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Show I THE AWAKENING Ij : Jj ;5 Jj By GEORGE ELMER COBB, ji v:w: '"lii't. Vz.b. Western Newspaper Unionj I "I-'ol-ile-roI !" ejaculated Wade Guthrie Guth-rie contemptuously. "You'd think it was a fiancee you was -making a present pres-ent to, instead of a staid, bensible wife." "Well, you see, Winnie and I are about as silly and sentimental as we were when we were only engaged," responded re-sponded Ilul Devon. "It's these delicate deli-cate attentions that please the women wom-en flowers, a box of sweetmeats, a pretty collar pin. It Isn't much, but It lifts the wife out of the ordinary, reculls old girlho.od duys and makes her happy." "A woman's home la her Idol," quoted quot-ed practical Wade Guthrie. "Provide for that finst." "Sometimes It gets to be a prison. What do you do for your wife on her birthday?" "Give her something useful, of course. Last yeur It was a sewing machine." ma-chine." "To give her more work to do, eh?" "Well, she wanted It and appreciated It. When the birthday came around lust week It was a curpet sweeper." "And what does she give you on such occasions?" "Oh, a box of ties ; year before last a seal ring. She never forgets me. I'm wanting a watch fob. I calculate It will come along next week. You see, our birthdays are near together." "Gutlrrle will be giving his wife a coal hod or a stepladder next time, If something doesn't reform him," observed ob-served Hnl to his wife that evening recounting his colloquy with his fellow fel-low clerk at the bank. Winnie Devon and Myrtle Guthrie had been schoolihutes and saw a good deal of one another in these later days. Wade Guthrie was a model man in his habits and reputation, but he had fallen a victim to the old-time fallacy fal-lacy that to be "a good provider" began be-gan nud ended the duty of a husband. Myrtle had, never complained, but more than once Winnie had noted a wearied expression upon her face, the sure sign of a dull home life. Evenings Eve-nings at least twice a week Hal took Winnie to some entertainment. Wnde, slippers and pipe tray close to hand, read and smoked, while Myrtle silently silent-ly sewed or mended, and then he dozed in his chair until bedtime. He was proud of her housekeeping capabilities nud bragged of the same, but he had been spoiled as the only sou of a family of sisters, wns selfish in his exactions without realizing It", and withheld unconsciously from his wife those superficial, but heartsome little attentions that keep a woman young. "The pink in Myrtle's cheeks Is beginning be-ginning to fade," Winnie intimated to a sister of Wade a few days later. "Don't you think she stays In the house too much?" "I know It," promptly agreed the outspoken sister-in-law of Wade. "He has settled down Into a regular rot aud' has pulled Myrtle Into It with him." "Also he has forgotten how to act the lover, and he Is starving her dear little heart. Let us become crusaders in waking him up. Nest week Is his birthday!" "Yes." "You think up all the gifts you Imagine Imag-ine would please him most. You've spoiled him, that's what's the matter. Do you want to rouse him up for his own and Myrtle's sake? Then listen, and a low-toned consultation ensued, which made them talk and look lika plotters. Hal Devon kept his eye on Watte upon his birthday. Practical and tm-poetical tm-poetical as was Wade, the fact that It was his natal day Inspired Eln) "t perk up somewhat," as Hal expressed it "Usual supply of gifts, I suppose," he remarked, with feigned Indifference to Hal- "-There's not only Myrtle, but mother and my sisters wasting thlr money on trifles," and his - fingers twirled about the pocket where his watch reposed, apparently in andd-parioa andd-parioa of the expected new fob. But for Wade Guthrie that evening there arrived the surprise of his life when the dinner w-as over and they adjourned ad-journed to the dining ronn. Wade's mother prefaced the gift giving with the remarS : "We are ail turning over a new le&f this year. Wad. You always give Myrtle such sensible, practical gifts, that go towards adding to the home, that we decided to follow your example." exam-ple." Wade Guthrie looked blank, then suspicions, and finally thoughtful ej his mother revealed her gift a snow shoveL His sisters followed, one widi a shc-e-blaci:g eutSt. another with a whisk broom, a third with a garden fcose. Wiide. however. looked shocked, bet gui'-"r- when Myrtle presented him with a lawn mower. When they were all g:r.e he glanced at her In a reproachful re-proachful way. " She burst into tears and fell ir.:-- his lap and wept ct her grief cn h.s sh-uider. Oh. w-:" she sobbed. "I didn't wa:: to i'.ve you that horrid, cozmton wy-rfty lawn ;or, tut they s&ie me. and sfter J. tad saved azd scraped to cet yon this. Yon utttsm't tell tier.: I csve :t :j y?tu or thfjdl say I wsji a trs't.-r.- and "this." was a pretty pret-ty dia--d sosrrr:r -Say:" cried Wale, h-grin. her y.. ::r I- lr heart! I csa tsie a -d 7-h: hy it so tie r. 1..- -."sy of t;-.-s i: -cr.': he |