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Show For the firm time in their married lives, Mr. and Mrs. Browne engaged in a heated discussion. Mrs. Browne firmly firm-ly refused to give her reason for remaining remain-ing at home, and as firmly insisted on Mr. Browne remaining with her. There was, in fact, a good deal of firmness on both sides. ' Mrs. Browno did not resort to tears; she never did. Mr. Browne did not rage and. fume and use ungentlemanly language; lan-guage; he never did; but their voices grew harder and colder every moment, and as they rose from the tablo Mjv Browne said decidedly: "Von shall not go, Mr. Browne;" to which Mr. Browne replied with equal decision: "Indeed I shall go, Mrs. Browne." But he went down town in a more uncomfortable un-comfortable frame of mind than he had ever experienced as a married man. Never beforo had ho seen such a look of firmness on his wife's face, and he knew by tin's time that Mn. Browne was a very determined woman. But ho was doggedly dog-gedly determined to resist her opposition. Ho would go to the party. "I guess she'll hardly hido my dress Fuit,"he said. "But hanged if I fed like putting it on and marching off beforo be-foro her very eyes. I'm afraid there'll bo trouble if I do. But I shall go, all the same, if I I know what I'll do! Yes, sir; I'll do it, and we'll have a big ltnsrh over it afterward, although it wouldn't be much of a laughing matter if Mrs. Browne knew I intended doing it ' But I'll do it, sure as guns!" And when Mr. Browno went home to tea the next evening there was tucked away in his vest pocket a little phial containing con-taining a colorless liquid he had just purchased at the druggist's. 'She often puts a iew drops of this in a glass of milk or of water, and takes it when she can't sleep or when she has a toothache," he said, "and it never fails to send her right off to sleep. Now I U manage to put a few drops of this m her : tea to-night. She always lies down for I a little while after each meal, and shell be asleep before ten minutes to-mght, and I can dress and be off without those I keen eyes of her upon me, and without 1 any disagreeable arguing of the matter, for go I will." Browne found it easy enough to ' doctor" doc-tor" the glass of milk his wife always drank at the tea table, and according to her usual custom Mrs. Browne lay down ou a sofa immediately after tea, and as j Browne had predicted, she was soon fas. ""St hanged if I don't feel mean over it," said Browne as he sat m his bigeasy chair looking at her and picking his teeth wkthe gold and p,arl toothpick she had given him only three days before "It was taking a mean advantage of the little woman, banged If it wasnt Wonder what she'll say when she wakes .IT. finds me gone. She'll be mad enough, no dS But itTl teach her that I'm Wta be thwarted. It isn't that I care ib for Sarty. I'm tired and sleepy vawLl fearfully, and said to himself: y . I must be careful not to yawn at Mr VanHorn'sball,andIw,liMdnt ehake off this drowsu.es. I ve been los I ing too much sleep of late and ttp vawned aga n and again. The pa-Lyhld pa-Lyhld taken up fell from his hands, hilrS LIW listly at b side, The handle little ebony and gold t clock on the mantel was striking 10 ! when Mrs. Browne yawned and opened her eyes to find herself lying fully dressed on the sofa in the dark. She rose slowly, groped her way unsteadily to the mantel ; in the darkness, found a match, lighted j the gas and said to herself as she did so: i "How queer my head feels! Just liko ! it does after I've taken an opiate. Mercy! j if it isn't 10 o'clock! How could I have , slept so long? And Gibson? I feel like j a guilty wretch for doing it, but I was determined that he just should not go to that party, and" "Louise!" "Why, Gibson!" His voice sounded thick, and he had both fists thrust into his eyes and was rubbing them as he leaned back in his great easy chair. "What time is it, Louise?" "After 10, dear." "You've been asleep all the evening?" "Yes, have you?" "I I guess so, and why, it's time tor the party!" j "It's long past time. It would take you an hour to dross." I Browne sat for a moment staring : blankly at his wife. She had dropped suddenly into a chair and was