COMMUTER'S WIFE 117 



" Steak gone, plate, picture ? " queried father, sud- 

 denly emerging from behind his paper and dropping 

 it, while a flush struggling with a half guilty, half 

 confused expression crossed his face. 



"Well, Barbara, that is, you see the fact is 

 I took that steak last night, and forgot to replace it. 

 I've been visiting that poor Baker woman who is so 

 run down and has a cough. You know her, Barbara ; 

 she used to sew here sometimes but born a lady, 

 and with the sensitiveness of one. She needs meat. 

 Cheap slops and medicine won't build her up ; but 

 she is too poor to buy it, and it would offend her if I 

 offered her money or ordered meat direct from the 

 butcher. 



" Last night as I was going out I looked in the ice- 

 chest for some little knick-knack that I could carry 

 her as a home product, you know quite a different 

 thing, I take it, from food purchased on purpose. 

 The steak was exactly the thing she needed, 

 would last her three days ; and that old blue plate she 

 was sure to recognize as ours, so I took them to- 

 gether, and forgot to mention it or buy another steak. 

 You see, my dear, you understand ? " 



Of course / did, of course Martha Corkle did not ; 

 but appreciating a man's property rights in his own 

 ice-chest and contents, she retreated, technically if 



