Year: 1877

FROM ffalpcfS MohthlE


Married People.


Mrs. Dantord 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 book Keeper and
sent him out on collecting tours: he had
been coming and going ever since, but
| his wife never coud get used to it. Be
fore that she never left the house except
to 90 to church on market, but now she
went to the depot whenever he was coming
home, after even 4 days absence, once
going to Harrisburg, when the train WAS
delayed there. in the middle of the night.
Her children thought their mother had
all the good sense and even temper there
was in the world but her husband knew
| that nobody was SO eXcitable and weak
as She. 1t was curious to see how she
could single out the stopped, u-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 We're 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,


1--WE haven't the money. LiZZv, and
then, who would stay with the children ~


"Oh Yes, | know, Richard, that | can't
GO
I OF course she knew, and he knew that
she knew. But he explained il to her
every time. If he noticed that her laugh
was not steady, on that her chin was
Quiverimo, 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 .aunts OF theirs the
| time they went trout fishing up to Nit
tanN, OF that week they spent i'll Balti-
| more, when they We're snow bound at
! llayrc de Grace. Elizabeth could remcm-
| Der every excuse the fat old conductor
made She had Travelled very little


"ln about ten years Charley will be in
business, and 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 schooling"
Dantord would say. 'and then can save
up and 90 into some little business of my
own. I'll never leave you then, Lizzy."


He knew she needed nothing more than
that to make her life entirely contented.
Yet amy body looking at the two would
wonder how the insignificant, ugly little
man had brought Il woman Of SO much
finer grain than himself to love him. But
he did not know what amy body thought
of his wife or himself.


| They rode home together this evening
/ in the horsc-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 Dantorl
| had been gone, the family had taken pos
session of little house which was to be
their home. He had long ago joined one
Of those building societies by which, in
| Philadelphia Il man so easily secures his
own house. Instead of building Il new
one, he had, to please her, bought one of
| those old stone cottages ON the outskirts
OF Germantown; its hip-root and orchard
of old applc-trces gave it Il picturesque
dignity beside the staring blocks of its
pretentious neighbCrs


-hlfN. btllHoiN, IL a. NlllolCI, w tt'
| talking all the way, not giving her hus-
band a chance to say Il word. She was
an exceptionally quiet person with every
body but Richard, but with him the most
inveterate of takers.


''And the parlOr carpet-you would be
astonished to see how beautifully it fits
but | wrote to you about that And
took the shelves out of the linen closet
and made of it a work-room for Charley
his books and printing press and rub
bish, you know and the room with two
windows is to be Nellys-"


"Baby's" Danford chuckled, knowing
that his wife, although baby was toul
years old, never slept until the little
hands were nestled III her bosom.


"She must have room of her own
soon. You will give her that one >
prollise me, Richard. have prepared ii
myself-pale blue-and her bed is all
ready" she said, anXiously, touching his
arm.


4'Iou can arrange it as you choose,
carelessly. ''HOw long this ride out is Y
glancing impatiently at the dropping rain
outside.


'It is long. We might have taken the
Iol OIlNC,


''NO; we must save every penny now.
There are the bills for moving to pay
What is the matter ;" - for a sudden
change had come over his Wifes face as
she looked over his shoulder He turned
sharply, and faced tall man in an oil
skin coat, who was holding by a strap
and watching Mrs. Dantord with what
appeared at the first glance to be a look
OF keen significance. 1t instantly dead
ened out OF his face, and he turned tC
Dantord pair Of heavy black eyes as
unmeaning as the fiabby, close shaven
cheeks below them.


"Why, | thought that fellow was going
to speak to you," he said, as he helped
her ont of the car. He was used to see
ing Lizzy attract notice He always
thought of her as his middle aged wife
Charley's mother unless when people
turned to look after her as she came into
car, and then he saw how singular anG
delicate was the beauty that still hung
about her. and how fine the smile in hel
pale face.


"Whew how it pours !" he said. "SteI
up on this porch, Betty, until ] hoist the
umbrella"


Several other passengers had left the
car, and stood huddled together strug-