Mary Stewart Cutting

“ He must always be her refuge, even against himself. Though a thousand shirts walked in flapping, fantastic procession through the future years, never never—she whispered it in sweet, comforted fierceness—never should one escape her again.
Yet perhaps it was not in the heart of mortal man to understand the sigh of relief that claimed her after her fresh compunction the next morning, when the garment that had been the pride of her Leighton's heart disappeared forever, burned and blackened, with the janitor's boy. ”

“ He had been whistling when he went into the room—how she prayed he wouldn't go to that closet! The whistle stopped—he had, then! She could feel the silence before he said:
"Alice!"
She waited for no questions, even if he had meant to ask them.
"Oh, I couldn't help it—indeed, indeed I meant to remember. I thought of nothing else, until—— It was only because Mary telephoned, and I hadn't seen her for so long, and I—and I—Leighton, don't look at me like that. I'll hate you if you do! What difference does it make about that old shirt? You've got dozens of others! ”

“ Chanler conquered himself heroically. "It makes no difference; I'll take another shirt. Only"—Mrs. Chanler's heart, which had expanded with a quick sense of relief, contracted again—it wasn't over yet—"only Alice, I think you might take a little more pains about my laundry. The things never go as they should, or else when they come home they're put where nobody can find them. You know yourself last week we were late to the Stoner's dinner just because the whole bundle had been left in the sheet closet, where no one thought of looking for it. I don't want to be hard on you, Alice ”