Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1870-01-20
eliminating tongue. Mrs. Darcy. won't
endure it auy loneer.'

promptly shutting and locking the door
4 think I We endured it quite long enough,
and here is an end of it,
Mrs. Darcy, open the door, said Luke,
scarcely able to credit the evidence of his
own senses.
I shall do no such thing said Mrs.
Darcy, composedly beginning to re arrange
shirts, stockings and flannel wrappers in
their appropriate receptacles.
Mrs. Darcy loared Luke, at fever
heat of impotent rage, what on earth do
you mean?'
L mean 10 Keep you in that clothes
press, Mr.. Darcy, until you have made up
your mind to come out in more amiable
frame Of mind If the system succeeds
with Freddy, it certainly ought with you
and | am sure your temper is much more
intolerabie than his
Til re was dead silence Of fully sixty
seconds in the closet, then a sudden burts
of vocal wrath.
'Mrs. Darcy, open the door this instant,
madam
But Evelyn went on humming a saucy
little opera air, and arranging her clothes.
Do you hear me-?
'Yes-I hear you
will you obey me?'
Not until you have solemnly promised
me to put some sort of control on that
temper of yours; not until you pledge
yourself hereafter to treat your wife as
lady should be treated not as mental.
L WON'T
No. Then in that easel hope you
don't Gnd the atmosphere at all oppres.
sive there, as | think it probable You will
remain there some time
Another sixty seconds Of dead silence,
then sudden rain of heels and hands
against the relentless wooden panels.
Let me out, say, Mrs. Darcy Ma
dam, how dare you perpetrate this monst-
rous piece of audaclty 2
My dear Luke, how strongly you do
remind me Of Freddy. You see there is
nothing [ have so little tolerance for as
bad temper 1t on ght to have been cheek
ed long ago, only you know I'm SO ride
ulously indulgeut
MIR. Darcy winced-a little at the famll
lar sound Of his own words.
Tap ap-tap came softly to the door
Mrs. Darcy conposedly opened it, and saw
her husbands little Office boy.
Please, mem, there's some gentlemen
at the Office in great hurry to see Mr.
Darcy. It's about the Apologize will
case
Mrs. Darcy hesitated an instant there
was a triumphant rustic in the closet, and
her determination was taken.
TELL the gentlemen that your master
has bad headache, and won't be down
town this morning
Luke CRASHED his teeth audibly, as soon
as The closing of the door admonished him
that he might do 50 wish safety.
Mrs. Darcy, do you presume to inter-
fere with the transaction Of business that
is vitality important, ua'ma, vitality i'm
portant?
Mrs. Darcy nouchallntly took up th e
little opear air where she had left it, let
ting the soft Italian words ripple musically
off her tongue
Evelyn. dear !!
What is it, Luke, she asked mildly
Please let me out. My dear, this may
be joke to you, but
Il assure you, Luke, its nothing ofthe
kind it's the soberest Of serious matters
to me. 1t is question as to whether my
future life shall be miserable or happy
There was a third interval of silence.
Evelyn said Luke, presently, in sub
dued voice, will you open the door,
'On one condition ouly.'
And what is that 2
'Ah, all = thought the little lieutenant
general, hes beginning to entertain terms
Of captulation, is he? On condition,
she added aloud, that you will break
yourself Of. the habit of speaking GROSSLY
and sharply to me, and On all occasions
keep your temper
My temper, irdeedr sputtered Luke.
Just your temper returned his wife.
serenely. Will you promise =
Never, Madam!
Mrs Darcy quietly took up a pair OF
hose that required mending, and prepared
to leave the apartment. As the door
cracked on its hinges, however, voice
came shrilly through the opposite keyhole.
Mrs. Darcy, Evelyn! Wife,
Yes
You are not going down stairs to leave
me in this place ?
/ am
We'll, look here--I promise all and
everything that you require-confound it
all 7
Wisely deaf to the muttered sequal,