Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1870-05-12

law. ." he S24u, anu tooh AeI hS-1 n
it. She let him do it, blushing the
while, not daring 20 look at him.
All the evening, after the other guests
were there, her thoughts wandered oack
To that moment. She knew what he
yonld saw. ana she could only answer
him in one way-she liked him so well:
And have felt so sure never could
ike any one again" thought Hetty
.'rhera IS fate in II.
RAT she DANCED and sang and talked
As usual. and 10 one guessed that she
was dreaniug-nOt even lockwood.
who. with chosen friend, had slipped
away from the paTlors, ana were
smoking and talking in the dressing
room. He was a little olt of sorts.
Hetty conscious of her duties as hos
tess. insisted on being public property,
and could not be allured into tete-d-
tefe. and the women who were ready 10
no talked to he did not care about. En-
gaged men are generally known by their
5e9rish conduct to ladies. Rokewood,
though not engaged, believed himself
far enough on the road to forget his old
suayity. and fell back on cigars ana
masculine friends, whenever his LADY
love could not be whispered TO or
gazed at. Consequently, damsels Who
| thought Rokewoud charming were won
dering what could have become OF MN,
when Biddy, the waitress, mysteriousiy
heckoped her mistress into the hall,
and in an awful whisper said more
spoons were naded for the crane"
.'Of course there must be," sald MIS-.
Armstrong. "Where was my mead 10
forget il? I'll get poor Aunt Martina
set up stairs Wait on the stairs TIL
come-to you
And away ran Mrs. ARMSTRONG TO the
Second floor. where she plunged into a
| Ion6. ofd-fashioned closet, and brought
| forth a legacy of silver ware, left her
vears before by a maiden aunt. Count
inc the sDoons over, muTmur OF voices
fre,,,lti,e next room fell OH her ear. At
tbe- same moment she caught the per-
f,,nle it1lf q cigar. She knew that Charles
Rokewoed had the richest voice, ana
smoked tile best cigars OF any man OF his
SET. :,
to herself: ~ have been cross to you to-
night, but some day I'll be as kind to
yon as / can to make up for 1t.
Then. with loving woman's Wish 10
see the face that is so dear to her, she
stooped forward and peeped through a
crack in the door Of the china closet,
which opened into the little sewing
room. devoted this evening to the gen
tIemafi,s toilet. Every word was plainly
audible when her prying ear approached
so close to the creyice, and the first word
riyeted her attention. The men were
talking of matrimoay.
@"It's a deuced bore" said his frlena.
ssYou are tied to q wOman's apron
strings for life. You can't say your soul
is YOUR own. Tal.emy advice, and Keep
out of it altogether"
"Look here, old fellow said Charies,
taking his cigar from between his lips,
.'tbat sort of thing is all mans own
fault Now, when L marry, my hrst
step will be to prove myself master. AS
YOU begin SO you go on, ana before my
! honey moon is over the woman that
takes my name shall know thaC my VIII
is law, and that hers must yield 10 III. ,
| The spoon in Mrs. Armstrong; hand
tinkled together just then, but no one
heard them. Charles went on
sMy wife if I have one, shall nave NO
chance to show her temper. ltshe does
not like my orders she must obey them
without liking. break her IN IKE
| horse-bring her down at once 10 the
! frame of mind l mean to keep her in;
/
! tradict her: object. to the style of dress
make her alter the way of doing her
hair. refuse TO dance, or attend church;
and make her send regrets to party Invl-
| tations when she wants to accept Them
show her at once what she may expect
After a while | might yield q little
more, but because chose, you under
\ stand-not to please her"
Yes" said the friend, douotiuiIy,
"but voa can think hoWhard you'd iind
I it; and if yoa stay out late they make
such a row-sit UP for you In nlgh'
cap. and cry whenyou come in. :"
'.Fd manage that" said Rokewood
by staying out every night until day
| light. The. one rule that l should pu'
! in practice would be-never let a wonial
have her own way.
The spoons tinkled little more, ant
Mrs. Armstrong; face flushed terribly
but she listeAeds6ill.
Ofcourse, YOU yield great deal to tht
v oman YOU are in love with" said Mr.
! Rokewood, evidently brushing the ashe:
from his cigar, "but that's because o
the romance and that sort of nonsense
which dies cut with the honeymoon
You can find women enough to write
poetry to and to talk sentimental witt
married or single. AS for your Wlle
she's the woman who keeps house 10
you, aud the sooner you make her aware
of the fact the better. When L marry
4 it will be with no idiotic ideas OF per
petual courtship in my mind. 1T oeglr
as intend to go on, and be MASTER y0'
can depend upon it."
but not nay master" Whispered
pretty Mrs. Armstrong, mot mine"
li.Mistress Armstrong, the spoons.plaze,
whispered Biddy, at the stairs, jus
/, then.
.Hetty Armstrong gathered up tn
spoons which had slipped loosely dow
into her lap. She looked at them as sh'
did SO. They were solid and elegant, a
was all her silver. Her eyes glanced
. about the room. which wealth and tast'
had made the perfection OF elegance ant
fcofnfort. Hey. room! She heard dowI
stairs the merry chat of her guests, TIL
sound of music and dancing. She re-
metnbered that in the kitchen her ser
wants were making ready a supper ii
for a king. She turned to the mirror
! handsome womsn, still young, ant
elegantly dressed, glanced proudly baci
/, at her. An hour before, all these, Tn
woman included, she would have glvel
to Charles Rokewood had he been
beggar. just twinge of pain Wen
!. through her heart. One tear stole
down her glowing cheek Then she gav'
, little bitter laugh.
81 alone am queen of mel "she mis-
quoted, and ran out to give the spoon
to Biddy. -,
1T wae hard to find Them" she said
! "but here they ar at last" .,
And she Iaughted Il littlei less thai
Z usual, and not quite naturally.
Il was the merriest Christmas EV
J party of them all, said her guests, am
Hetty Armstrong seemed the merries
there. But no one saw her when til
I door closed upon them all, and she wa
|, alone in her own chamber. No matte
l how brief love dream has been, espJ
Y ci in ll,- If il Z sndnan