The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1869-03-26
SrlcttrS luistsIIOup.
MASQUERADE STORY.

Wi}e-My dear. DO YOU propose to attend
the masquerade %to-night2
Hgsbdad-No, love. Nothing would please
me more than 20 attend, hut I am called to
Chicago on business this afternoon and must
go. / am sorry for your sake, for i know
you would like TO go, and nothing but the
most urgent business would induce me to de-
priv . you Of the pleasure.
Wife appears very much disappointed, but
says nothinA only Humph.
scENr 2D u little later in the day. Wife
and resenlady!friend pit.
HIfe-whst do you think, Mary, William
says he IL 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 immodorately.
WVe-What are you laughing att l tell
you IL ie no laughing matter to be disap-
pointed as l am. It's too bad.
Mdly-Just to think what little simpleton
YOU are, and how that lord aud master Of
yours does pull the wool over your eyes.
Wf0-I don't understand you, Mary.
Mdyy-Of course Won don't, and .you
wouldn't see through a mill stone II tho hole
was ten feet square, II your tear William told
you not 10.
WEI I'm all establishment at your
words.
MUY-And lam all astonishment at your
simplicity. Here you are, married for six
years, and like a soyen-day kitten, haven't
yet got your eyes open. Did the world ever
see such iguorance2 Susie, did It ever occur
20 you that husbands, dear, devoted hus-
bauds, iu.t like your William, dear, some
times hoodwink their wivcs2
Hfe, indignantly-I'm, sure my William
does nothing OF that kind.
M1rU-Oh, no, no. no, OF course not, Not
William to @ sure. Susie, tell mo plainly,
does William ever neglect a masquerade ?
Did he not intCnd TO 50 to this one
HifG-lcs, Rudit wRH nothing but urgent
business that prevented. He told me 30.
Mary Did him, dear, good soul, tell his
darling little wiley eviiy that him's business
called him away.
WJs-yery indignant He did, and I'm
sur0 nothing but business
A1ry-Theroit IL again, you darling little
soul Its what the best Of wives are put OFF
with, businsss, business. Susie, l won't see
you imposed upon a moment longer You
think Wiuism IL going to CbicagoI
Hlfe-I know heis.
Miry-well, / know he ia not. Susie,
''he's tnoliug thGe-hea fOoling thee take
care, take care Susio, | know William in.
tended 10 60, that ho still intends to SO, and
that he will go.
llJe-Why, ho told mo "a
Mary OF course he did. He wants 10 go
alone. lie wants 10 90 back to the old days
when be- had no darling little wiley to bother
him-ho wants TO go by himsclLand ho wants
his little wifov to stay vt home dumping and
humping by the chimney corner, whiio no II
having q good time ogling black dOminocs
and making love 20 Spanish sencritas.
Uift III thought 80.
M,Uy-Its true, 'is pity; and pity tia
'tis lrnc. oh, Susie, ! know those men hCtt,r
than Won de-. They are MI willful, dcccitiul,
acltHh, wicked. bal, uugratciul men. Now
don't scnwl, William IL inst ~ had Ms any Oi
them, and II ne can fool his little WHEY into
STAYING an homo while hu ia having n good
time. hcll do u. aud iust as sure M yon aud /
are talking hC proposes 20 dol Tonight.
lWifo had been disappointed in not going
to the Masquerade, ~ IL did not take much
induccmeut on The part ~ the shrewd Mary
to satisfy her, that William was for once de.
celtul, and satisfied, after a few sincere
tears wore shed. 10 induce her to enter into q
plan to catch William ia tho same trap he had
set for hor.l
scrSE 3l.-A few momcuts before the dc.
parture Of the train.
HtSb1Hd-Its too bad, love. know how
disappointed y0u are, and how like a dear,
darlug. good woman you are keeping II all
90 y%unrsolf Do YOU feel very sorry that yon
WfecOh, no, dear. Tam little disap-
pointed TO he sure, but then you know busi-
ness
HtaJdnd Yes, dear, and l say confound
business. l wish there was no such thing As
business. / do certainly.
we But when there il business ii must
be attended TO.
Husband That's n fact one kiss aud good
bye darling for a few hours that will be long
ones TO me away from thee. |
HAD William not been very blind he might
have seen a look OF mischief about wife's
eyes, and he might have noted a touch Of
sarcasm IN wite's voice, but William was sorry
and saw nothing.l
SCENE arr "A hall full Of masquoraders
d~arting 10 and fro, and ali
jus 8 happy as a big sunnower."
Monks, Knights, Kings, officers, mules, chick
ems, sud what not, all mixed mp together. On
one side two dOminoes, one firm, bold and
defiant, the other timid, and evidently ready
TO run away at the first alarm. One clinging
VIGOROUSLY 10 the hand OF the other.
ID You see him2N
81 did a minute AGO, but he has disappear
cd"
"Are you sure there is no mistake p
"Of course not. / have the full descrip-
ton from my husband. A Knight Of King
James time. A velvet doublet, a chapeau,
velvet stockings, anda sword. Let us take a
promenade"
"Oh, dear, I am 70 frightened. What If
You should be mistaken, Mary
~ tell You, little goose, i am not. Haven't
you got a bit OF courage or pride, OF whatever
you want 10 call IT, Just think how jolly il
will be, when your William thinks yOu are at
home, 10 meet him and tell him to his face
what You think of him and OF his actions,
Hayo courage
"Tll try, but | am no timid
SEEM "a Knight Of King James time
paying his deyotions and talking %softest non
sense to a Virginia mother, Mother very
much disposed to listen aud apparently very
much interested in Knights words. Approach
two dominoes.
'Did you ever see the like. just look at
that. II il not enough to turn the love Of a
wife into Vinegar of the most gall-ic dcseTip-
tion 2 Just look at that"
"See how he bends over her, and how he
whispers soft nonsense into her ears, and
she, the Jade, drinks II all In as II 'twere
gospel tTnth. Tho wicked man. To think
that william would do a thing like that
MARY, my timidity ~ all gone. l am myself
again. A woman wrOnged, Hpringa at once
a tender, loving thing TO q ttgor that
thirsts for blood. Oh, / am dying for re-
'"Wou, well, don't make such n fuss about
Il. II - no place for theatricals among all
those people. You require all your caution
now, for this N tho critical moment Above
all things, be oautioua. He may discover you
and seek to avoid you. II no does, don't
a scene"
''Trust me my nerves are ~ofiron, my heart
Of stone"
II will attract tho attention OF the jade,
leaving William 10 you. Handle hun first
a silken thread, thon stick him full Of
pins IL YOU wish, but SEQ that be Is securely
bound first" [Advnnces.1
Fair daughter of the brightest land bo-
meath our starry Nag, wilt thou listen 70 me,
for ] would whisper in yonr ear" lIhey go
p'eKSSisia &c King m tim Brave
how coca il with thee p
"Bravely, lady fair"
Js'Thou sayst b~Tavely, and yet though leav-
est me in this crowd 10 be jostled severely.
Methinks they whom thou 20 well initiates
IN dress had more OF gallantry than thou, !