Year: 1877

Mrs. Danford went to the depot to meet
her husband when he came back from the
West. Three years ago the firm had
taken him from his desk as bookkeeper
and sent him out on collecting tours; he
had been coming and going ever since,
but his wife never could get used to it.
Before that she never left the house ex-
cept to go to church or market, but now
she went to the depot whenever he was
coming home, after even days absence,
once going to Harrisburg, when the train
was delayed there, in the middle of the
night. Her children thought their moth
er had all the good sense and even tenn
per there was in the world; but her hus-
band knew that nobody was so excitable
and weak as she. 1t was curious to see
how she could single out the stopped,
red-headed little man in his linen duster
among the thousands pouring out of the
depot, and how, though she was one OF
the timidest women alive, she would
go straight to him, as though the men
about her were SO many dead trunks OF
trees


He always explained to her how it was
impossible for her to go with him now as
she used to do on those little excursions
when they were first married.


eve haven't the money, Iizzy, and,
then, who would stay with the chill
dren?"


"Oh, yes, I know, Richard. that /
can't CO."


OF course she knew, and he knew that
she knew. But he explained it to her
every time. If he noticed that her laugh
was not steady, or that her chin was
quivering, he would go on making droll
adventures out of every little happening
of his journey, until she laughed in good
earnest and gradually the talk would
slip back to those old jaunts of theirs-the
time they went trout-fshing up to Nit
tany, or that week they spent in Balti-
more when they were snow-bound at
Havre de Grace. Elizabeth could re-
member every excuse the fat old con-
ductor made. She had travelled very
little.


"In about ten years Charley will be
in business, and L shall have made my
pile, and we will take Nelly and go to
Europe"


That was a standing joke between
them. But they seriously did hope that
the time might come when they could
afford to stay together. "The worst pull
will be over when Charley has his school
ing," Danford would say, "and then /
can save up and go into some little busi-
ness of my own. I'll never leave you
then, Lizzy."


They rode home together this evening
in the horse-cars, she carrying his over
coat while he took the valise. The ride
was long and the car crowded, for it was
raining. During the month that Dan-
ford had been gone, the family had taken
possession of q little house which was
to be their home. He had long ago
joined one of those building societies by
which, in Philadelphia, man so easily
secures his own house. Instead OF
building a new one, he had, to please
her, bought one of those old stone cot
tages on the outskirts of Germantown
its hip-roof and orchard of old apple
trees gave it picturesque dignity be-
side the staring blocks of its pretentioUs
neighbors.


Mrs. Danford, in a half-whisper, wa
talking all the way, not giving her hus-
band a chance to say word.


"And the parlor carpet-you would
be astonished to see how beautifully il
fits but wrote to you about that. And
took the shelves out of the linen closet
and made of it work-room for Charley
his books and printing-press and rub
bish, YOU know; and the room with two
windows is going to be Nelly's-"


"Babysp p Danford chuckled, know.
ing that his wife, although baby was
years old, never slept until the little
hands were nestled in her bosom.


''She must have room of her owl
soon. You will give her that one P
promise me Richard. / have papered
It myself-pale blue-and her bed is al
ready" she said, anxiously, touching
his arm.


"You can arrange il as you choose,
carelessly. "How long this ride ou