to meet her just
coming out, in all the pride of her raiment He
knew already how extremely we'll it became her. 1t
had come home from the dressmakcrs only the night
before, and had put her in gracious mood for the
whole evening She had even donned it for his pr-