The Wife's Lesson

Pretty little Mrs. Ainsworth was in tears- pretty little Mrs. Ainsworth was in the habit of being in tears; it was one of her especial weaknesses and irritated her husband as nothing else could do. "Eternally snufting and blubbering, he had saidl savagely. as he grabbed bis lat and went out the front door with a rush and bang "O dear! dear! How co- uld he be so cru- el?" moaned Mrs. Ainsworth, cryino- the barder. "To go and leave me like this- and all beeause I wanted- twenty dollars for a new pair of curtains that we needed badly- and then to grow so angry; he's a be- ar'. Oh! why did 1 ever m'arry hitn? I might have known- mamma said he was stubborn and had a temper. Oh dear! dear! dear!" And lower sank her head in the sofa eushions and the little clock on the mantel ticked the hours away until Mrs. Ainsworth raised her head with a start of surprise. "Twelve o'clock!" she exolaimed. "I wonder why Ned isn't here? What can keep him in the office so late at nicht? Hark! What is that?" It was the sound of feet upon the pavement, followed by a sudden, sharp rinar of the door-bell. Mrs. Ainsworth hastily smoothed lier hair and ran down-stairs and opened the door, starting; back with a cry of terror at the objects that presented themselves There, in charge of two burly policemcn, was Ned, his clothes eovered with mud, his face with blood, and his wild eyes and lolling attitude betraying all too plainly bis deplorable, disgraceful condition. One of the policemen touched his hat respectively to the stricken young wife. ':If you please, naa'am, it's nothing serious. The boys at the store made u night of it and wound up with a row. The cut on his head is not dangc rous and by morning he'll be all right." " 'By morning he'll be all right,1 Oh! no, no!" thought Mrs. Ainsworth "He is minad- he will never stop now. I know his disposition, and I -O God! pityme! I helped to drive him to it." "Assist him up-stairs, please," she said "and then you can go," and she wor'ered how she eould speakso ly and follow tbem o calmly vvhen her heart was breaking. Strong aruis laid him down upon the pvetty lounge, and then the two policemen departed and the wife was alone with lier sorrovv and shame. She wiped the blood irom lus forehead, smoothed baek the wavy, silken hair, and knelt by his side and prayed. ilHelp me; help me to be strong, O God! and to keep him f rom temptations," was theceaselesspraycrthrough the long honrs of the night. At last he stirred uneasily, and suddenly starled up to a sitting posture. 'Helio, Nannie! is it you? And are you through cryiug? Where are the boys and"- with a look of fear crossing his face, in his now awakeningfaculties -"where the miscliief is that money?" Feeling nervously in his pockets. "What money, Ned?" inquired hi3 wife, a new dread coming upon her. "Why the monev I had of oldSmith's. I forgot t put it in the bank as he ordered, and went off with the boys on a lark, and- and by Júpiter it' s gañe! Tve been robbed of my einployer's money" bis face whitening like a dead man's as he sank back upon the lounge and regarded her in mouruful honor. 'How mach was it?" shemanaged to ask through her tremblinglips. "ïwo thxmsfcnd dollars!" he said, with a groan, buryina; his face in his haDds. "Oh little wïfe! l'm a ruined man. I never can repay it - that is,if I cannot escape; and 1 haven't a dollar. What a mad fooi Tve been! hush! isn t that olii Smith in the hall? Yes; I know his voice, and he's got wind of this somehow. l'll never be taken alive. Never!- and as he spoke she saw something bright and shining in his hand. She couldn't cry out, though she thought she was dying, and nearer and came the voices, and whiter and more doRnerate ei-ewthe face of her husband. "Ned! ö Ned!" she moaned, and- "Wby, what is the matter? Uome, wake bp] It's dark and cold in herc as a barn. Why, Nannie, little wife, what is it? Uid 1 frighten you, or was it a droam? I could not get away f rom thu office sooner." But she could uot answer. She only flung her arms around his neok andsobbed so hysterically that lio was really alarmcd. "Hovv nervous you are, my darling! But listen: vvhatgoodnews I've brought! Mr. Smith came into the office to-night and smlled as he looked over my statements of sales and profits, and he said: " 'You've worked hard, my boy, and merit an increase in your salary. We will make'it üfteen hundred from this on.' 'I dou"t know what I said. I don't think I said much of anything, but he looked satistied and shook my hand so kindly and added that 'faithfulness found its reward usually;' and so you can have your new curtains whenever you want them, and a carpet, too, perhaps." ■Oh! I don't care for them now. I was so foolish to fret over such a trifle. And I'vo had such a dreadful, dreadful dream!" But she never could bring wickedly about such a good, kind husband. But Fll nevor forget it or the lesson it taught me. I'll waste no more tcars over trities."