The Madisonian., December 23, 1913, Image 11

About The Madisonian. (Richmond, Ky.) 1913-1914

Image provided by: University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY

                
SJV " C2 ' ILLUSTRATED y M.G.KETTNER
not forbidden
she had
him, but it
T7ATERBY remarked to his wife: "I'm still For had she not forbidden
-Z&!2vremnter1 hv thaf sftf n'f "Prv T' saw it in him tn hnv a ff.w hnnkft fnr
ci n itxnsa - - - w- j.
A(a4the window today, marked down to fifteen himself ? Well, no,
vsCv "r: :j nr txr-xt
l icai &cuu avxijs. vvcucruv,
Pmnh'nn if cfVmrJ f r hirr
believe I'll have to get it"$ 5wt& firmly opposed to the purchase M
fou, Alfred," she said. "You have of Poe. Mr. Waterby won- X.
dered if it were possible .thatrT77
I know I have, my dear, but I haven't any set of Poe; he was iust beeinnine: to VJ vl
cn vi uiaio vvuai a uit vvcuiuiig iui a iung uiuvt u9 jvuuw ma vvub vvao ouvs l IZjL
eHifinn T wa; fellintr vnn nhnnt is Vv.antifii11v crrSttfin tin." selfish wnman at hfir-? AAiiSC!
Oh, I wouldn't buy it, Alfred," she repeated, and she complacent and good- 5bfS?J'W
&"Yes-I
2? I wouldn't if I were you
so many books now
there was a note of pleading earnestness
"It's so much money to spend for
a few books." -
"Well, I know, but" and
then he paused for the lack
of words to express his
mortified surprise.
Mr. Waterby had
tried to be an indul
gent husband. He
took a selfish pleas
ure in giving, and
found it more blessed
than receiving.
Every salary day h
turned to Mrs,
Mil
uImw fv m iav it
: mimmnrj t
I l 1 II ml HI I 1,1 1.1 U"
fe ... -V
i rl ifi'
zzzXZ- i. i t un wvalS5i!rtii LKn ru r'v?
having her own v way ? Wouldn't yggf0 r ggf
she prove to be an entirely different sort of V foo
woman if he should do as many husbands doiv spenj
his income on clubs and cigars and private amusements,
and give her the pickings of small change? j
Nothing in Mr. Waterbv's experience as a married
man had so wrenched his sensibilities and disturbed his
faith as Mrs. Waterby's objection to the purchase of a set
of Poe, There was but one way to account for it She
wanted all the money for herself or else she wanted him
to put it into the bank so that she could come into it-after
he but this was too monstrous.
However, Mrs. Waterby's conduct helped to giye
strength to Mr. Waterby's meanest suspicions.
Two or three days after the first conversation she
asked
and
He hoped to hear
her say : " Well, why
aon t you go ana
it? I'm sure that you
want it, and I'd like to -fr.
see you buy something
for yourself once in
a while."
But she merely
said: "That's right;
jion't buy it," and he
was utterly unhappy,
for he realized that he
Waterby a iied
sum for household
expenses. He added
to this an allowance
for her spending
money. He set aside
a small amount for
his personal expenses
and deposited the .
remainder in the
bank. He flattered
himself that he
onnrnvtmo
model husband. JW
Mr. Waterby had no costly sSI
habits and no prevailing appetite for anvthin
expensive. Like every other man, he had (one or two had married a woman
hobbies, and one of his particular hobbies was Edgar who did not love him
Allan Poe. He-believed that Poe, of all American writers, and who simply desired
was the one unmistakable " genius.rpfev to use him as a pack-
The word "genius" has been bandied faround the "horse for all household
countryuntil it has come to be applied to a long-haired burdens,
man out of work or a stout lady who writes poetry. In As" soon as Mr.
the case of Poe, Mr. Waterby maintained that "genius" Waterby had learned
:meant one who was not governed by the common mental the horrible truth about
processes, but "who spoke from inspiration, his mind in- his Wife he beeran to
-voluntarily taking superhuman flight into the realm of recall little episodes dating-
pure imagination or something of that sort At any years, and now he pieced them to-
rate, Mr. Waterby liked Poe, and he wanted a set of Poe. gether to convince himself thatJiNe
He allowed himself not more than one luxury a year and he was a deeply wronged person. ipcSg
uu .LXAdt uua yccur uic luxury snouia rje a set &mau at. tne time ana almost tg&Q
of Poe. Jc0!fjA " CS"iSfJ unnoticed, they were now accumulating jL to- prove that
Therefore, imagmejpie hurt to his feelings when his Mrs.' Waterby had no real anxiety for her husband's
wife objected to his expending fifteen dollars for that which happiness. .Also, Mr. Waterby began rto observe her
he coveted aboveanything else in the world. . closely, and he beHeved that; he found new evidences of
