Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1909-02-04

N"t II isoSd lIleit lue
compliment d lid
not draw her to
MS side as such remarks usually did
She remained sitting in the weathered
oak rocker and looked up absently
| from her embroidery.
Was it," she inquired.
Fine" said the young man with
| tremendous enthusiasm. He did not
exactly understand why, but he felt
an impulse to be blithe and emphatic
| He felt there was something in the
| air.
I'm glad you liked it, said his
wife
The young married man coughed
ana picked up the newspaper. For five
minutes he read the advertisements
upside down, frowning. He was think.
Ing that Mabel certainly did NOT act
as usual. Perhaps she did not feel
| we'll
Have you headache?'' he asked
anXiously.
The young woman in the weathered
oak rocker gave him a brief and fleet.
| ing glance. 81 feel very well. thank
YOU" she said, politely.
On said her husband, a little
blankly. I'm glad l didn't know.
I-er-just thought I'd ask
Over the edge of the paper he sent
inquiring glances at her. He had
never noticed it before, but when she
looked down as she was doing now
| Mabels profile certainly was severe.
| Perhaps it was because he was used
| TO seeing her laugh. Now that he
thought of it she hadn't laughed all
during dinner He wondered why.
Were you alone all day??'' he asked
automatically. Were you lone
some?"
Three of the girls were here all
afternoon said his wife I'VE had
very good time. No, | was not lone
| some
Well what-has anything gone
wrong?' asked the young married
! man.
oh, dear, no." said his wife. with
| polite careessness. Why what could
go wrong?"
Il didn't know said her husband.
Il thought something might. Things
do sometimes, you know. | thought
you seemed so quiet"
Oh do q asked his wife. turning
her embroidery about.
The young married man held his
head. horrible feeling of HELPLESS.
ness was stealing ovey him. He Won
dered with a sort of chill if this was
a natural thing and to be expected.
Maybe Mabel had grown tired of him
| already. Perhaps it was the usual
thing to have ones wife grow cold
and distracted after few weeks. But
whole lifetime of it,
The young married man made
great fuss over getting cigar and
lighting it, wandering around the
room as he did so. When he passed
Mabel he touched her hair lightly as
he had way of doing, but no an
! sWering uptmned face resulted. Nav
be she did not notice it, he concluded.
for the touch was very light.
| Il saw Billy Hamlins today, he be-
gan briskly, as he sat down again.
Did you?' said his wife.
iio 'oiu me Dig piece OF news"
Went on her husband desperately
Did he?" said his wife.
See here said the young married
man hurriedly, what's the matter,
Mabel?"
Nothing is the matter" said his
wife.
Yes, there Isl" protested her hus.
band. His tone was tinged with alarm
Tell me what it isl!
Il don't see why you should think
anything is the matter" protested his
wife, raising her chin a trife
Why, you act SO odd!" insisted her
husband. mot bit like yourself! /
wish you'd tell me!'
I'm surprised said his wife with
her chin still higher that you should
even notice how | act
why, Mabel"
yes, | am! You-you've shown
| plainly enough-well, never mind,"
Now, Mabel" cried the young mar
ried man standing anxiously before
her. tell me instantly what's wrong!
What have | done?"
"You-you f-fforgot to k-k-kiss me
when you came home tonight for the
f-f-first time since we were married."
sobbed his wife, dropping the en-
broidery and hunting her handker-
chief, and nev-never once said you
still lll-loved me. ] think that's
enough"
Great gunst said the young mar
1ied man contritely and relievedly 81
/ believe did forget. What villain
/ ami"