Democratic enquirer. [volume] (M'arthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1867-1873, 1869-03-31
SrlrtteO gllistrIInnB.
A MASQUERADE STORY.
From the Evening Wisconsin, March l6

90, / am sorry for your sake, for know
YOU would like to go, and nothing but me
most urgent business would induce me TO de-
prive you of the pleasure.
Wife appears very much disappointed, ou'
says notbin, only Humph. ,s
SCENE %. A little later in the day Wife
and resenladyIfriend pit.
VYfe-What do YOU think Mary, William
saws he is called away to Chicago and can't
go to the masquerade tonight. You know
/ have set my heart on going, and now to be
disappointed is too bad.
Mary laughs immoderately.
WJe-What are you laughing at? | tell
YOU il s no laughing matter to be dlsap-
pointed as am. It's too bad.
MaIl--Just to think whata little simpleton
Won are, and how that lord and master OF
yours does pull the wool over your eyes.
Wite-I don't understand you, Mary.
Mdrg-0f course you don't, and you
wouldn't sec through a mill stone II the hole
was ten feet square, II your dear William told
younot tu,
Wfe-I am all astonishment at your
words.
Maryland am all astonshment at your
simplicity Here you are, married for SIX
years, and like n seven-day kitten, haven't
yet got your eyes open. Did the world ever
see such ignorance? Susie did it ever occur
to You that husbands, dear, devoted hus-
bands, iu,t like your William, dear, some
times hOodwink their wives?
Wife, Indignantly sure my William
does nothing of that kind;
MTy-0h, no, no, no, of course not. Not
William to 10 sure. Susie, tell me PLAINLY,
does William ever neglect a masquerade
Did he not intend to go to this one?
HT1o-Yes, and it was nothing but urgent
BUSINESS that prevented. He told me so.
Mdyg-Did him, dear, good soul, tell his
darling little wiley, swiftly that hims business
called him away.
HUe-very indignant He did, and I'm
sure nothing but business
MRy-Thero il is again, you darling little
soul. It's what the best Of wives are put of
with, business, business Susie, | won't see
you imposed upon moment longer. You
think William is going to Chicago?
HIJe--I know he i'll.
Mdrg-Well, | know he ia not. Susie,
''hc's fooling thec-he's fooling thee take
care, take care" Susie, know William in.
tended to go, that he still intends to go, and
that he will go.
WTe-Why, he told me-
Mary OF course he did. He wants to go
alone. He waits to 60 back to the old day4
when he had no darling little witey TO bother
him-he wante to go by himself, and he wants
his little wiley TO stay at home dumping and
humping by the chimney corner, while he is
having good time oghng black dOmlnOes
and making lovo to Spanish FenOntas.
HUe-Il | thought'so.
Mdry--Its true, Ills pity; and pity tie
It's true. Oh Susie, know these men better
than you do. They are all willful, deceitful,
selfish, wicked, bad, ungrateful men, Now
don't scowl, William Is just as bad as any of
them, and il he can fool lis little wiley into
staying at home while no is having good
time hell do it, and just as sure az you and |
are talking he proposes to do it tonight.
lWite had been disappointed in not going
to tho Masquerade, sn it did not take much
inducement on the part Of the shrewd Mary
10 satisfy her, that William was for once de-
ceittul, and satisfied, alter a few sincere
tears were shed. Ia induce her to enter into
plan to catch William in the samotrap he had
set for herl
SCENE 3d.-A few moments before the de-
parturo oithe train.
HusJand-It's too bad. love know how
disappointed you are, and how like dear
darling, good woman you arc keeping ii all
to yourself Do you feel very sorry that you
cannot go2
W0e-Oh, no, dear l am a little disap-
pointed to be sure, but thon you know busi-
ness
HusJond-Yes, dear, and say confound
business. ! wish there was no such thing as
business. do certainly.
Wife But when there is busincssit must
be attended to.
ID . ~
bye darling for q few hours that will be long
ones TO me away from thee.
Had William not been very blind he might
have seen n look OF mischief about wite'a
eyes, and he might have noted n touch of
sarcasm in wifeB voice, but William was sorry
and saw nothing.l
Scene 4TH "A hall full of masqueraders
darting to aud fro, and all
jus s happy as big sunfower"
ll K,tttV pIlia nj oh OLE
ems. and what not, all mixed up together. On
one side two dominoee, one firm, bold and
defiant, the other timid, and evidently ready
to run away at the first alarm. One cinging
nervOusly to the hand Of the other.
"Do yon see him.
~ did a minute AGO, but he has disappear
ed"
"Are you sure there Ia no mistaken"
"Of course not. / have the full descrip-
ton from my husband. A knight Of King
James time. A velvet doublet a chapeau,
velvet stockings, and a sword. Let us take q
promenade"
"oh, dear, am 20 friphtenod. What if
you shuuld be mistaken, Nary
81 tell You, little goose, am not. Haven't !
you got bit Of courage or pride, or whatever |
you want 10 call it2 Just think how Jolly il |
will be, when yOnr William thinks you are Mt |
home, TO meet him and tell him TO his face |
what you think Of him and Of his actions
Have courage
"rll try. but am 40 timid "
SCENE "a Knight Of King James time
paying his devoiions and talking sortest non |
sense to a Virginia mother. Mother very |
mnoh disposed TO listen and apparently very
much Interested in Knights words. Approach
two dominocs.
''Did yOu ever see the like. Just look at
that. ia II not enough to turn the love Of a
wife into vinegar OF the most gall-ic descrip-
tion2 Just look at that"
''See how he bends over her, and how he
whispers soft nonsense into her ears, and
she, tho jade, drinks 1t all In ~ II 'twere
gospel truth. The wicked man. To think |
that william would do q thing like that
Mary, my timidity IL all gone / am myself
again. A woman wronged, eprings at once
from q tender, loving thing to tigor that |
thirsts for blood Oh, am dying for ro-
venge. |
"Well, well, don't mako such fuss about |
IT, II In no place for theatricals among all |
these people YOu require all your caution |
nov, for this In tho critical momont. Above |
all things, bo cautions. He may discoveryou |
and seek to avoid you. II no does, don't
make scene"
Trust me my nerves arc ofiron, my heart
Of gtonc."
81 win attract tho attention OF tho jade,
loaying William To YOU Handle him first
with silkcn thread, thon stick him full Of
pins u yon wish, but soc that he is sequroly
bound hrst." lAdyanees.l 4ttF
"Fair daughter OF the brightest land bo.
meath our starry flag, wilt thou listen TO me,
for would whisper in your ear" fThoy go
Of togethcr.l .tHa w lrftItF
hKnight Of King James tjmei Bravo
knight, how goes II with theeT . ~ .e.ie-
'I3fAFely, lady fair. ~
tfT6op skyst brayely, and yet though Ioay,
,st me IN this crowd 10 be Joetled severely.
sIethinIls they whom thou so well initiates
n dress had more ofgallantry than thou,