Grand Rapids Herald-Review Newspaper, December 10, 1913, Page 27

GRAND RAPIDS HERALD-REVIEW WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1913 PAGE ELEVEN e Selhishness of [Irs Waterb 7 by Ceor-ge IMUSTRATED 4, .G.KETTNER SK = Set =u a0 = ", PSST — x <> as or: FS NON NOS NERS eR NN |and had it all ready for her, as he pictured to himself her | humiliation and surprise at discovering that he had some | Spirit after all and a considerable say-so whenever money | was involved. I, | Unfortunately for his plan, she did not ask for any WVGATERBY remarked to his wife: “I'm still | For had she not forbidden “je tempted by that set of Pos. I saw it in| him to buy a few books for _Q ES =the window today, marked down to fifteen | himself? Well, no, she had & ee dollars. yee | not forbidden him, but it X “Yes?” “said Mrs. Waterby, with a sudden gasp of| amounted to the same thing. emotion, it seemed to him. S MES a | She had declared that she was extra spending money and so he had to rely on the other g “Yes —I believe I'll have to get it fr x, ee | firmly opposed to the purchase mode of punishment. He would withhold the expected pi wouldn’t if I were you, Alfred,” she said. “You have! of Poe. Mr. Waterby won- Christmas present. In order that she might fully under 60 many books now.” | dered if it were possible tha’ stand his purpose, he would give presents to both of the children. OV SS > Asser NHS It was a harsh measure, he admitted, but perhaps it would teach her to have _. consideration for the wishes of others. 22%/napigl g°O"gseOs_9 FV It must be. said that Mr. Waterby was not wholly | proud of his revenge- when he arose on Christmas “I know I have, my dear, but I haven’t any set of Poe; he was just beginning to— and that’s what ve been wanting for a long time. This know his wife. Was she a edition I was telling you about is beautifully gotten up.” _ selfish woman at heart? Was “Oh, I wouldn’t buy it, Alfred,” she —fepeated, and! she complacent and good- there was a note of pleading earnestness itr her voice. | natured only while she was “It’s so much money to spend for | i a few books. \_ 2, ZE-| Be Yrove to be an entirely different sort ‘of /morning. He felt that he had accomplished his pur- “Well, I know, but—” and i — woman if he should do as many husbands Spend pose and he told himself that his. motives. had been then he paused for the lack | his income on clubs and cigars and private amusements,’ good and pure, but still he was not satisfied with of words to express his {I | and give her the pickings of small change? | himself. Nothing in Mr. Waterby’s experience as a married He went to the dining room. and there on the table | man had so wrenched his sensibilities and disturbed his jn front of his plate was a long paper box containing ten faith as Mrs. Waterby’s objection to the purchase of a set books each marked “Poe.” It. was the editior he had | of Poe. There was but one way-to account for it. She coveted. |; wanted all the money for herself or else she wanted him “What’s this?” he asked, winking slowly, for his to put it into the bank so that she could come into it-after_ mind could not grasp in one moment the fact of his awful he—but this was too monstrous. | shame. However, Mrs. Waterby’s conduct helped to give “I should think you ought to know, Alfred,” said Mrs, strength to Mr. Waterby’s meanest suspicions. | Waterby, flushed and giggling like a school girl. Two or three days after the first conversation she “Oh, it was you—” —_~._ - #B ae | asked: “You didn’t buy that set of Roe, did you Alfred?” “My 2 ess, y — me frightened. That “No, I didn’t buy it,” he-answered, as coldly \ d\naprkoevs first day’wherl you spo ¢ of buying them and with as much hauteur/as possibl % (& 4 ee Sy ahd Ai old you ,hot to, I was just ya: mortified surprise. | Mr. Waterby had \} tried to be an indul- GORE gent husband. He took a selfish pleas- ure in giving, and than receiving. I os Every salary day hy We turned over to Mrs,/|//+ Waterby a fixed il] \ { 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 I f himself that he RY approximated the He hoped to hear ss qf ure that you suspected her say: “ Weil, why % - = — "something. I bought don’t you go and get_“ __ : ¥. ——__ them a week before | it? I'm