Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1864-12-16


days TO make fun of everything. One Of them
He had anothes. He ~ould keep a dog
Now am not ayerse to pets IN the abstract ane
] have an affections for cats, but dog They are
my pet ayersion And Toms dog Rover was no
exception. Ii was not 'loYe me, love my dog, In
this case, for Toms dog | did not love, whatever
might have been said of Tom.
Now when / say that Tom would keep dog, dc
not mean that he persisted in this course against
my expressed wish to the contrary. In fact, there
had been a sort of compromise made between u.s.
If hated dogs, he detested cats, and pet cat was
one of my fey hobbies So we signed sort of hol-
low truce, and Rover and Tabby became
domeshcated IN household They were very
good friends themselves, which was mercy, they
might otherwise have caused rupture between
their master and MISTRESS each being bound to up
h0fd.and sustain his or her respective sppendage
But for awhile matters went on swimmingy. One
afternoon Tom came in to tea rather earlier than
usual. Lou he said, i have present for you,
from grandmother had note from her at the
Office this morning, asking me to call over there,
aud fwent She had intended to give you some
thing when You were married, but couldn't quite
decide then what itshould be- and now she wants
me to see to getting it over here. III drive around
think in the morning
But you havn't told me what It is Toni!
'Ah my dear so havn't. You remember the
large jar that has always stood in grandmother S
parlor filed with rose leaves, believe? Well that S
the Identical thing. as Capen Cutie used to say
,
co. said, the one grandmother thought so much
of because it came from Holland, and has always
been in the family? / am delighted; it vii look so
nicely in the parlor, Toni
Glad you're pleased, my dear, Tom said i
used always to be stumbling over the confopnded
thing at grandmothers but L m more CAREFUL now
m q married man =
| had a few private doubts as to TOMS improve.
ment IN that respect bnt they did not prevent my
pleasure when the next dav he brought the lar home
nGlrY of off z-brf
china, with its groesque figures, against the dark
marble of the mantle and hearth and Tom himself
confessed it quite an addition to the ROOM And
when had filled the jar with rose-leayes the room
smeled like garden, and my pleasure in the pres
ent was wholly unaloyed 1t was week or two Of
terward, that one afternoon Tom came from the Of
fee early take me to ride. Hurry and get ready
Lon, he said wey nc time to spare.
As there was no mortal reason for our going or
returning at particular time, could not quite see
what the hurry was but, ike dutiful wife, made
no remarks, andput my bonnetand shawl asq quick
y as possible. Tom didn come into the house at all
but sat on the steps smoking, until / was ready.
Did you shut the parlor door, LouY he asked, as
joined him Rover and Tabby are IN the house,
and might get in there, if the doors are left open.
On, / shut them all i / answered confidently
but Iabby could do no harm, at anv rate, and you
oughtn't 70 leave Rover in house, Tom
Never mind, he's oil right, and won't forget
him again
the pleasure of the ride. 1t wasafter dark when
came home, and Tom left me at the door, driving
the horse TO the stable himself Iwentin, stepping
into the parlor momentto light the gas before go
ing up stairs But as It flashed up. what sight
met my horror stricken eyes! Alas my beautiful
Holland jar was broken in pieces, the fragments lay
strewn around, and the rose leaves were scattered
in all directions over the carpet oh, that horrible
dog 7 exclaimed involuntarlyi i wish ne was
killed!'
Just thenI heard Tom come in. / rushed TO meet
him. stark mad with grief
Tom Toni said do but see what that dog Of
yours has doner
Tom contemplated the ruins, put his hands IN his
pockets, and began to whistle. Nowif there is one
thing more aggravating than another to womanllind
it is to hear a whistle in that way. 1t is tantal
zing so expressive of doubt, of disbelief, IN Short
of everything wounding 10 the feelings Of sensitive
person,
you needn't whistle. Tom T said rather GROSSLY
i wish somebody would drown that horrid Roverl
They find it a difficult process, my dear ON
observed with little chuckle Rover sw1n1s like
duck
/ began to be little indignant at Royer's master.
as well as at Rover, so didn't take any notice of
that remark Tom went on little more seriously !:
Louise how do you know that Rover did the mis-
chief You shoudn't condemn even dog without
proof Think il is quite as likely to have been
Tabby.
sTabbY, indeed!' answered with an involuntary
burst Of indignation. How could the little thing
have knocked over that large heavy jar Mons ense,
Tom, your partiality TO Rover makes you blind to
his faults and quite unjust to poor Tabby. She was
far enough from here I'm sure Of course is was
your ugly, rough dog,
Toms face grew little red.
My dear he said with great dignity, you allow
your feelings to away with you. Perhapslt wall
be as wei to Investigate the facts before you de-
cded. If the door had been properly closed neither
dog nor cat could have come into the parlor. But
he -hp4 has and had hot mn nd
take off your things Immediately.
Now ordinarily, Tom would have gone up with
me, but tonight he took out his newspaper and
seated himself in easy chair, not youchsafing
single glance at me- This behavior, with his refer
ence TO my having left the door open, was almost
| too much. Up IN my room, alone l was sorey
tempted to sit down and have good cry, poor wo-
man usual resort But there was some anger
mingled with my grief, and Tom shouldn't see me
cry yet So / choked down my tears, re-arranged
my hair with due deberatiou, and walked down
stairs with as much dignity as Tom himself.
'Iomi ! said, as passed the parlor door, i am
| ready for tea now.
didnt wait for MIN as ] usually did, but did
go through the hall and down the stairs rather slowly
hoping that he would join me. He did not, howev-
er, out rose eisurey, folding up his his newspaper
and sauntered along behind me- whistling. 1t was
the hrst meal that we had not gone down together.
think Mrs. Macnslly must have seen something q
little peculiar in our behavior, for she gave us both
spoken 70, she made no sign but performed her
Offices tthe table in the usual way Indeed, there
vas almost silence in the room Tom looked
highly Indifferent, and I, extremely sElby.
At last, as Mrs Maenally, her mission Being ended
wAE about to leave the room, Tom spoke
Ars Macnally, be said can you tell me who
broke the large jar, in the parlorY
fsThers SIR Mrs Maenally began as far from the
point as possible, 1ye see, was at me work in the
kitchen when yez wint out and for while the house
Kas St as still as made be. But bime by, Ihears an
awful nize, and before cud git to the door, Tabby
rin by as hard al ver she cud and Rover chasin af
or her, They tearedup the stairs, as if they was
mad, and right into the parlor and / after them
Iabby, She jist run round and round, and Rover af
ter her. an at last she Jumped right on the dge Of the
jar and Rover dashed right agiust it, and ouyer j
wint and broke all in PAGES. And SO, sir ye sees,
she SAID, turning from me, to whom she had addres
sed the main part Of her narrative, TO answer Tom
/ question. 4 can jst say who 1t was did it for ]
! raj NJ / a