staring as blankly at him. "See here, Louise." "See here, Gibson." "Did you dare to" "Did you dare to" "Give me an opiate?" "Give me an opiate?" "Yes, I did." "So did I." For a full minute they stared at each ether, and then both, biirat into a ringing laugh. . ! "Bnt don't you '.are tell it to anybody, Gibson." . ! "And don't you breathe a word or it, Louise." "I? Never fear." j "I shall keep mum enough about it." Nevertheless I know all about it and so do you. Zenas Dane in Yankee Blade, When a Man Appear a Fool. How foolish a man appears when he is arguing with a railroad company ! about something that cannot be helped. ! For instance he has purchased a ticket ' to sav. New York. He intends to travel 1 at'nig'ht comfortably in a lower bc-rf h on a Pullman palace sleeping car. He i steps jauntily up to the window of the Pullman office and says, in an offhand ! way. "Give mo a lower berth on the 7:15 I for New York." as he lays down a five ' dollar bill. "Haven't a berth left, sir." "What?" It is impossible to describe the awful emphasis with which this monosvllable is thundered forth, but we have all heard it and know how it sounds. Then follows a long tirade by the traveler, who cannot understand why some one is not to be turned out of the berth he has paid for to make room for the late comer; why there are not more berths in a car; why there are not more sleepers on the train, and, alxwe all, why the imperturbable clerk in the ticket office does not hold a conference on the instant with the superintendent of the Pittsburg division of the railroad to "fix it so that he can get a berth." There are experiences of this kind for the clerks every day, especially durin? the busy season. This is the reason they are not disturbed each time the inevitable inevi-table too-late man comes foaming np to the window. And then the too-late maa who will not accept the inevitable A GAME FOR TWO. . Ir.and Mrs. Gibson Browne, although wely fond of each other, found ere y had been many months married t (here were various things about M they did not agree. . Inndreds of other young married iples have mado the same discovery, 'although it surprised and shocked m they have been too wise to allow it " reck the happiness of their married Ir. and Mra. Browno were thus wise. !' wasted no time in undignified and rrofitable wrangling over their differ-"S differ-"S of opinion, but neither of them "M one jot or tittle to the other. ' simply kept silence on all topics on Jfh they should disagree. 'Wily also for them their differences "pinion were in regard to the minor ''s's of life, and, although it is the ttla foxes that destroy the vines," :r little differences did not destroy r worldly happiness, each of them blessed with abundant good n t-' t-' in spite of the firmness of opinion ;t made them decline to yield one to ' other. lIfs. Gibson Browne was a high "fh Episcopalian, while Mr. Gibson was inclined toward Unitarian-' bnt Mrs. Browne did not become a Parian, nor did Gibsou renounce his ti and become an Episcopalian and 'they were happy as married folks go. irs- Browne was decidedly opposed 1 1 operas in which there was a ballet, :'e Mr. Browne was fond of a ballet -dj because of the artistic effect it Te to oparatio scenes, and he went to opera whenever he felt like doing so, "ie did not annoy his wife by telling r anything about it ln'l when Mrs. Gibson wished to do 'thing she felt it was perfectly proper ' ber to. even though Gibson did not irove of it, she simply and quietly did '"'I Gibson was none the wiser. fa were- times when Mr. and Mrs. ;on Browne exemplified the old ad-;" ad-;" "Si'pnce is golden." ' ""e morning at the breakfast table ' Browne said: dear, don't forget that the Van "J58 give their party to-morrow night." ' member it," replied Mrs. Browne ' 1 ?o'it lifting her eyes from her plate. W hat dress shall you wear?' 'mlv" 0t eoins" rePlied Mrs-Browne Sot going?" Mr. Browne dropped ; "fe and fork in surprise. -H I am not." "'""not?" have ay reasons, Gibson. Rest as-! if1 that they are good ones. And Td ;,ner5ou didn't go either." "nt I think I shall go, my dear." a rather you wouldn't." ' t don't see why I shouldn't go." Jt the fact that I don't wish you to " for this nee." |