sure that you" = ZR Toma \ | cs: want it, and Id like to =, | see you buy something for yourself once in a while.” But she merely said: “That’s right; “Yes—yes,” said Mr. Waterby, feeling e salt water in his , At that moment jhad the soul of a wretch being model husband. mat don’t buy it,” and he Bpped at the stake. Mr. Waterby had no costly K was utterly unhappy, | was determined habits and no prevailirig appetite for anything for he realized that he || expensive. Like every other man, hefhad ‘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.” SEZ to4ise him as a pack- | The word “genius” has been bandied ¥around the | horse for all household country until 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 began to voluntarily taking superhuman flight inte the realm of| recall little episodes dating back pure imagination”—or something of that sort. At any | years, and now he pieced them to- A rate, Mr. Waterby liked Poe, and he wanted a set of Poe. | gether to convince himself that He allowed himself not more than one luxury a year and | he was a deeply wronged person. he determined that this year the luxury should be a set | Small at the time and almost of Poe. _ - aN Aue PBS VLIIESD | unnoticed, they were now accumulating Therefore, imagine\jthe hurt to his féelings when his | Mrs. Waterby had no real anxiety for wife objected to his expénding fifteen dollars for that which | happiness. Also, Mr. Waterby began j( anything else in the world. to pay for your n presents,” Mrs. Waterby continued, Do you know I had to save for you and the children out of my <-F ————_ranular allowance. Why, last week I EEF nearly starved you and ——— you never noticed it ‘4 cE; all-I was afraid you would.” SS, “No, I— didn’t notice it,” aid Mr. Waterby brokenly, for he was confused and giddy. This Q self- sacrificing angel—and he had to prove that | bought no ‘° Christmas present for her! her husband’s It was e a fearful situation, asd he lied his way z observe her | = : | out, of it, Se he coveted above + at out, 0 it Bia? arg , closely, and he believed that he found new evidences of ee . P 29 As he went to fh Uhis work that day he reflected on | her unworthiness. For one thing, while he was in gloom | ote ame pd ye ioe ils lice ~“O au? Mrs, seem aE mas aver his discovery and harassed by doubts of what the! ing HOGS e hing ik: Guroes a not‘have her allowance of spend- | future might reveal to him, she was content and even-| “ . : ay ie Ving money? Did he ever find| :empered. “WQS, 3 are oe omer somening” iy wih OW" fault with her extravagance? The holiday season approached and Mr. Waterby| . The children were s ting-and} ughing over their aM Y ly _’ Was he an unreasonable husband! made a resolution. He decided that if she would not gifts cn am pom sa Ot it his duty to lie fogs at : “i in asking that he be allowed to} permit him to spend a little money on himself he would! the ta Ly me) i spend this small sum for that} oot buy the customary Christmas present for her. giorno ne which would give him many hours) “Selfishness is a game at which two can play,”| What it is,” interrup (. of pleasure and which would: ‘ i Mrs. Waterby. Wait Furthermore, he ¥ determined that if she asked him) Until it comes.” vs for any extra money for| Til go after it: : Christmas he would say: “I'm! He did go after it 1 sorry, my dear, but I‘can’t) although he had to ‘Ee ' y 1sito him? ie told himself that many a) band would have bought the| books without consulting his'| ife. But he (Waterby) had) ' belong to Mrs. Waterby as much! p spare any. Iam so hard up| drag a jeweler away : / that I can’t even afford to buy | from his home on i | a few books that P’'ve been) Christmas Day and deferred to his wife in all matters x a wanting a long time, Don’t) have him open his touching family finances, and) he said to hirhself, with a tincture of bitterness in his thoughts, that prob- bly_he had put him- self into the attitude _“=™. of a mere depem dent “= | you remember that you told’ me that I couldn’t afford to, buy that set of Poe?” Could anything be more | biting as to sarcasm or, more} Ci ing as to logic? =.’ great safe. The ring which he selected was beyond his means, it | is true, but when a man has to buy back his self-respect the : ; ; 'j j