.b nc wciio -)nis woTK tnat aay ne rejected on her unworthiness. For one thing, while he was in gloom
Ciwy: Mrs. yvaterby's conduct' Did she over his discovery and harassed by doubts of what the
nofhave her allowance of ' spend- future might' reveal ' to liim,- she was ? content and even-
Wt:-Ww t cver 11110 tempcrca i ,
yr ' , Jl jyJ fauit with her extravagance? - The holiday: season approached and Mr.' Waterbv
jfjfr- in asking that he be allowed to permit him to spend a little money on himself he would
- spend this small sum for that not buy the customary Christmas present for her.
and had it all ready for her, as he pictured to himself her
Jhumiliation andsurprise at discovering that he had some
spirit after all and a considerable say-so whenever money
was involved. . '
: Unfortunately for his plan, she did not ask for any
extra spending money and so he had to rely on the other
mode of punishment He would withhold the expected
Christmas present- In order that she might y fully under
stand his purpose, he would give presents tp both ot
the children. '
.It was a harsh measurehe admitted, but perhaps it
would teach her to havesome consideration for the
wishes of others.J
" It must be said that Mr. Waterby was not wholly
proud of his revenge- when he- arose , on Christmas
morning. He felt that he had. -accomplished his pur
pose and he told himself that his -motives, had been
good and pure, but still he. was not satisfied .with
himself.
He went to the dining room, and there on the table
in front of his. plate was a long paper box containing ten
"books each marked "Poe." It was the editiorr he had
coveted.
"What's this?" he asked, winking slowly, for his
mind could not grasp in one moment the fact of his awful
shame. ; '
"I should think yoii ought to know, Alfred," said Mrs.
Waterby, flushed "and giggling like a school girl. a2SV
"Oh, it wasjrou" -.VCv' Mg-J0 .
My goodness, you'vehad me so frightened. That
day when you spotfe of buying . them
andItold younot to, I was just
jV- uretnat you suspected
isomething. I bought
fS them a week before
: x ou aian z Duy mac sec ouroe. aia you Aiirea r 44
inu,iuiuii i-uuy it, iicduiwcicu, cuiuiy , AU.rXfraa first
with as mucn nauteuras possiwef V
ill III "V l II N 'is f ill I'fl I X .!: T :IV
Yes yes," said
Mr. Waterby, feeling
the salt water in his
eytN At. that moment
,he had the soul of
a wretch being
' whipped at the stake.
yas determined
no
Jhot:tosk you for any
own oresents " Mrs:
ilWby continued.
mrM -Do you know I had to
save tor you and the
children out of mv
-egular allowance.
Why, last week I
ly starved you and
you never noticed it
italLI was afraid vou would."
'No, I didn't notice it"
?aid Mr. Waterby brokenly, for he
was confused and giddy. This
-"self-sacrificing angel and he had
Christmas present for her J '
.7;.;.i
which would give him many hours Selfishness
L . of ' pleasure and ' which would he said.
belong to Mrs. Waterby as much K ' Furthermore, he
to him?
He told himself that many a
usband would- have; bought the
' books without consulting his w
hvife. , But hfc (WaterbvV had
deferred to his wife in all matters
touching family finances, and
: Jie said to nimseii, witn. a
; tincture of bittciiness in
his ' thoughts, thait prob
ablyhe had put him
self into, the ; attitude
NJ ; of a mere depen-
dent
is a game
17
mm i
at which two can play,'
determined that if she asked him
Christmas he would say: " Tm
sorry, my dear, but I can't
spare any. I am so hard up
that I can't even afford to buy
a few books that I've been
wanting a long time. Poh't
you remember that you told
me that J couldn't, afford to
buy that st of Poe?" 1
Could anything be more
uiuiij c w oorcasm or more
crushing as to logic?
'ffZViz .rehearsed.,, this' 'speech
1 . t- Ifl
It .wa. a fearful situation, and he lied his way
out of itibAs-
' How did you like your present?" he asked.
-"Why, I haven't seen it yet," she responded, look
ing across at him in surprise. . , ..
fWYou haven't? I toldjthemjoend it up yesteday.,
: Si The children were shouting-andlaughins" over their
gifts in: the nalroojdjilt it his duty to Uzjot
their sake.
"Well, don't tell me
what it is," interrupted
Mrs; Waterby. " Wait
until it comes." i
"I'll go after it
; He. did go after it
although he had to ,
drag a jeweler away
xrom ms nomc on ;
Christmas Day and ;
have him open his y 1
great safe. The rihgj
which he selected wai
beyond his means, it
is true, but when a'
man has to buy, back
his self-respect the
price us never too high.
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