The Richmond Palladium And Sun Telegram

MARRIED LIFE BY MABEL HERBERT URNER.

"Helen, where did you put that box of the old family pictures?"

"Family pictures?" Helen repeated vaguely.

"Yes, a lot of old daguerreotypes that I had in that canvas trunk. You cleared it out, didn't you?"

"Why yes, your summer clothes are packed in that trunk now-all the things that were in it I put on the top shelves of your hall closet."

"Well, we'll have to look up that box. Mother telephoned me today that she's going to have a picture of grandfather enlarged, and wants the one I have--an old daguerreotype taken in his uniform. I told her I thought Carrie had one which was much better-but she seems to want the one in the uniform."

They went out to the hall closet and gazed up at the three closely packed shelves.

He went into the dining room for a chair to stand on.

"Wait, don't stand on it in that way," warned Helen. "Let me get you a paper."

THE HUNT FOR THE EPICURE.

But he was already up on the chair.

"I'll not hurt it. Here, what's in this green box"

He turned it over. "Tennis shoes."

He handed it down to her and drew out another box. "Flowers for leghorn hat."

"Coral and moss," he read.

"What's the use of keeping stuff like this? Pine cones, Sept. 12, 1905," he read from another package. "Half of this truck shall be thrown away."

"Why, Warren, don't you remember we gathered those the year before we were married, and said I'd keep them in memory of that day. Don't you remember that WONDERFUL day-the twelfth of September! the day you first told me you cared?"

SECOND YEAR

"Um-um Well I can't see why that's any reason for keeping a lot of rubbish. Now ARE those pictures up here or NOT?"

"Why, dear, they MUST be there if they were in that canvas trunk. I put everything up there."

He pulled out another box. "What's this? It's not marked It feels heavy too Open it and see."

Helen broke the string and opened it only to find an old box of water colors

Now as a matter of fact have you any IDEA where those pictures are?"

"Why, dear, they SHOULD be up there I packed all those things away so carefully."

"Then why on earth don't you remember where you put them? What's this?"

"Oh, maybe that's it." eagerly

But it wasn't.

Well all the things from the lower shelf had been dragged out and still no pictures.

Warren got down from the chair with a muttered oath.

"Now, what DID you do with that box of pictures?" he demanded angrily.

"Oh, dear, I'm so sorry. I thought I put everything from that trunk on those shelves."

"Oh, you only think so now! You were certain in the beginning"

His mother On the 'phone.

Here the telephone rang shrilly

Helen went to answer it

"Hello-Oh, Mrs. Curtis-Why, yes, I'm very well. The baby has a slight cold, but you have to expect that with this kind of weather.-The pictures- Why, we've just been looking for it- Oh, you have! I'm so glad:-You found the whole box?-Why Warren was sure he had them in the canvas trunk Oh, I see: then he left them there, when we were married? He didn't bring them with him at all? Oh, no it hasn't been any trouble.-I'm only glad you've found them-Yes, he's right here. Do you want to speak to him?"-

Still holding the receiver, Helen called to Warren, "Your mother wishes to speak to you."

He came up and took the receiver from her.

Back to the hall Helen

Helen was up on the chair trying to straighten the things he had so disordered

"Here, get down," gruffly: "I'll do that."

And that was all He made no apologies, no excuses. He never did And Helen, too, said nothing She had learned that was far the wisest way